Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-12
PRESIDENT PLEADS
FOR WORLD PEACE
Speaks at Celebration of
Armistice Day-U. S. Aid
Since War Reviewed.

President Coolidge's address last night
at the Armistice day celebration in the
Washington Auditorium follows:
Fellow Countrymen:
We meet to give thanks for 10 more
years of peace Amid the multitude OF
bounties which have been bestowed
upon us. we count that our supreme
blessing. In all our domestic and for
eign relations our chief concern is that
1t should be permanent. 1t is our be-
lief that it is coming to be more and
more realized as the natural state of
mankind.
Yet, while we are placing our faith
in more complete understandings which
shall harmonic with the universal con-
science, We ought not to forget that all
the rights we now possess, the peace
we now enjoy, have been secured for
us by long series OF sacrifices and OF
conflicts. We are able to participate
in this celebration because our coun-
try had the resources, the character
and the spirit to raise. equip and sup
port with adequate supplies an Army
and a Navy, which. by placing more
than 100000 men on the battle fields
of Europe. contributed to the making
of the armiStice on the nth day OF
November, 1918.
Our first thought. then, is to acknowl-
edge the obligation which the Nation
owes to those who served in our forces
afioat and ashore. which contributed
the indispensable factor to the final
victory. Although all our people be-
came engaged in this great conflict,
some in furnishing money, some in
producing food and clothing, some in
making munitions, some in administer
ing our Government. the place of honor
will always be accorded to the men and
women who wore the uniform of our
country-the living and the dead.
Lauds Sims and Pershing.
When the great conflict finally broke
its military responsibilities. What Navy
we possessed at that time, as is always
the case with our Navy, was ready.
Admiral Sims at once carried new cour-
age and new energy to the contest on
the sea. So complete was the defense
of our transports that the loss by
enemy attack in sending our land forces
to Europe was surprisingly small.
AS We study the record of our Army
In France, we become more and more
impressed by three outstanding fea-
lures. The unity of the American
forces and the integrity of the Ameri-
can command were always preserved
They were trained with thorough
ness becoming the tradition of Nc
Clellan, they were fought with a
tenacity and skill worthy of the mem
DRY of Grant And finally, they were
undefeated. For these outstanding &C
complishments, which were the chief
sources of the glory of our arms, we are
indebted to the genius of Gen. Pershing.
It Is unnecessary to recount with any
detail our experience in the war. It
was new revelation, not only of the
strength, but of the unity of our people
No country ever exhibited a more mag
nif1cent spirit or demonstrated higher
degree of patriotic devotion. The great
organizing ability of our industrial lead
ers, the unexpected strength of our
financial resources, the dedication of
our entire man power under the uni
factory, the railroad and the bank,
1000 600 men under arms and 5000, 900
men in reserve all became one mighty
engine for the prosecution of the war
All together it was the greatest power
that any Nation on earth had ever as
sembled.
Had Reserve Power.
When it was all over, in spite of the
great strain, we were the only country
that had much reserve power left. Our
foodstuffs were necessary to supply
urgent needs; our money was required
- GaA tel N,,r
resources delivered Europe from star
walton and ruin.
In the final treaty of peace, not only
was the map of Europe remade. but
the enormous colonial possessions of
Germany were divided up among GER
tain allied nations. Such private prop
erty Of her nationals as they held was
applied to the claim for reparations
We neither sought nor took any of the
former German possessions We have
provided by law for returning the pri-
vate property of her nationals.
Yet our own outlay had been and
was to continue to be a perfectly enor-
nous sum. It is sometimes represented
that this country made a profit out of
the war. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Up to the present time
our own net war costs. after allowing
for our foreign-debt expectations, are
about s36,500,000 900. To retire the
balance Of our public debt will require
about $1,000, 900, 900 in interest.
High Cost Of War.
Our Veterans Bureau and allied eX-
penSes are already running at over
S500,000,000 year in meeting the SOL
emn duty to the disabled and dependent.
With what has been paid out and what
Is already apparent it is probable that
our final cost will run well toward
100000, 10000, or half the entire
wealth of the country when we entered
the conflict
Viewed from its economic results,
war is the most destructive agency that
ever afflicts the earth. Yet it is the
dead here and abroad who are gone
forever. While our own losses were
thus very large. the losses of others
required a somewhat greater proper
tionate outlay. but they are to be re-
duced by territorial acquisitions and by
reparations. While we shall receive
some further credits on the accounts
/ have stated as our costs, our outlay
will be much greater than that of any
other country
Whatever may be thought or said OF
us. We know and every informed per-
son should know that we reaped nc
selfish benefit from the war. No citizen
OF the United States needs to make
any apology to anybody anywhere foi
not having done our duty in defense Of
the cause Of world liberty.
Such benefits as came to our coun-
try from our war experience were not
represented by material values, but by
spiritual values. The whole standard
OF our existence was raised; the con-
science and the faith of the Nation
were quickened with new life. The
people awoke to the drumbeats of a new
destiny.
Still Paying the Cost.
In common with most of the grea
powers we are paying the cost of tina
terrible tragedy. On the whole, tn.
war has made possible a great advanc,