The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-03-08
FORCED INTO RMEDN EUTRAITTY
THERE CAN Be NO TURNING BACK
WILSON SAYS, FORECASTING WAR

Washington, D. c.. March 6-Fore-
casting the entrance Of the United
States into the conflict in Europe,
President Wilson today told those who
heard his inauguration speech that
there could be no turning back, that
the nation was in a state of armed neu-
trality, that domestic problems must
solved.
w realize that the great many
things to be done with the whole world
for a state,' he said. and in co-opera-
ton with thew wide and universal forces
of mankind, and we are making our
spirits ready for those things"
President Wilson'S inaugural address
was as follows:
My Fellow Citizens:
The fou years which W. elapsed
since last l stood in this place, have
been crowded with counsel and action
of the most vital interest and conse-
quences. Perhaps no equal period in
our history has been so fruitful of i'm
portant reforms in our economic and
industrial life, CT so full OF significant
changes in the spirit and purpose OF
our political action. We nave sought
very thoughtfully to set our house in
order. correct the grosser errors and
abuses of our industrial life, liberate
and quicken the processes of our ma
tlonal genius and energy and lift our
politics to n broader view of the peo-
pies essential interests. 1t is a record
or singular variety, and singular dis
%tinction. But shall not attempt to
review it. 1t speaks for itself and will
be of increasing Influence as the years
go by. This is not the time for ret
respect. 1t is time, rather, to speak
our thoughts, and purposes concerning
the present n the immediate future.
Drawn to Near Vortex.
although we have conferred counsel
and action with sue unusual conccn-
tration and success upon the great
problems of domestic legislation to
"hlch we addressed ourselves four
years ago other matters have more
and more forced themselves upon our
attention. matters lying outside our
w life as a 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
w current and influence.
1T has been impossible to avoid
them. They have affected the life Of
the Whole world. They AVE shaken
apprehension they never new be-
fore.
1T has been hard to preserve calm
counsel while the thought of our own
people waved this way and hat under
their Influence. We are a composite
and cosmopolitan people. We are Of
the blood of all the nations that are at
war. The currents of our thoughts as
well as the currents Of our rad run
quick at all seasons. back and forth,
etWeen us and them. The war in
evitably set it's mark from the first
alike upon our minds, our industries.
our our politics and our So
cial action. To be Indifferent to it, or
independent of it, was out of the cues
ton.
Many Injuries to United States.
And yet, all the while, we have been
conscious that we were not part of it.
We were conscious. despite many divi-
sions, we have drawn closer together.
We have been deeply wronged upon
the seas, but we have not wished to
wrong or injure in return; have re-
tanned throughout the consciousness of
standing in some sort apart, intent upon
an interest that transcribed the i'm
mediate issues of the war itself. AS
some of the injuries don us have be-
come intolerable, we nave still been
clear that we wished nothing for our
selves that we were not ready to de-
mand for all mankn fair dealing
justice, the freedom to live and the ease
against organized wrong.
Forced to Arm Ourselves.
TT is this spirit and with this
thought that we have grown more and
more aware, more and more certain
that the part we wished to play was
the part of those who mean to vindi-
cate and fortify peace. We have been
cDllSSu W arm ourselves TO 1ldke SOOC
claim to a certain minimum of right
and of freedom of action. We stand
firm in armed neutrality since it seems
that in no other way we can demon
strate what it is we insist upon an
cannot forego. We may even be drawn
on by circumstances, not by our owr
purpose or desire, to a more active as
sertion of our rights as we see then
and a more immediate association with
the great struggle itself. Eut nothing
.Atjt .ILn- 1,,H &I~,,,tL -. -,..
They are too clear to be obscured. They
are too deeply rooted in the principles
of our national life to be altered. w
desire no conquest or advantage. W.
wish nothing that can be had only Al
! the cost of another people. We have
always professed unselfish purpose ant
' we covet the opportunity to prove tina
our professions are sincere. There ar
many things still to do at home to c]ar.
ify our own politics and give new vi.
of our life and we shall do them a.
time and opportunity serve, but we re,
alize that the great things hat remain
to be done, must be done with tn,
whole world for a stage and in cooper
' alton with the wide and universe
forces of mankind, and we are maxim:
our. spirits ready for those things. The,
will follow in the immediate wake o
, the war itself and will set civilization
: up again. We are p~rovincials no longer
, The tragical events Of the 80 months o
.. vital turmoil through which we hay
just passed have made us citizens o
;, the world. There can be no turnini
), back. Our own fortunes as a natiol
n are involved, whether we would have j
SO or not.
"And yet. we are not the less A,neri
cars on that account. We shall be til
= more Americans if we but remain tru
y to the principles in which we HAY
been bred. They are not the principle
of a province or Of a single Continen
, We have known and boosted all alon
that they were the principles Of a lib
Grated mankind.
"These, therefore, are the things
we shall stand for, whether in war
or in peace:
THAT all nations are equally in
p terested in the peace of the world