Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-25
Seattle Turns Out En- MaSSe to
Greet Root Party; Grave
Warnings Uttered
Rx Riley Il. ALLEN

BY RILEY n. ALLEN
SEATTLE, Wash, Aug 10-se-
attic and the Pacific Northwest are
humming with war activity. Though
outwardly this city seems TO take the
war less seriously than we OF Ha'
vail, the more important indications
are that the Northwest Is doing its
share in men. money and material
TO help crown a victory for demo-
cracy.
/ had the good fortune to be pres
ent at the great luncheon given to
the Russian commission, headed by
ex-senator Elihu Root, when 1t ar
rived In Seattle en- route home. l
say good fortune" not because there
was anything exclusive about the
luncheon but because It produced
some of the most notable public ut
terances made by Americans since
the United States entered the war.
Neither Mr.. Root nor any other
member of the commission had said
anything particularly striking in the
newspaper interviews given out i'm
mediately after the U. s. s. Buffalo,
carrying the commission, reached Sc
attic from the Orient. In fact, the
DISTINGUISHED chairman Of the CON-
mission had declined to make any
formal statement whatever. The
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. blows which
these men let 60, in the hour after
the luncheon, were therefore all the
more unexpected and effective.
Al Glasses Gather
II was a democratic luncheon in
deed. There were millionaires and
paupers IN the crowd; capitalists and
lumberjacks; bankers and day Ia
borers; professional men and long
shoremen from the docks, college
men and those educated In the school
OF hard knocks-all sorts, kinds,
classes and conditions. And hun
dreds Of women, too, for the women
OF Washington are active--effectiyely
actiye-in public affairs and take
keen interest In an occasion Of this
) sort.
Senator Root IL a man OF wonder.
ful physical as well as mental VI
tally. The luncheon was held in
the Arena, q hall which seats, was
told, more than $500 people, and
which In winter 10 used for ice skat.
ing and for ice hockey contests. It
is q mammoth auditorium, but Roots
fine voice, admirably suited to his
classic purity OF utterance and we'll
balanced, well-considered phrases,
filled the great hall and rolled out
beyond. He began almost at top
pitch and kept 1t up apparently
without fatigue. But It was evil
dent that the New Yorker was in
spired by the tremendous importance
OF the Russian situation to the ma
tons fighting German kultur. In
fact. every member of the commits
sion who spoke-there were several
talked with q deadly earnestness
more effective than any forensic
fireworks. They had come home with
the conviction that the crisis is
reached IN the world struggle-the
crisis that will determine whether
autocracy or democracy Is to be the
ruling power in the world after this
war shall have ended-and they were
burning with the need of q mighty
effort by America to put her strength
crisis. ..-.. .-s.-
America Fighting for Self
Again and again Root drove home
this point: America IL not fight
ing for some far-remoyed issue;
America IL fighting for her own
right to live and to be free ma
ton. He skirted discreetly along
the edge of the Russian situation,
saying that the commission must
first report to Washington, but the
keignificancel Of his words could not
De misunderstood. .
Charles Edward Russell, whom
most folks In Hawaii think of as q
wlld-eyed Socialist whose beliefs Dor
der on anarchy, made o wonderful
talk-a marvel Of combined eloquence
and direct force. And Russell came
nearer than any of the others to re-
yealing the significance OF the Rus
sian situation when he leaned far
over the edge Of the platform, above
thousands Of faces upturned In al
most painful intensity, and shouted:
.sOh, wish could tell you what
we have seen in Russia, but my
lips are sealed But make no mis-
take, my fellow citizens, make no
mistake that we are secure from
harm. The democracy Of America
and Of the world today hangs by a
hairi We have got to fight not only
for this right OF democracy but for
our own country, our own friends,
homes, families. II does not matter
whether I live or die, but 1t does
matter that my children shall be
Free Z
This was followed by an ovation Of
the kind we seldom see In Hawaii.
That great crowd jumped to its feet
and cheered like mad. The shriil
cries Of women rang high above a
hoarse volume OF shouts from the