The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-05-24
PRESIDENT OPENS
RED CROSS DRIVE
FOR S1O0,OOO,0O0
IN NEW YORK ADDRESS ANNoUN.
CES PURPOSE OF U. S. TO
SET NO LIMIT ON
MAN-POWER.
AMERICA WILL NEVER DESERT
THE WEAK AND HELPLESS
From Its Purpose Of Winning
War BY inslneere Peace
Offers.

New York-The peace offers of Ger
many and her allies are mere maneu
vers for advantage, of no value be
cause insincere.
American will stand by Russia as
well as France-it will never desert
unity of feeling, sympathy and purpose
such as 100 years of peace could not
have brought.
These were the sentiments and
pledges of President Wilson in his
speech opening the campaign Of the
American Red Cross for 100,000,000
Text of Wilson's Speech.
Mr.. Chairman and fellow country.
men: l should be very sorry to think
that Mr.. Dawson in any degree cur
tailed his exceedingly interesting
speech for fear that he was postpon-
ing mine. because l am sure you lis
tened with the same intent and init
mate interest with which l listened to
the extraordinarily vivid account he
gave of the things which he had real
lied because he had come in contact
with them on the other side of the
waters.
We compass them with our magma
ton; he comprised them in his per-
sonal experience. and did not come
here to review for you the work of the
Red Cross; l am not competent to do
30 because / have not had the time or
the opportunity to follow it in detail
have come here simply to say few
words to you as to what 1t all seems
to me to mean, and it means a great
deal.
There are two duties with which we
are face to face. The first duty is to
win the war. And the second duty,
that goes hand in hand with it, is to
win it greatly and worthily, showing
the real quality OF our power not only,
hut the real quality of our purpose and
of ourselves.
or course, the first duty, the duty
that we must keep in the foreground
of our thought until 1t is accomplish
ed is to win the war. 1 have heard
gentlemen recently say that we must
get 5000, 900 men ready. Why limit it
to 100000?
Ihave asked the congress of the Uni
ted States to name no limit, because
the congress intends, am sure. as we
all intend, that every ship that can
carry men or supplies shall go laden
upon every voyage with every man and
every supply she can carry.
An NJ IN ha cd
the grim purpose of winning the war
by any insincere approaches upon the
subject Of peace. l can say with a
clear conscience that l have tested
those limitations, and have found
them insincere. / now recognize them
for what they are, an opportunity to
have a free hand. particularly in the
East, to carry out purposes of con-
quest and exploitation.
Stands BY Russia.
Every proposal with regard to ac-
commodation in the west involves a
reservation with regard to the east.
Now, so far as / am concerned, in
tend to stand by Russia as well as
France.
The helpless and the friendless are
the very ones that need friends and
succor; and il any man in Germany
thinks we are going to sacrifice any
body for our own sake tell them now
they are mistaken.
For the glory of this war, my fel.
low citizens, insofar as we are con-
cerned is that 1t is, perhaps for the
first time in history, an unselfish war.
/ could not be proud to fight for
selfish purpose, but l can be proud
to fight for mankind.
II they wish peace, let them come
forward through accredited represen-
tatives and lay their terms on the ia
BILE. 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 char
acter and it is that opportunity that
we have most conspicuously in the
work of the Red Cross. Not that our
Autu III dilnb uO uOl ItpItbtHb
character, for they do, and it is a
character which those who see and
realize appreciate and admire; but
their duty is the duty of force. The
duty OF the Red Cross is the duty OF
mercy and succor and friendship
Have you formed a picture in your
imagination of what this war is doing
for us and for the world? In my own
mind ! am convinced that not hun
dred years of peace could have knitted
this nation together as this single
year of war has knitted 1t together;
and better even than that, If possible
It is knitting the world together.
Look at the picture. In the center
Of the scene. four nations engaged
against the world, and at every point
of vantage, showing that they are seek
ing selfish ACKNOWLEDGMENT; and,
against them, 20 governments repre-