The Robesonian., 1918-05-23
NO LIMIT SET
The United States Sets No Limit
On It's Efforts to Win the War.
Says President Wilson.
WIN THE WAR GREATLY
Every Ship Shall Garry Every
Man and Every Supply
She Can.

President Wilson marched on foot
through Fifth avenue in New York
Saturday at the head of a parade Of
$4,000 women of the Red Cross and
the American Red Cross drive for a
second 100000, 900 war fund was op-
ened in New York Saturday night by
the President in an address at the
Metropolitan opera house. The Pres
ident was given a great demonstra-
tion when he entered the hall. Mr.
Henry Dawson, chairman of the war
council of the American Red Cross,
preceded the President.
President Wilson's address follows:
"Mr. Chairman and fellow country
men:
II should be very sorry to think that
Mr.. Dawson in any degree curtailed
his exceedingly interesting speech for
fear that he was postponing mine, be-
cause / am sure you listened, with the
same intent and intimate interest
with which I listened to the extraordi-
nary 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 compassed them with our
imagination; he compassed them in
his personal experience, and / did not
come here tonight to review for you
the work Of the Red Cross; l am not
competent to do so because have not
had the time nor the opportunity to
follow it in detail. l have come here
simply to say a few words to you as
to what it 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, but the real quality Of our
purposes and of ourselves.
"Of course, the first duty, tie duty
that we must keep in the foreground
of our thought until it is accomplish
ed is to win the war. l have heard
gentlemen recently say that we must
get five million men ready. Why Inn
it it to five million?
81 have asked the congress ct the
United States to name no limit be-
cause 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.
"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 a
clear conscience that l have tested
those intimations and have found
them insincere. now recognize then!
for what they are-an opportunity TO
have a free hand particularly IN the
east, to carry out purposes o. conquest
and exploitation.
every proposal with regard to ac-
commodation IN the west, INV 'ives a
reservation with regard to the east.
Now, so far as 1 am concerned, l in
tend to stand by Russia as we'll as
France"
A voice from the audience inter-
rupted with: "God bless you"
''The helpless and the friendless are
the very ones that need friends ana
succor; and if any man IN Germany
thinks we are going to sacrifice any
body for our own sake, l tell Them
now they are mistaken.
"For the glory of this war, my fel-
low citizens, in 50 far as we are con-
cerned, is that it is, perhaps, for the
first time in history AN unselflsh war.
l could not be proud to fight for a
selfish purpose, but l can be proud
to fight for mankind. If they wish
peace let them come fo ward 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 char
acter and it is that opportunity that
We have most conspicuously in the
work of the Red Cross. Not that our
men in arms do not represent our
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 picture in your
Imagination of what this war is do
ing for us and for the world? In my
own mind l am convinced that not a
hundred years of peace could have
knitted this nation together as this
single year of war has knitted it to-
gether.
"Look at the picture. In the center
of the scene, four nations, engaged
against the world, and at every poln,
of vantage, showing that they ars
seeking selfish aggrandizement, ano
against them, % governments repre-
senting the greater part OF the popu
lation of the world drawn together
into new sense of community OF IN
terest, new sense of community o.
purpose, a new sense of unity OF life
"The secretary of war told me az
interesting incident the other day. HI
said when he was in Italy member
of the Italian government was ex
planning to him how the many rea
sons why Italy felt nearer to tn
United States.
IF you want to try an interesting
experiment go up to any one OF thes
troop trains and ask in English hov
many of them have been in Amerlc;
and see what happens
He tried the experiment. He wen
up to a troop train and he said: HOY
\ L N N<Nr