davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29

wv TE ARE hearing a good deal about
wv the production Of mercnah'
tonnage to feed the submarine,
but we have been told less about the ex-
pansion Of our naval tonnage. Uncle Sam,
however, has come to the rescue with some
specific information, as published in "Ihe
Official Bulletin" from which we quote;
THE shipbuilding facilities Of the United
States navy yards are being expanded 50
that eventually sixteen war vessels may %
on the ways at one time, while fully th'r'y'
two may be in course of construction. ms
number does not include submarines ana
submarine chasers.
"With the shipways now being built |"
projected, United States navy yards VIII %
able to have in course Of construction o.
the ways at one time sixteen war VesssA
in addition TO submarines and subman"
chssers. Seven of these could be ba'te'
ships, two auxiliaries, such as transports
fuel ships, hospita! shipsI etc, and seven
destroyers
There are now under construction in gov
ydlu5 lHItt DdLNltNUlpSs
stroyers and a number of submarines ara
submarine chasers.
an 1912 the shipbulding facilities Of tn'
navy yards consisted OF one ways for oa''
tleships at New York and one ways at NS'0
Island for auxiliaries.
"At the beginning Of the present year U'
facilities available were: Boston, one auA"'
iary; New York, one battleship; Philaas'.
phia, one auxiliary; Norfolk. one destroyer,
Charleston, one gunbost; Mare Island ON
battleship and one destroyer.
AT Portsmouth, n. H., we now have iO-.
ways for subraines. which means tAat i'O'.
six to eight will be under construction -
one time. The navy yard at Boston has O"'
ways for auxiliaries.
THE navy yard at New York now mas
ways for lsrge-sized battleships and s.S'
ond is being built for battleships. AZ rni'N.
delphia there will be two ways, one Tor 's,ss
battleships or battle cruisers and sh0'n,.
for large battleships. A third, alreaSs
built, is used for auxiliary vessels. ..
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
THE President Quotes Ezekiel
l To Justify Preparedness

81 am particularly gratifed that you should
so fully concur in the position took in my
speech to the Manhattan Club. There is a
quotation from Ezekiel which | have had very
much in my mind recently in connection with
these important matters. 1t is the I'd, Sd,
4th, 5th and 9th verses of Chapter 49,
"'Son of man, speak to the children Of my
people, and say unto them: When | bring
the sword upon land if the people Of the
land take man from among them and set
him for their watchman:
"Tf, when he seeth the sword come upon
the land. he blow the trumpet and warn the
, people;
"'Then, whosoever heareth the sound Of
the trumpet, and taketh not warning if the
sword come, and take him away, his blood
shall be upon his own head"
Then began a series Of preparedness
speeches and the tour to convert the West
to armament following his preparedness
message to Congress on December 7, 1915,
in which he said:
eve will not maintain a standing army ex-
cept for uses which are as necessary in times
| of peace as in times of war. But we do be-
| lieve in a body of free citizens ready and
| sufficient to take care OF themselves and of
the governments which they have set up to
! serve them 1t seems to me very clear that
! it will be an advantage to adopt a compre-
! hensive plan for putting the navy upon a
! final footing of strength and efficiency and TO
press that plan to completion within the next
/ qua
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Ioping the War Will Be Ended
i i By the Light of Truth"

