New-York tribune., 1918-02-22
National Service Congress
Pleads for United Nation;
Taft Warns Against
German Peace

CHICAGO, Feb. 21.-William 7.
Taft. Governor Frank o. Lowden, S.
Stanwood Menken and hundreds Of the
delegates representing every state in
the Union, to-day opened national
movement to make every American cti-
zen an active war supporter and elimi
nate dissensionists at the first sessions
of the Congress Of National Service
held under the auspices of the National
Security League.
"Thc time is coming, and we might
as we'll prepare to face it," declared
former President Taft, "when the seeds
of discomfort will be sown, when we
meet disaster, when with hellish ma
lignity the Germans will suggest for
fools among us trap of inconclusive
peace. We must have our people edu
Gated to stand up against that and
teach the Germans that moral peo-
pie like us will die sooner than give up
our high ideals. We ask no territory,
no money, no indemnity, no additional
power. We are fighting for humanity,
for the most sacred cause since history
began.
Governor Lowden sounded cry for
universal service that would call for at
least one years intensive training by
every able bodied young man in the
country.
Get Together Drive
Ny Menken, president of the Ma
tional Security League, outlined the
purpose OF the "get-together" drive
began by the league. He urged par
ticularly stern warfare on seditionasts.
In his letter regretting his inability
through illness to be present at the
congress, MIR. Root said:
"Let us be warned by poor Russia's
present position. The Bolsheviki were
very eloquent about peace, without an
neXations or indemnities,' and they
filled the minds Of Russian soldiers
and workmen with the idea to such
an extent that they stopped fighting
and making munitions, but when they
the leaderc probably knew all along
that Germany had no intention of max
ing any such peace.
"Shc wanted the Baltic provinces of
Russia. and she seized and purposes to
keep them, and Russia, having stopped
fighting in favor of the kind of peace
she admired, finds herself in a posi-
ho ho q
nothing whatever to say about the kind
of peace there shall be. We must be-
ware of anything in the rcmotest de-
gree approaching that.
"Of course there have been mistakes
and shortcomings in the conduct of the
war-it would be a miracle if there
were not. Sincere and constructive
criticism Of executive conduct is a
very useful thing. But we all must be
criticism tends in the slightest degree
to divert or decrease the heartiness
with which we all support and rein
force the President and his civil ard
military officers in carrying on THIS
war.
Il beg OF you as citizens OF this
great republic not to let your minds
be carried from the great work We
have before us"
Emu fOOJ III d HlcSSdSc CISSu tilc
people of the country to forget OBJ
structive criticism and stand behind the
President in his conduct of the war.
After sounding a warning to the
'foreign born disciples of protest. .
who. though finding themselves in a
minority, would force their views or
the ajority here. Mr.. Menken said:
Every man in khaki is an argument
for and an advocate Of universal mill
tary training, and in due time we will
have it on broad lines.
"This leads me to suggest that we
have been very negligent in our sedi-
tion laws and too tolerant in our treat
ment of the enemy. | do not believe in
the standard of the Hun that war is
personal, but I insist that no enemy
aliens should be permitted to speak or
gather in free assembly or over five
persons except on consent of the au-
thorities.'
Governor W. E. Lindsey, of New Mex
ico spoke on the cooperative plan
adopted by the people Of his state, as a
war aid. I'VE have subscribed
every call upon the state,' he said
1--WE will continue to over-subscribe
In addition, we organized state mali
tia and turned it over to the govern
ment
DR.. Robert NJ McElroy. of Princeton
University and educational director of
the National Security League. denied
published statements that all the mill
l,r I ! L.