Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1915 — GENERAL AND STATE NEWS [ARTICLE]

GENERAL AND STATE NEWS

Telegraphic Reports From Many Parts of the Country. SHORT RITS OF THE UNUSUAL Happenings in the Nearby Cities and Towns—Matters of Minor Mention From Many Places. i SPEAKS TO CROWD OF 15,000. President Wilson Says Alan Should Be Too Proud to Battle. Philadelphia, Pa., May 10. —President Wilson gave to a gathering of 4,000 naturalized Americans tonight the first intimation of the course which the United States government probably will pursue in the situation resulting from the loss of more than a hundred American lives on the British liner Lusitania. He spoke by implication, but his hearers interpreted his remarks as meaning that while the United States would remain at peace it would seek to convince Germany of the Injustice to mankind of the tragedy of last Friday.

“America,” said the President, “must have the consciousness that on all sides it touches elbows and touches heart with all nations of mankind. The example of America must be a special example. And must be an example not merely of peace, because it will not fight, but because peace is a healing and elevating influence of the world, and strife Is not. “There is such a thing as a man being too pro”d to fight. There is such a thing as being so right that it does net need to convince others by force that it is right. “Let me beseech you,” he said, “to be Americans first, last and all the time, no matter what may happen in the world at large.” These remarks precipitated a tumult of applause and patriotic enthusiasm, attended by a waving of thousands of small American flags. The President made no direct reference to the Lusitania tragedy, but the audience did not hestitate to read the application of his statement. Introduced by Mayor Blankenburg, who spoke in distinctly German accent, a welcome and an appeal for a single allegience to the United States, the President carried forward the idea of the welding of foreign blood in the makeup of America by pointing out the true goal of right American citizenship to be a loyalty not to the country of one’s birth, but to the land of one’s adoption. Mayor Blankenburg, in introducing President Wilson, saftl: “No matter what our personal feelings for the country we left behind, our first allegiance is to the country of our adoption. 1 can not impress this too strongly on account of the occurrences of the last eight months. Thank God, we have a man in the White House who knows, who is just, a man who knows what to do.” The crowd interrupted with a tumult of cheers, arose en masse from the balconies and floor and waved the Stars and Stripes. It was a remarkable demonstration of applause.