Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-23
PRICE OF PEACE
NOW IS WAR
President of Princeton SO De-
clares Before Patriotic
Rally
BY associated Press

New York, March 23. - Led by
more than forty patriotic and civic
organizations and college clubs, a
crowd that filled Madison Square Gar
den last night enthusiastically pledg-
ed itself to the support of President
Wilson and urged that there be no
more delay on the part of the United
States in entering the European war
against Germany.
Among the speakers were Elihu
Root, who presided; Dr. John Grier
Elibben, president of Princeton Uni
versity; Charles S. Falrchild, who was
secretary of the treasury under Presi-
dent Cleveland, and Mayor Mitchell.
United States Senator Ollie James. of
Kentucky; Joseph II. Choate and
many others OF prominence were
present.
When Mr.. Root, opening the meet
ing, declared the time had come for
the country to act, irrespective of par
ties or partisanship, the great crowd
arose, cheering and waving small
American flags. This demonstration
was repeated time and again and it
was with difficulty that Mr.. Root and
the other speakers made themselves
heard.
Mr.. Root said in part:
we come not to find fault or to
criticise. We come to turn our faces
| toward the government of our choice,
the government, the President and the
Congress, on whom weigh the terrible
burdens of decision and action in the
issue of peace or war and in the terri
bic pursuit of that freedom which
can be maintained it seems now only
by war. In this government by the
people it must be the people them
selves who act through the President
and the Congress.
I'VE did think a few years ago
that the reign of law had come into
the world; we did think that the rules
of law that all civilized nations had
agreed to be bound by were protec-
ton to the peaceful to the weak; we
did think that the faith of treaties
was a protection, but we have had a
sad awakening. Neither the rules of
law, nor the teachings of civilizations,
nor the requirements of religion. stand
in the way of those powers that are
now seeking in the world, with fire
and sword, what they call the liberty
of national evolution, the liberty to
send their increasing population out
and seize the territory and subjugate
the inhabitants of other lands"
In opening his address DR.. Hibben
said:
II am here tonight as a pacifist.
l believe in peace at any price and the
price at the present time is war"
Continuing, he said:
There is time when the only
peace that is worth fighting for is that
peace of conscience, the consciousness
that we as a people are not towards,
the consciousness that we have raised
our voice and our power against great
wrongs and great injustice and that is
the peace that we are called upon to
fight for at the present time.
Are we as Americans, degenerate? =?
Has the manhood of our race run
out?"
He was answered by cries of "No,
never!"
Let us recognize our enemy. We
have been q long time finding him
out, but we know him now. I hope
that the day will come when the Stars
and Stripes will be seen somewhere
along the Won Hindenburg line in
France"
George Wharton Pepper declared
the nation should recognize the fact
that even men and industrial prepar-
edness are of little worth unless we
can put into the hands of the men the
ordinary and necessary implements of
warfare-rifies, guns. ammunition
and all the rest of the necessary equip
ment."