The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-05
Declares for Equality of Nations
and Consent of Governed.
AMERICADESIRES NO CONQUEST
Wish Nothing To Be Had at
Cost of Another People.
''NOthing Will Alter Our
Thought OR Our Purpose"
BY ROBERT j. BENDER.

Washington. March 5.-President
Wilson sounded a new doctrine of in
ternationalism and world peace in his
inaugural address today but in the
same breath warned that the United
States may require "a more immediate
association with the war than mere
armed neutrality.
He spoke a unity of American
thought, spirit and action and voiced
the view that this must be an Ameri-
canism STEPPED in world spirit-in-
stead of the isolated national view or
the past.
His principal plea for world peace,
spoken before the thousands attend
ing his second inauguration, called
for:
Equal interest and responsibility of
all nations for maintaining peace.
Equality of nations in all matters of
right or privilge.
Destruction of the armed balance
of power"
That all the world should support
no other power than the view that
governments derive all their just
powers from the consent of the gov
crned.''
Freedom of the seas equal to all.
Crushing of any attempts within a
nation to organize or assist revoiu-
ton against another nation
Still Faith Peace Coming.
Electrified with the spirit of pat
rioiism of Americanism, of a new
world unity, the speech solemniy sug-
gested that despite the warfires rag
| ing and despite the possibility that
this nation must take a broader
hand, still that peace is coming soon
THE shadows that now lie dark
upon our path will soon be dispelled,
the president declared. Armed neu-
trality is our stand he said, yet this
may not suffice.
I'VE have been obliged to arm our
selves to make good our claim to a
certain minimum of right and of free
dom of action he declared on this
subject.
I'VE stand firm in armed neutrality
since it seems that in no other way
can we demonstrate what it is we in
sist upon and cannot forego-"
A hush followed this.
Then gravely he continued:
I'VE may even be drawn on, by cir
cumstances not by our own purpose or
desire to a more active assertion of
our rights as we see them and more
immediate association with the great
struggle itself
Any such step, he assured, however.
will be with unselfish purpose-not
with any view of conquest or national
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
The United States cannot, If it
wishes. longer stand apart in isolation
it must regard itself as a world
entity, think and act in terms of this
world spirit.
The Speech.
Washington, March 5-President
Wilson's inaugural address today was
as follows:
My fellow citizens:
1.-The four years which have elapsed
since last L stood in this place have
been crowded with counsel and ac-
ton of most vital interest and conse-
quence. Perhaps no equal period in
our history has been so fruitful of inn
portant reforms in our economic and
industrial life or so full of significant
changes in the spirit and purpose OF
our political action.
I'VE have sought very thoughtfully
to set our house in order, correct the
grosser errors and abuses OF our in
dustrial life, liberate and quicken the
processes of our national genius ana
| energy, and lift our politics to a
| broader view of the peoples essential
/ interests. 1t is a record of singular
variety and singular distinction But
1 shall not attempt to review it, 1t
speaks for itself and will be of in
creasing influence as the years go by.
Speak Our Thoughts.
This is not the time for retrospect
1t is time, rather to speak our thoughts
land purposes concerning the present
and the immediate future
! "Altf1o we have conferred counsel
/ and action with such unusual concen-
tration and success upon the great
/ problems of domestic legislation to
which we addressed ourselves four
years ago other matters have more
and more forced themselves upon our
attention, matters lying outside our
| own life nation and over which
we had no control. but which, despite
our wish to keep free of them have
drawn us more and more irresistibly
into their own current and Influences
1T has been impossible to avoid
1 continual ON Para Eivp