Replying to his critics and stressing the
value Of the new Bryan treaties for arbi-
hating international differences, in an ad-
dress delivered before the Pittsburgh
Young Mems Christian Association, 0cto-
Der 25, 1914, President Wilson said:
"what you have TO do is to fight, not
{ with cannon, but with right. We have just
concluded treaties of peace with a great
many nations, providing that We shall look
for the light for a year. Ny prediction is
+ that after the light has shone on q dispute
for q year it will not be necessary to do any
thing"
This White House announcement indi-
Gates where the President originally stood
on preparedness:
Washington, Nov. 10, l9l4.-Despite the
declaration that this country is unprepared
for war, President Wilson let it be known
to-day that there would be no change in the
naval programme put forward by the Secre-
tsry Of the Navy, the original small navy
bill
The Chief Executive resisted the de-
mands Of the preparationists on Decem-
Der s, 1914, in his address to Congress, as
follows:
Dread or the power Of any other nation
we are incapable Of We mean to live our
own lives as We will; but we mean also 20
let live. We are, indeed, true friend TO
all the nations of the world, because we
threaten none. eovst the possessions Of none,
desire TO overthrow none Therein lies our
greatness. We are the champions Of peace
and Of concord And we should be very jeal-
1ous Of this distinction which we have sought
20 earn.
"From the first we have had clear and
settled policy With regard TO military es-
tabiishments. We never have had, and
while we retain our present principles and
ideals We never shall have. large standing
army. II asked. Are you ready 70 defend
yoursslyes7 we reply, Most assuredly, to the
utmost; and yet we shall not turn America
into a military camp. We will not ask our
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Mo Self-Respecting Nation Coulc
~ Longer Avoid War

This correcting" letter written by Pres.
ident Wilson to Representative Hefin, Of
Alabama, was made public on May o.
1917, at the White House. 1t was in par,
as follows:
at is incomprehensible to me how spy
frank or honest person could doubt or cues.
tion my position with regard to the war and
it's objects. | have again and again stated
the very serious and long continued wrongs
which the imperial German government has
perpetrated against the rights, the commerce
and the citizens of the United States. Ths
list is long and overwhelming. No nation
that respected itself or the rights OF human.
ity could have borne those wrongs any
longer.
"There is no hate in our hearts for tho
German people, but there is a resolve which
cannot be shaken even by misrepresentation
to overcome the pretensions Of the autocratc
government which acts upon purposes to
which the German people have never con.
sented."
The text of the second explanation, in
the form of letter sent by President Wi.
son to Representative Pou on May %, 1871
is as follows:
"Your Interpretation OF my message sup.
posed would be the Interpretation everybody
would give it. / meant just what you say,
that our grievance, while entirely sufficient
, was the same as that of other neutral ma
tions, perhaps aggravated by the fact tna'
Germany has made us special promises wElch
she has grossly ignored"
The Wilson attitude toward war and
peace finds elimination in his message to
the Provisional Government of Russia out.
lining American aims, made public at
Washington on June 9, 1917. These are
significant sentences on "Annexatons and
Indemnities":
"The meshes of that intrigue must be
broken, but cannot be broken unless wrongs
already done are unGone; and adequate meas
ures must be taken TO prevent it from ever
again being rewoven or repaired.
"Of course, the imperial German govern.
ment and those whom it is using for their
own undoing are seeking to obtain pledges
that the war will end in the restoration Of
the status quo ante.
at was the status quo ante out Of which
this iniqutous war issued forth, the power
of the imperial German government within
the empire and its widespread domination
and influence outside of that empire. Ihas
status must be altered in such fashion as
to prevent any such hideous thing from ever
happening again"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29

War, and then said that the permanent
things would take place after it was over,
when the opinion of mankind crystallized
Getting our fighting blood up" he told
a Federation of Labor audience at Wash
ington on July 4, 1916, "is the long way,
and not the short way, to secure our
rights"
The Arabic, Appam, Anconia and Sus-
sex incidents had by this time wrought a
profound change in the popular temper.
The effect of these reactions upon the
Wilson psychology may be traced in this
series of addresses:
Shadow Lawn, Long Branch, n. j., Sept. 80,
l9l6.-President Wilson to-day, addressing
upward of $500 young men from New York
and New Jersey, said:
"There is only one choice as against peace,
and that is war. Some of the supporters Of
that party, r very great body Of the support
ers of the Republican party, outspokenly de-
clare that they want war; so that the GER
tain prospect of the success of the Republi-
can party is that we shall be drawn in one
FORM or otner into tne environments Oh lHe
European war"
indianapolis, Oct. IL, 1916.-"I have said,
and shall say again, that when the present
great world war is over it will be the duty
of America to join with the other nations
of the world in some kind of league for the
maintenance Of peace"
The foregoing statement was made by Presi-
dent Wilson in his address at the Centennial
celebration here to-day.
Omaha, Oct 5.-Prcsident Wilson said here
to-day:
"When you are asked, Arc = you willing
to fight? reply Yes, am waiting for some
thing worth fighting for You are not look
ing about for petty quarrels, but you are
looking about for that sort of quarrel within
whose intricaces are written all the texts
of the rights of man. You are looking for
some cause which will elevate your spirit"
Cincinnati, Oct. go, 1916.-"This present
war" declared President Wilson, speaking
before the Women's City Club here to-day,
"is the last war of this or any kind involv-
ing the world that the United States can keep
out Of | believe that the business of neu-
traity is over, not because want it to be
over, but war now has such a scale that the
position Of neutrals becomes intolerabe."
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
My Destruction Of American
" Life Can Bring on War

