Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-03-09
PRESIDENT SAYS AMERICA MUST
STAND FOR PEACE-ASSERTS
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
"NOW WORLD CITIZENS"
SOUNDS NEW DOCTRINE
OF INTERNATIONALlS
Executive Pleads for Limitation of
World Armaments-Sounds Warn
Ing Against Intrigue to Break
Harmony of People-Stands
Firm In Armed Neutrality.

Washington, March 6.-Preident
Wilson'S second inaugural address de-
HVered before a great crowd in Wash
lngtOn, was as follows:
My felloW-citizens: The four years
which have elapsed since last l stood
in this place have been crowded with
counsel and action of the most vital
interest and consequences. Perhaps
no equal period in our history has
been so fruitful of important reforms
in our economic and industrial life or
so full of significant changes in the
spirit and purpose of our political &C
ton.
Not the Time to Look Back
eve have sought very thoughtfu1ly
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 and
anergy, and lift our politics to broad
ar view of the peoples essential in
Serests. 1t is record of singular va
fety and singular distinction. But |
shall not attempt to review it. 1t
speaks for itself and will be Of increas-
ng influence as the years go by. This
j. not the time for retrospect, it is
time, rather, to speak our thoughts
and purposes concerning the present
and immediate future
Other Matters lntrude.
although we have centered coun.
sci and action with such unusual con-
centration 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 as nation and over
which we had 10 control, but which,
despite our wish to keep free of them,
have drawn us more and more ire
sistibly into their own current and
influence.
Whole World Affected.
ct has been impossible to avoid
hem. They have affected the life of
.he whole world. They have shaken
men everywhere with a passion and
IN apprehension they never knew be-
fore 1t has been hard to preserve
calm counsel when the thought of our
own people swayed this way and that
under their influence. We are com
posite 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
trade run quick at all seasons back
and forth between us and them. The
war inevitably set it's mark from the
first alike upon our minds, our indus
tries, our commerce, our politics and
our social action. To be Indifferent
to it or independent of it was out of
the question.
Wronged Upon Seas.
"And yet, all the while we have
been conscious that we were not part
of it. In that consciousness, despite
many divisions, we have drawn closer
together. We hare been deeply wrong
ed upon the seas, but we have not
wished to wrong on injure in return !;
we have retained throughout the con-
sciousness of standing in some sort
apart, intent upon an interest that
transcribed the immediate issues OF
the war. AS some Of the injuries done
us have become tntolerbale, we still
have been clear that we wished moth
ing for ourselves that we were not
ready to demand for all, the freedom to
live and to be at ease against organ
lied wrong.
Stand Firm in Armed Neutrality.
TT is in this pirit and with this
thought that we have grown more and
more awake, more and more certain
that the part we wished to play was
he part of those who mean to vindi-
cate and fortify peace We have been
obliged to arm ourselves to make good
our claim to a certain minimum of
right and of freedom of action. We
stand firm in armed neutrality, since
1t seems that in no way we can dem
Onstrate what it is we insist upon and
cannot fOrego
Neither Conquest Nor ADVANTAGE.
I'VE may even be drawn on, by CIR
cumstances, not by our own purposes
or desire, to more active assertion
OF our rights as we see them and a
more immediate association with the
great struggle itself. But nothing
will alter our thought or our purpose.
They are too clear to be obscured.
They are too deeply rooted in the
principles of our national life to be
altered. We desire neither conquest
nor advantage We wish nOthino tho +