New-York tribune., 1918-01-17
Roosevelt Deprecate. 4.
tempt to Keep People IN
Dark on Preparation
Heads Defence Societv
Colonel and Garrison El....,
IN Campaign to Speed
Up War

Tell the truth and speed uD =.
war, declared Colonel Tha., w
Roosevelt at luncheon OF the As
lean Defence Society at the r.;
League Club yesterday At this lun,s..
the Colonel's acceptance Of II. '4 s
OF honorary president was annou,.,
as was the election of Lindlev y
Garrison, President Wilson's TO-
Secretary of War, to the socis..
board Of trustees.
The election Of Colonel Roos,-..
and Mr.. Garrison signalizes tho h..-
ning of a new nationwide drive ao.;...
German propaganda in this coun,.-
The society has been engaged !, a.
work since its inception. but il ;x ~
proposed to attack the evil Vii.
greater force.
Mr.. Roosevelt took occasion in .,
course Of his speech 10 ansve, u.
intlmations from Washington that %,
t'nued criticism by hirn Of the condr..
OF the war might result in act;o,
against him by declaring that he con,s
not De frightened out of telling ..
least the minimum of truth necesss,v
to save our army and this nation ana
the cause &C civilization from disas.e-s
Urges Truth Be Told
81 hope" said he. "to SEQ this soc.,,
this aggressive, fighting society-c,
culate the documents that will aro,..
Us to the need of action and also sbo-
US the necessity of lighting this v.r
through until it is crowned by a us,..
CT overwhelming triumph for the rich.
1T is our duty, not our highest autv
hut our very high duty, to point OIL.
where we as nation have failed tn do
what we ought to do. wish this so.
ciety would send out broadcast NJ
Caspar Whitney's article in last Sun.
days Tribune describing conditions At
the front.
shortly after the Spanish American
War | became Governor Of New York
l had been part of Mr.. McKinlev's Ad.
mlnistratlon. and the next ear ! was
10 run as Vice President on the ticke,
with him. But then, as now, I held !.
20 be my paime duty to tell the truth
when 1T was in the interest of the nation
that the truth should be told.
then declined to alter or suupress
the truth in the interest OF nv own
party; and they are indeed foolish Who
believe that at this time can be
frightened out of telling a. least that
minimum OF truth necessary in ordsr
TO save our army and this nation and
inc cause OF civilization from disaster
Truth Would Aid Defence
"Gentlemen. a weak nation. ns
tion OF weaklings. may perhaps be in.
duced to fight only through mendaci.y
II that is true OF our nation for
heavens sake let US find it our. We
are not worth preserving if such is The
case. believe if it is made eviden,
that we tell the truth simply so tha.
we can correct the conditions that are
oac, and so that We can effectively hgh.
thls war through to the end the
nation Will respond to the truth telling.
believe that during the past wear we
nave suffered most from failure to tell
'he truth. II Is our grave misfortune
'hac there was not a sufficiently
aroused public opinion q year ago 70
say. Now, We have rot prepared. We
are at present utterly incompetent 70
90 our duty. but we viii absolutely for
giVc this and forgive those responsi-
bic for 1t in the past If. with the en-
tire energy Of the nation behind them.
all our governmental officials. withou,
regard TO politics. viii now try to dc
their duty in the present If we had
50 acted | believe We would now have
had half a million men on the firing
line III France. and half million more
close behind them.
Make it evident how far short We
are OF getting our men arms. equip
ment and clothing, Of dealing with the
German spies on this side as they
should be dealt with. Of speeding UP
the war. Do it with the purpose o.
speeding up the war, and to make the
Stacker. the pro-German. The pacfs',
the Germanized Socialist understand
that we are in TO fight this war through
to the end, until victory comes to the
United States and 20 the calse o.
liberty and to the right of every well
behaved nation to govern itself as !,
sees lit in this civilized world Of ours
Urges Advertising