The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-05
Gives Independence Day
% Address At Tomb of
George Washington
ALLIED DIPLOMATS
FORM HIS AUDIENCE
No Thought of Peace With
out Destruction Of Mil
itary Autocracy.
(By Associated rress.1

Washington, July 5.-Pres. Wilson
yesterday answered all feelers Tor
a compromise peace, with a new ana
unqualified conservation of America
to the struggle for cleaning military
autocracy from the earth.
At an independence day gathering
on the gentle slopes Of Mount YER
non, home and tomb OF George
Washington and surrounded by
scenes which looked upon the crea-
ton of this nation. the President ad-
dressed a small gathering Of officials
and Of diplomats Of the allied ma
tons.
But he spoke to the world and he
spoke the logical sequel to his force
without stint or limit" declaration
Of several weeks ago.
h Unreservedly. the President declar-
ed that there could be no thought
Of Deace which did not mean the
destruction OF military autocracy or
its reduction to virtual impotence.
The Presidents speech in full was
Text of Speech.
Gentlemen Of the diplomatic corps
and my fellow citizens:
ST am happy to draw apart with
you to this quiet place Of old coun-
sci in order to speak a little OF the
meaning Of this day Of our nation s
independence. The place seems very
still and remote. It is as serene and
untouched by the hurry of the world
as 1t was in those great days long
ago when General Washington was
here and held leisurely conference
with the men who were to be asso-
ciated with him in the creation Of a
nation. From these gentle slopes
they looked out upon the world and
saw It whole, saw 1t with the light
Of the future upon 1t, saw 1t with
modern eyes that turned away from
a, past which men Of liberated spirits
could no longer endure. It is for that
reason that we cannot feel, even
here, in the immediate presence OF
this sacred tomb. that this Is q place
of death. It was a place Of achieve
ment A great promise that was
meant for all mankind was here
given plan and reality. The asso-
Citations by which we are here sur
rounded are the inspiriting associa-
tions of that noble death which is
orly a. glorious consunfmation. From
this green hillside we also ought to
be able to see with comprehending
eyes the world that lies about us and
should conceive anew the purposes
that must set men free.
Spoke For People Not Glass.
tIt is significant-significant Of
their own character and purpose and
Of the influences they were setting
afoot-that Washington and his as
sociates, like the barons At Runny-
mede, spoke and acted, not for
class. but for a people. 1t has been
left for us to see to 1t that 1t shall
be understood that they spoke and
acted not for a single people only,
but for all mankind. They were
thinking, not Of themselves and OF
the material interests which centered
in the little group of landowners and
merchants, and men of affairs with
whom they were accustomed to act,
I'm Virginia and the colonies to the
north and south Of her, but of
people which wished to be done with
classes and special inerests and the
authority of men whom they had not
themselves chosen to rule over them.
They entertained no private purpose,
desired no peculiar privilege. They
were consciously planning that men
OF every class should be free and
America a place to which men out
OF every nation might resort who
wished to share with them the rights
dlAlA DLAF14G6GS VI 4ACS AASAAt e~AAN HO
take our cue from thenl-do we not?
We intend what they intended. We
here in America believe our parttct-
patton in this present war to be only
the fruitage of what they planted.
Our case differs from theirs only in
this. that it is our inestimable priv
ilege to concert with men out Of ev-
ery nation what shall make not only
the liberties of America secure, but
the liberties Of every other people as
well. We are happy in the thought
that we are permitted to do what
they would have done had they been
in our place. There must now be
settled once and for all what was
settled for America in the great age
upon whose inspiration we draw to-
day This Is surely a fitting place
from which calmly to look out upon
our task, that we may fortify our
spirits for its accomplishment. And
this is the appropriate place from
which to avow. alike to the friends
who look on and to the friends with
whom we have the happiness to be-
associated in action. the faith and
purpose with which we act.
The Issue at Stake.
This then is our conception OF the
great struggle in which we are en-
gagged. The plot is written plain
upon every scene and every act Of
the supreme tragedy On the one
lContnued on page