New-York tribune., 1918-04-16
Secretary Tells D. A. r.
Convention Freedom Is
at Stake
Sn;rit of American
Women Is Praised
Speakers of Allied Coun-
tries Pay Tribute to
Their War Work

WASHINGTON, April 15.-The spirit
x;,h which the women Of America are
.nnnorting the war is the spirit that
IL, win for this country and the Allies
.,,resentatives OF the American and
+orsipu governments as speakers to-
a;rbt told the twenty-seventh congress
:, tho national society, Daughters of the
American Revolution.
Addresses were delivered by Secre-
..-v Lansing, the French and Italian
,-bassadors, the Belgian and Serbian
.,;,;s+ers and other diplomatic repre-
-,rtatives OF the Allies. President Will
s,n. VITO was on the programme for a
.,aech was forced to cancel his en-
gagement
1ules J. Jusseraad. French Ambassa-
sor drew great applause when in the
course OF his speech he congratulated
,he American government for removing
.-om in front OF the War College here
.ss statue OF Frederick the Great, the
gf. Of the German Emperor.
French Ambassador Optimistic
aBs Of good cheer, be not dismayed:
ve have faced worse crises in the past,
vas the note OF optimism sounded by
ina French Ambas sador IN discussing
.hs situation at the battlefront.
Declaring that it was q fitting tribute
TO the spirit which inspired the fathers
Of the Republic in their successful
struggle for independence that so many
distinguished representatives of the
zee nations of the earth should be
assembled. Secretary Lansing said the
common spirit and common cause
which drew US together find a more
tsmplete expression on the blood
s-sined fields OF France and Belgium.
through the plains and uplands of Italy
and amid the rugged mountains of
Serbia.
Democracies Stand United
There the armies of the countries
mere represented" Mr.. Lansing said,
stand shoulder TO shoulder, bar
.iar OF steel. which even Prussian fury
las been unable to break. At this
ye,y hour the soldiers of our nations
Ire valiantly fighting and bravely dy-
ng in the name of liberty. All honor
% those gallant men who are battling
o. land and sea against the Prusslan
.osts.
In the bond which thus to-day
unites the democracies of the new
world AMI he old world, besides the
hope Of mankind, the only possible
surety to future generations that there
will be preserved inviolate those prln-
eples Of justice which have guided
lie nations INFO the paths Of progress
aud Of peace.
"For many years we, as nation,
rave been growing materialistic. We
nave thought less and less about our
country and that for which 1t stands
and more and more about our selfish
interests. do not say that this at
aiude has been universal but 1t was
he manifest tendency of the times.
We would undoubtedly have sunk
deeper in this mire Of seltishness
which threatened to engulf the spirit
Hai lie Of tire nation were it not for
hose who realized the value Of senti
ment and constantly appealed to our
better natures and sought 70 quicken
patriotism in ocr hearts.
Must and Will Win
Our fathers nearly a century and
aalf ago fought to establish freedom
II this land. To-day the nation which
heir toll and sacrifice brought into
being is called upon to protect that
freedom from the pitiless enemy Of all
.;eedom. For the sake Of America. for
me sake OF all mankind. we must win
IA .als titanic struggle against the
souid-be conqueror Of the world
russian rlll-arIsm has challenged al.
Iseemen to maintain their right to be
nee. They nave appealed to force,
ana With force they must be met.
america, the cradle Of freedom, will
90 her part. We look forward unafraid
'a.o the future, for we stand side by
slas with tne great democracies of the
eartn, which have SO long and so
sasantly checked the ambitions of Ger
a.alys rulers. We must hght on until.
.ae aims proclaimed by the President
s's senleved. Win we must, and win
" "il! There can be no other end
70 this war