Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-16
Mr.. TAFT URGES
RELENTLESS WAR
ITO the Death" His Demand
at Convention of League
to Enforce Peace.
MAKES KEYNOTE SPEECH
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, May 16.-"War to
the DEATH" demanded former Presi-
dent Taft in his keynote speech at the
opening session today Of win-the-war
convention of the League to Enforce
Peace. The convention will continue
for two days.
After a stirring plea for a fighting
army of 100000 men, Mr.. Taft said:
I'VE should set our faces stern and
unbending toward one end-war. Let
! us have peace. but let US have war
that we may have peace. To sound
the trumpet for stern implacable
war to the end this convention was
called.
Mr.. Taft presided. Men of nation
wide prominence to the number of
1000 are in attendance. They include
educators, business men and states
men.
Foe Must Be Defeated.
This convention speaks an irrevo-
cable public opinion that the war
must go on until our foe is defeated"
Mr.. Taft said.
I'VE are fighting the German people
led. by the Hohenzollern dynasty, its
mil Htary hierarchy and Prussian re-
actlonarfes. They maintain the undf-
luted and cruel doctrine that might is
right They have been Strengthening
their might for fifty years in order
to establish their right to the domi-
nation of the world.
NO one in the widest fight Of his
! imagination now can think of unde-
feated Germany yielding either proper
indemnity to Belgium or justice to
Alsace-Lorraine. Nor will the uncon-
quered German ruling class consent
to lift the German paw from PROSTATE
Russia or give over to decent rule the
blood-stained Christian provinces Of
Turkey. If the wrongs of the op-
pressed are not righted the war will
have been fought in vain"
Letter From Cardinal.
A letter from Cardinal Gibbons was
read. 1t said, in part:
"My dear Mr.. Taft:
The convention. which is SO fortu-
nate in having yourself as its guiding
spirit, is to emphasize, as under
stand, the necessity of overthrowing
the spirit of military despotism which
threatens to supplant the benign con-
stitutional government under which
We live. and also to form an organiza-
ton by which permanent peace may
be maintained.
at the outset. it may be well to re-
call a similar convention held in the
same city Of Philadelphia in the year
1887. At that time the necessity was
felt hy all pressnt q Of laying down
certain principles which would in
sure permanent and lasting peace. The
ers eisafly .. aas s sf 1ssn NED
country was to endure she must rest
upon the eternal principles Of truth
and Justice and riEhteousness.
''It is to be hoped that the same
eternal principles of truth. justice
and Righteousness will again hold
first place in the win the war for
permanent peace convention Only
by such principles can nations live
together in,harmony. and the worlds
history go on progressing. The doc
trine Of might and brute force must
give way where the teachings Of God
find welcome and firm footing. May
the convention enunciate more clear
iy than ever these same Divine teach
true. lasting and permanent peace"
" Warning by Harvard Head.
Probability and grave danger Of
another German peace drive were
emphasized by President A. Lawrence
Lowell Of Harvard University in his
address.
IlSiuA1Su Soh 1ICilbCHhS was Qe.
scribed as one who. next to Bismarck
and Emperor William. had done most
to mold modern German political
thought and bring on the present war.
The speaker was Dr. Richard Heath
Dabney Of the University Of Virginia,
who studied under Treitsehke in Ber-
lin. DR.. Dabney's topic was Ger
many's Dream Of Dominion"
"Treitschke's whole aim," he said,
was to Prussianize Germany and to
Germanize the world. I heard him
at the height Of his powers. from the
fall Of 1888 to the spring Of 1885"
Purposes Of the League.
The league will take an active part
In "win.the-war activities" This is
emphasized in the annual report of
the executive committee.
"The task of the league has been
one Of popular education" the report
says. ut has marshaled the re-
sources Of a powerful Organization
directeL>Oy leaders Of national repu-
tation In every state OF the Union to
accomplish the following ends:
Il. Emphasize the high purposes Of
the war.
"2. Take an active part in the win
the-war activities.
"3. Oppose an inconclusive and
German-made peace that would be
only another breathing space before
another and greater contest
~. Plan tho foundations for a per-
manent league Of nations to make
peace secure in the future"