Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1915 — WHAT TAFT SAYS. [ARTICLE]

WHAT TAFT SAYS.

Philadelphia, May 11.—Farmer President William H. Taft urged patience and calmness in the present international situation and called upon the citizens of the country to stand by President Wilson, in an address at the Union League Club here tonight. Referring to the sinking of the Lusitania, Prof. Taft said that “inhumanity of the circumstances in the case presses us on, but in the heat of even just indignation is not the best time to act, when action involves such momentous consequences and means untold loss of life and treasure.” “There are things worse than war.” Mr. Tafit declared, “but delay due to calm deliberation can not change the situation or minimize the effect of what we finally conclude to do. With the present condition of the war in Europe, our action, if it is to be extreme, will not lose efficiency by giving time to the people whose war it will be, to know what they are facing. “Under our constitution the president conducts our foreign affairs until congress finds i tnecessary to declare war. Upon him is the acute responsibility in such a crisis. If he were to yield to (the cry of extremists and summon congress to take extreme measures, he would have great influence with congress under such a provocation. .Indeed, the impulse to such action, has usually been stronger with congress than with the executive. “Now it may be that a series of acts of inhumanity and violations of the laws of war, to our national detriment and againts our citizens may force us on and lead our people to believe that whatever the cost, no other course is open to us. “But we must bear in mind that if we have a war it ik the people who must pay with lives and money the cost of it, and therefore they should not be hurried into the sacrifice until it is clear that they wish it, and know what they are doing when they wish it. A demand for war that can not, survive the passion of the first days of public indignation and will not endure the test of delay and deliberation by all the people, is non one that should be yielded to.” The president, he said, was acting like Washington, Lincoln and McKinley an trying to avoid war. In the present situation it was imperative that he should know the opinion of the country without regard to prejudice. "The task of the president is a heavy one,” continued Mr. Taft. “He is acting for the whole country. He is anxious to find a way out of the

present difficulty without war. “Before party, before ourselves, we are for our country. That is what he is working for. Shall we not stand by him in it? He will not surrender our country’s rights. It may be necessary that for a hundred laves and the method o ftheir taking we should lose thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives. The national honor and interests may ultimately demand it, but time for serious thought and clearly weighing the consequences will not prejudice the justice of our cause, or the opportunity to vindicate it and this the president may be counted on to secure. • “It is the people’s cause, not his alone, and he does well, when quick action is of no critical importance, to allay excitement, and to await the regular and studied action of the people’s representatives.” At the conclusion of has address, Mr. Taft proposed a toast to “The President of the United States.” This was drunk standing dhd amid a great outburst of enthusiasm. , I