Then came the fight for armed ships
ard for military training" as outlined in
these dispatches:
Washington, Feb. 20, 1917.-At a meeting
of the Cabinet this afternoon the President
indicated his firm purpose to go to the ex-
treme of patience. He will insist on the long
est possible delay on the matter of arming
ships, and when he again goes before Con-
gress he will make plain that only as last
recourse, in the face of actual destruction of
American life and property, will this country
go to war
Washington, Feb. 81, 1917.-President Will
son and Secretary Baker, it is officially inti-
mated will go on record in favor of the prn-
ciple of universal military training.
Washington, Feb &c, 1917.-In his message
to Congress to-day President Wilson said:
"The overt act which have ventured to
hope the German commanders would in fact
avoid has not occurred.
81 am not now proposing or contemplating
war or any steps that need lead TO it. No
course of my choosing or of theirs will lead
to war War can come only by the wilful
acts and aggressions of others"
! Washington, Feb. 2s, 1917.-The pacifst
propaganda in Washington reached climax
to-day with the arrival Of William Jennings
Bryan and the reception by President Wilson
of two delegations Of pacifsts. The Presi-
( dent spent more than two. hours with the
/ propagandists, after which no statement
could be obtained from either the agitatorH
or the White House further than that the
President had assured them he would dc
everything possible to avoid war honorably.
Washington, March 4, 19l7.-President Will
son tonight informed the country in state
ment that he is without power to arm mer-
chant ships. In this statement he scored "the
wilful Senator's"
"The Senate of the United States is the
only legislative body in the world which can
not act when its majority is ready for ac-
ton A little group of wilful men, repre-
senting no opinion but their own, have rem
dered the great government Of the United
! States helpless and contemplate"
War now seemed imminent. President
Wilson is at once the champion of EARNED
neutrality" and of peace. At Washington
March 5, 1917, following his second oath
of Office, he said, in part:
1--WE have been deeply wronged upon the
seas, but we have not wished to wrong or
injure in return. We stand firm ir armed
neutrality, since it seems that in no other
way can we demonstrate what it is we insist
upon and cannot forego. We may even be
drawn on, by circumstances, not by our own
purpose or desire, to a more active assertion
! of our rights as we see them and a more
immediate association with the great strug-
/ gle itself"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
gle itself.
THE World Must Be Made
i Safe for Democracy

Finally here is war and here is Wilson,
the warrior. On April 2, 1917, President
Wilson, addressing both branches of the
SiXty-ffth Congress, assembled in the
House of Representatives, called for war
against Germany. From the memorable
document these pregnant paragraphs are
taken:
"The present German warfare against com
merce is warfare against mankind. 1t is
war against all nations. American ships
have been sunk, American lives taken, in
ways which it has stirred US very deeply to
learn of, but the ships and people of other
neutral and friendly nations have been sunk
and overwhelmed in the waters in the same
way.
II thought that it would suffice to assert
our neutral rights with arms, our right to
use the seas against unlawful interference,
our right to keep our people safe against
unlawful violence. But armed neutrality, it
now appears, is mpractcable.
"With profound sense of the solemn and
even tragical character of the step am TAX
ing, and of the grave responsibilities which
it involves, but in unhesitating obedience to
what deem my constitutional duty, ad-
wise that the Congress declare the recent
course of the imperial German government
to be in fact nothing less than war against
the government and people of the United
States; that it formally accept the status of
belligerent which has thus been thrust
upon it.
Neutrality is no longer feasible or desira-
bic where the peace of the world is involved
and the freedom of it's people, and the mem
ace TO that peace and freedom lies in the
existence of autocratic governments, backed
by organized force which is controlled
wholly by their will, not by the will Of their
people. We have seen the last neutrality in
such circumstances.
1--WE have no quarrel with the German peo-
pie. We have no feeling toward them but
one of sympathy and friendship.
"A steadfast concert for peace can never be
maintained except by partnership Of demo-
cratic nations. No autocrstic government
could be trusted to keep faith within it or
observe its covenants.
THE Russian people have been added in
Gil IHeH HdI'e majesty anu HlShl 10 the
forces that are fighting for freedom in the
world, for justice and for peace. Here is a
fit partner for a league of honor.
"The world must be made safe for democ-
racy. It's peace must be planted upon the
trusted foundations of political liberty.
1--WE enter this war only where we are
clearly forced into it because there are no
other means of defending our rights. We
are, let me say again, the sincere friends of
the German people"
-le NJ G. l. IL
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29

