McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-05-24
president WILSON
\ OPENS GREAT DRIVE
THOUSANDS CHEER WILDLY
h MiIEN PATRIOTIC WORDS OF
PRESIDENT ARE HEARD.
no LIMIT TO SIZE OF ARMY
Russia AZ Well as France Must BE
( Protected by the Peace Which
eliminates the War, De-
clared Wilson.

New York.--In his speech at the
metropolitan Opera House, opening
the Red Cross drive, President Wilson
reiterated the purpose of the United
States to fight on to an honorable
peace, and called upon America to
make war to the limit OF her re-
sources.
President Wilson declared that he
had asked congress to name no limit
TO the size of the army. 1t is the pur-
pose Of congress and the nation to
send every ship, every voyage, laden
with men and supplies.
Full Text OF Speech.
The full text of President Wilson's
speech was as follows:
'iMr. Chairman and Fellow Country
men: | should be very sorry to think
that Mr.. Dawson in any degree cur
tailed his very interesting speech for
fear that he was postponing mine,
because | am sure you listened with
the same intent and intimate interest
with which l listened to the extraor-
binary vivid account he gave Of the
things which he had realized because
he had come in contact with them on
the other side OF the waters. We en-
compass them with our imagination;
he comprised them In his personal
experience, and am not come here
tonight to review for you the work
OF the Red Cross. / am not compe-
tent to do so, because have not had
the time nor the opportunity to fol-
low 1t in detail. | have come here
simply to say few words to you as
TO what II all seems 10 me to mean,
and 1t seems a great deal.
There are two duties with which
we are face to face. The first duty
Ii to win the war (great applause).
And the second duty that goes hand
finland with 1t, Is to win 1t greatly
and worthily (applause), showing the
real quality Of our power not only, but
the real quality OF our purpose and of
ourselves. OF course, the first duty,
The duty that we must keep in the
foreground of our thought until It is
accomplished, is to win the war.
have heard gentlemen recently say
that we must get five million men
ready. Why limit 1t to five million
kgreat applause?
II have asked the congress of the
United States to name no limit Zap
4 plause), because the congress intends,
I am sure, as we all intend, that
every ship that can carry men or sup
plies shall 60 laden upon every voy-
Age with every man and every sup
al IN nay ~ aor fann1arlsnl And
we are not to be diverted from the
grim purpose of winning the war by
any insincere approaches upon the
subject of peace. / can say with 4
clear conscience that l have tested
these limitations and have found
them insincere (applause). now
recognize them for what they are, an
opportunity to have free hand, par
ticularly in the east, to carry out
purposes Of conquest ana exploita.
fion.
'Every proposal with regard to &C
commodation in the west involves a
reservation with regard to the east.
Now, SO far as / am concerned, l In
tend to stand by Russia as wen as
France" (Great applause.)
A voice: God bless YOU"
1.-THE helpless and the friendless
are the very ones that need friends
and succor (applause), and II any
man In Germany thinks we are going
to sacrifice anybody for our own
sakes, tell them now they are mis-
taken. For the glory Of this war,
my fellow-citizens, SO far as we are
concerned, Is that 1t is perhaps for
the first time In history an unselfish
war. could not be proud to fight
for a selfish purpose, but can be
proud to, fight for mankind. II they
wish peace let them come forward
through accredited representatives
and lay their terms on the table. We
have laid ours and they know what
they are.
"But behind all this grim purpose,
my friends, lies the opportunity to
demonstrate not only force, which
will be demonstrated to the utmost,
but the opportunity to demonstrate
character, and 1t is that opportunity