South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-16
3 WILL
To WIN CROWS
IRRES|STIBLY
Former President 0eCrieS Un-
justified Optimism But
Calls Whole Nation to
Concentrate Energies.
nternationaI News CIVIC:

/ International News Service:
/ PHILADELPHIA, Pa, May 16.-
1 Americas full strength in the great
world war will not be felt for at
least two years-perhaps three
years.
So declared former Pres't William
Howard Taft here today i'm a stir
/ ring address before the opening ses-
| sion of the win the War for Perm
anent Peace" convention.
But thank God" he added. the
will of the people to see this war
through to German defeat is gather
/ ing with irresistible forces. And
/ let's have il known TO the world
+ let's have it heralded i'm London and
/ Paris TO hearten our allies and let's
\ have it sounded in Berlin that ali
| the energy of this country, all its
potential power is to be converted
\ into force" A round of applause
! followed Mr.. Taft's utterance that
\ the slogan Of America and its allies
must be Victory with power"
I But" ne continued cit viii take
+ fully two perhaps three-to
/ fUlhll proper plans of preparation"
Decries Optimism.
The former president decried un-
/ justified optimism, saying:
we should face the facts and
should realize the task that is be-
/ fore us. We should set our faces
stern and unbending but for one
/ purpose-war."
Mr. Taft insisted that complete
overthrow of the Hohenzollern rule
in Europe was imperative. THE
utter untrustworthiness Of the kai-
ser as a signatory to a peace treaty"
he declared, has been shown time
and again.
And there is not the slightest rea-
son TO believe that any peace nego-
tiation is possible for some time to
/ come"
Here Mr.. Taft reiterated Pres't
Wilson's declaration that Force
must now be met with force And.
then he launched into scathing
/ denunciation Of Germany's actions
in Russia. Roumania. Servia and
Belgium
An IrTevOcable Opinion.
This convention Mr.. Taft con-
tinued. speaks an irrevocable pub
lie opinion that the war must go
ON until our foes are defeated We
are fighting the German people led
/ by the Hohenzollern dynasty. its
military hierarchy and Prussian re-
dictionaries They maintain the un-
diluted and cruel doctrine that
I might makes right They have
been strengthening their might for
/ 80 years in order TO establish their
right to the domination of the
world.
Since August, 1914, no peace has
/ been possible consistent with per
manent peace. except a victory Of
the allies The utter untrustworthi-
ness of the kaiser as a signatory TO
treaty OF peace makes his contin-
uance in power a continued threat
against the integrity and safety Of
other nations. When there was a
/ deadlock on the eastern and western
frcnts. some hoped that real peace
by negotiations and without victory
could be achieved Store was set
upon proposals and cOunter-pro-
posals contained in official state
ments as a measure Of reaching a
coramon ground for negotiation.
such optimism was not justified.
Nothing but an inconclusive Ger
man-made peace could have result
ed That should have been clear
then. as il has been demonstrated
since by Germany's action in Rus
sia Roumania and Turkey and her
attitude i'm her western drive.
Must Conquer Germany.
The initial success of the Ger
man arms on the western front. as
two millions or more OF men in
mass are hurled at our devoted al
lied line. calls out the real trucu-
lence Of the congealing element OF
Germany We hear profusely now
OF indemnities and annexations.
No one in the vi dest fight Of his
Imagination now can think OF un-
defeated Germany yielding either
proper indemnity 20 Belgium or
Justice TO Alsace Lorraine. Nor viii
the unconquered German ruling
class consent 10 lift the German
paw and remove its crushing weight
from PROSTATE Russia. II the
wrongs or Belgium and Alsaee-Lor-
raine. and OF Russians Italians.
Poles. Armenians and Serbians and
other Slav peoples. are not righted,
the war will have been fought in