What are you going to do with your
power? Are you going to translate it into
force or are you going to translate it into
peace and the salvation Of society?
"Does it not interest you that America has
run before the rest of the world in making
trial of this great human experiment, and is
it not the sign and dawn of new age that
the one thing upon which the world is now
about to fall back is the moral judgment Of
mankind?"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
II erman Crisis Reached, Wilson
VI Appeals to the Neutrals

On February 1, 1916, Germany resumed
her ruthless warfare and laid out zone
of submarine operations. The dismissal of
Ambassador Bernstorff and the recall Of
Ambassador Gerard followed. Many per-
sons still looked to the President for peace.
Nor did he deny them hope. His play for
neutral support again revealed his vision
of League of Nations and compact for
peace. On February his directions to our
diplomats abroad contained these phrases:
"You will Immediately notify the govern
ment to which you are accredited that the
United States. because of the German gov
ernment's recent announcement of its inten-
tion to renew unrestricted submarine war
fare, has no choice but to follow the course
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
THE Famous Too Proud
! To Fight" Utterance

1t was in Philadelphia, on May 10, 1915,
that he made his famous "too proud to
fight" declaration. This dispatch tells the
story three days after the sinking of the
Lusitania:
Philadelphia, May 10, 1915.-"Not because
it will not fight, but because peace is the
elevating influence of the world. There is
such a thing as a man being too proud to
fight; there is such thing as nation be.
ing so right that it does not need to con-
vince others by force that it is right" said
President Wilson to-day, speaking before 15,-
900 persons in Convention Hail.
The attacks upon neutral commerce and
upon unarmed ships brought forth the
"strict accountability" utterance and
marked a changing phase in the Executive
mind The mass opinion of the nation
also shifted toward preparedness, and
in part toward war. The Presidents
note TO Germany on the Lustania sinking,
delivered on May 10, 1915, bore these
phrases:.
"This government has already taken occa-
sion to inform the imperial German govern
ment that it cannot admit the adoptioni of
such measures or such warning of danger
to operate as in any degree an abbreviation
Of the rights of American shipmasters or
American citizens bound on lawful errands
as passengers on merchant ships of belliger-
ent nations and that it must hold the i'm
perial government to a strict accountability
for any infringement of those rights, inten-
tional or accidental"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
NJ Wi1son's Evolution from Pac1f1St to WarrlC

