Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-07
TAFT WARNS Us
WAR WILL BE LONG.
FORMER PRESIDENT IN AMEs AID.
DRESS SAYS CONFLICT MAY
LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
MAY COST AMERICA
MILLIONS OF LIVES
Must Pay Cost, Whatever il May BE,
in Order to Preserve World From
Autocratic Domination-Three Thou
sand People Attend Exercises at
College and Hears Former President.
peciaf to es-Republican.


Ames, June I. = That the United
States is engaged in war that may
last for several years was the declara-
ton made by Elk President William
Howard Taft in a patriotic commence
ment address to the 1917 graduating
elias at Iowa State College here last
night.
Germany is not exhausted by any
means. and if we are to win the war
we will have to put forth every en-
deavor. We shall have to give up our
happy go lucky spirit and get down to
serious business. said Mr.. Taft Right
now we do not realize what a job we
have on our hands. But when we be-
gin to stand around the bulletin boards
and the telegraph offices, waiting for
the list of dead and wounded, then we
will realize and put everything but the
war aside.
May Cost Million Lives.
The United States went to war be-
cause she could not do otherwise, in
the opinion of Mr.. Taft. In an analy-
sis of the causes that led up to the
United States entering the war he
showed that Germany in killing the 200
American citizens violated internation-
al law and committed what would be
plain murder under domestic law.
There is no difference between the two.
Americans, are entitled to the protec-,
tion of the law abroad or on shipboard.
just the same as at home. If the gov
eminent can not give this protection
1t had better go out of government
business. We may have to spend a
million lives to avenge these 200. de-
clared Ex- President Taft but ii will be
worth a million if we rid the world of
the domination of Prussian military ar
rogance that has become intolerable to
the rest of the world
While Germany has always been
liberty-loving people it has gone crazy
thru great change since 1864. caid
Mr. Taft In that year Bismarck be-
gan in Prussia sto advance the theory
that the king and the state are su-
preme. and that force is the dominat-
ing motive to be used TO advance the
state. This doctrine worked out, he
said, to bring all of the German states
under the control Of Prussia, and to
defeat France in 1870.
Since that time Bismarck and his
followers have aided in bringing the
whole German empire to the place
where 1t believes in the destinies Of a
greater German state, and that every
thing else in industry and science must
be subordinated to advance thru milf
tary force this destiny This is what
we must fight against, Taft said.
Backed BY People.
1t is the greatest military force in
the world, backed by a believing peo-
pie. If we submit to it and to its vio-
lations of international law we must
become subject to it. This is a war
that is different from any other war.
because all of the right is on our side
and all of the wrong on the other Ger
many is blinded by her military leaders.
but the United States is aligned with
all of the great democracies Of the
world - England, France, Russia and
Italy.
You say England is not democra-
cy: 1t has a king. Yes, but he is
about as useless as an ex-president.
He does not rule. The people rule
just as they do in these other democ-
racies."
After the address of Elk President
Taft degrees and certificates were con-
ferred by President r. A. Pearson upon
47s graduates In addition forty-seven
masters degrees were also conferred.
This is the largest graduation class of
lpwa State College.
Three thouand people attended the
commencement exercises and heard the
address of the former president.