New-York tribune., 1919-06-10
Pleads for virile American.
ism in Crushing Radical
Forces; Asks Fair Play
for the Men Demobilized
Favors Military Training
Warns Against Split With
Allies in an Address at
Union College Closing

SCHENECTADY, N. Y, June o.
Pleading for the ideals of virile
Americanism and nationalism, General
Leonard Wood in his address at the
commencement exercises Of Union Col
lege here to-day called the nation to
battle against the red flag and red
flag doctrines.
General Wood also urged fair treat
ment to the men who are returning
from war and from training camps,
for the galvanization of the spirit
wrought by the war into a more in
tense and creative American patriot
ism and the cooperation of capital and
labor in the task of Transforming the
war industries into peace industries
and the launching of the country up
on a new era of prosperity.
General Wood welcomed the new
spirit of international cooperation, but
warned that it cannot be regarded as
a substitute for patriotic nationalism.
ave want to speak SOFTLY" he said,
a big stick; that is to say, be just
and fair but also be strong and ready
to support the right, not only with
words, but with force, if necessary"
In his address General Wood re-
ferred repeatedly to the principles of
Colonel Roosevelt and urged them as
the guiding light for America in her
future domestic and foreign policies.
Put Down Red Flag
"Put down the red flag" he said
ut stands for nothing which our gov
ernment stands for. 1t is against the
integrity of the family, the state and
the nation. These are times of dan
gerons psychology. 1t is not time now
for unthinking action"
General Wood continued:
"While we welcome desirable immi-
grafton and extend helping hand to
those immigrants who come to us with
the intention Of adopting our customs
and living up to our ideals, we should
turn our faces against those who come
to US with ideas repugnant to our civil
lization and with purposes and ideals
hostile to our form of government.
We want none of this class here-a
class which, drunk with the light of
liberty, strives to tear down what we
have spent our national life in build
ing up.
"We must also look ahead to the
establishment of sound system of ma
tional reparedness-not prepared
ness for war, but preparedness which
will be an assurance against war. We
all believe in any arrangement between
nations which will result in their talk
ing things over before resorting to
force, provided such arrangement does
not interfere with our essential SOW
ereignty. We must remember that ar
btration will be far more successful
if we are not only right but also have
strength.
I'VE want good navy, always ready,
and regular army sufficient for the
peace needs of the nation and adequate
as training foHe for our citizen SOL
diers, and, as see it, system not un-
like the Swiss in it's general character,
but embodying much of industrial and
vocational training. Such a sytem will
lead to the establishment of much bet
ter physical conditions among our
youth, to conditions of greatly i'm
proved industrial and economical eff
and muscle, to habits of promptness
and thoroughness, respect for the law.
knowledge of personal and general
sanitation, and, above that, knowledge
and better understanding of the di-
verse elements of our population.
We must do all We can to maintain
that fine feeling wh4ch exists between
ourselves and the Allies-the kind
which makes treaties and understands
ings enduring, which grew up and be-
came strong during .ne war, because it
was founded upon not only a COM
munity of interests, but also a COM
munity of moral ideas. Let nothing
arise to drive wedge between US and
the Allies"
The honorary degree of doctor Of
laws was conferred upon General Wood
before his address.