Washington, April 8, 1917-Presiden, ",
son to-day began his campaign to driy, -.
pacifists. little army men and opponent, :,
universal service into line behind his ,,,'
for conscription in the present war ~
called Chairman Dent of the House NlH,..
Affairs Committee, protege Of ex-Chairr,.
Hay, to the White House, and insisted On -.
passage of the Administration army bill. II.
President warned Mr.. Dent Of the ,s,i,..
consequences which would attend the refine,
of the House to grant the President a.
war measure.
Washington, April 10, l9l7.-President VII
son to-day sent letter to Represent.,iv,
Helvering, of Kansas, strongly supporting q.
lective CONSUMPTION. II read in part:
"The principle OF the selective draft !.
short, has at its heart this idea: that th.,.
is a universal obligation to serve The Mn
if adopted, will do more, | believe. than An,
other single instrumentslity to create ii. j..
preston Of universal service in the army A.,
out of it, and, If properly administered will
be a great source of stimulation
His address before the Red Cross a,
Washington on March II, 1917, was re.
garded as being too gentle. Later he took
occasion to correct the impression it gave
He said in part:
81 believe that the American people Dor.
haps hardly yet realize the sacrifices and SUI.
ferngs that are before them. say Ii,
heart of the country is in this war because
it would not have gone into it II its hear
had not been prepared for it. We have gon.
in with no special grievance Of our own. Be-.
cause we have always said that we wer. IA,
friends and servants of mankind"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Above-The President delivering
his great war address before a joint
session Of Congress.
In circle-President Wilson.

1t was on November 8, 1915, that Presi-
dent Wilson quoted Ezekiel" in support
of his new attitude on preparedness. In
letter to Seth Low he said:
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
\ 7 egotiations Over the Lusitania
| ' Affair Creep Toward a Climax

The third Lusitania note, on July %,
1915, sharply challenged Germany's meth
ods and yet credited Germany with having
the same great object, freedom Of the seas,
in these phrases:
"Tf belligerent cannot retaliate against
an enemy without injuring the lives of neu-
trails, as well as their property, humanity, as
we'll as justice and due regard for the dig
nifty of neutral powers, should dictate that
the practice be discontinued. II persisted in,
IL would in such circumstances constitute an
objectionable offence against the sovereignty
Of the neutral nation affected.
"The government of the United States and
the imperial German government are con-
tending for the same great object, have long
stood together in urging the very principles
upon which the government of the United
States will continue to contend, for that free
dom, from whatever quarter violated, without
compromise and at any cost"
The peace medal of the American School
Peace League was awarded TO the Presi-
dent on August "a, 1915. On September .
he was indirectly quoted as saying that he
had "a single track mind"
THE First Whisper of War
i In Preparedness"
The first preparedness note was struck
on May 5, 1915, following the Roosevelt
Gardner attacks. In his address before
the Manhattan Club, in New York, Presi
dent Wilson said:
1--WE feel justified in preparing ourselves
to vindicate our right to independent and -
molested action by making the force that is
in US ready for assertion. We do want TO
feel there is a great body of citizens who
have received at least the most rudimentary
and necessary forms Of military training;
that they will be ready to form themselves
into a fighting force at the call of the nation,
and that the nation has the munitions and
supplies with which to equip them without
delay should it be necessary to call them into
action. For the rest, it calls for the training
within the next three years of a force of
100000 citizen soldiers, to be raised in an
nual contingents Of 13S.OOO"
We come upon transitional evidences in
Mr.. Wilson's mind in this item:
Washington. Nov. 5, 19l5.--william J.
Bryan's long expected rupture with Presi-
dent Wilson on the national defence issue
came to-day. In n formal statement Mr..
Bryan declared that the Presidents policy
was "a departure from our traditions, re-
versal Of our national policy, a menace to
our peace and safety and a challenge to the
spirit Of Christianity, which teaches us TO
influence others by example rather than
force
The President in his speech at the an
rual dinner Of the Railway Business Asso-
citation, at the Waldorf-Astoyia, January
27, 1916, said:
There are some things Americans want
more than peace. We won't seek war, but we
won't try TO avoid it If it becomes a neces-
sits."
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29

laid down in its note of April Is. 1915 the
Sussex note !. 1t has, therefore, recalled the
American Ambassador to Berlin and has de-
livered passports to the German Ambassador
to the United States
"The course taken is, in the Presidents
view. entirely in conformity with the princl-
Piles he enunciated in his address TO the SEN
ate on January r. The address proposing
a World League for Peace He believes it
will make for the peace of the world if other
neutral powers can find it possible to take
similar action"
New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
THE Next Step Is the Decision
l To Adopt Conscription

After first trying the expedient Of call
ing for volunteers the President as a con-
scriptionist now stands revealed for the
first time in these two dispatches: