The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-08-21

all the world. There has been a pro-
paganda of cynicism, national rougn-
ness and declared contempt for treaty
| pledges so that all Europe has been
uneasy and in fear. And since none OF
| us is a saint and certainly no nation
Is sanity, We, have been ~resentful.
| There is not a country in Europe that
has not shown itself resentful under
his perpetual menac Of Germany.
Now, at last, the Threatened thing
has come to pass. Germany is at war.
Because of the murder committed by
one of her own subjects, Austria made
war upon Servia. Russia, armed to
| protect it's kindred country. Then,
with the swiftness of years OF premed-
~itation, Germany declared war upon,
Russia and struck at France through
the peaceful land of Belgium, the lit
tie country we English had pledged
ourselves to protect, the little country
that had never given Germany the
faintest pretext for hostility, in the
hope Of finding France unready. OF
| course we English vent to war. II we
had not done so could we ever have
looked the world in the face again?
It was with scarcely a dissenting
voice that England went to war. New
err were British people SO unanimous.
All, Ireland was with us and the con-
science Of all the world. -
Powers Plan Outlined.
And now, this war begun, we re-
solved to put an end to militarism in
the world foreVermore. We are not
fighting to destroy Germany. 1t IS
the firm resolve of England to permit
no, fresh conquered provinces to darken
the future of Europe, whatever betide.
All Germany will come out of this
war undivided Germany still. Her own
conquests she may have to relinqulsh,
her Poles M other subject peoples,
but hat is the utmost we shall exact
| With the accession of Austria, Germany
may even come out of this war. a lar
| ger Germany than at the beginning.
We have no hatred Of things German
and German people. But we are
fighting to break forever this huge
fighting machine which has been such
an oppression as no native porn
American can dream of to every other
nation in Europe. We are fighting to
end kaiserism n kruppism orever'
There, shortly planned, is u case
and object. Now let us come to the,
immediate substance of this approval.
| We do not ask you for military help.
Keep the peace which it is your I'm
paralleled good fortune to enjoy SO
securely. But keep it fairly. Remem-
Der we fight now for national existence
and that n a night, even as this Is
| written, within a hundred miles or so
of this place the dark ships feel their
way along the floating mines with
| which Germans have strewn the North
sea and our son and the sons of Bel
GUM France go side by side, not by
a hundred nor by thousands, but by
hundreds of thousands, rank after
rank, line beyond line, to death.
T1.1- &h.- H. -y-itfnYn n he rxyncf
of death is being reaped. Remember
our tragic case. Europe, full of joy
less determination to end this evil
| forever, plunges grimly, sadly, into
the cruel monstrosities of war. AS
suredly there will be little shouting
for the victors. whichever side may
win. At the end we do most firmly
believe there will be established a new
Europe, a Europe riddened of rank
ling oppression, with free Poland, free
Finland, free Germany, and the Bal
kans settled little nations. safe and
with peace ecure And it Is of su-
preme Importance that we would ask
YOU now what are you going to do
throughout his struggle, and what will
Lyou do at the end? There is one thing
1--WE are told you mean to do, a thing
that has moved me to appeal. Fol 1t
is not only a strange thing in itself,
but NAV presently be followed by other
similar ideas.
Objects to Food Shipments.
Come what may, all liberal forces
in England and France are resolved to
respect the freedom Of Holland. But
the position of Holland is a very pecu-
liar one in this war. The Rhine runs
along the rear Of the long German line
as if it were a canal to serve the line
with supplies, then it passes into Hol-
land and by Rotterdam to the sea.
So it is possible for any neutral power
such as you to pour a stream OF food
supplies and war material by way Of
Holland almost into the hands of the
German combatant line. Even If we
win our battle in the field this will enor-
mously diminish our chance Of con-
Guiding this war. But we shall suffer
it, for it is within the rights Of Hol-
land to victual Germans in this way
We cannot prevent it without commit
ting just such another outrage upon
the laws of nations as Germany was
guilty Of in invading Belgium.
And here is where your country
comes IN. In your harbors lie great
numbers of big German ships that dare
not venture out to sea because of our
feet. 1t is proposed, we are told. tt
/ arrange Tie purchase VI L1lSSS SAlApS Ny
American citizens n to facilitate by
special legislation their. transfer tc
YOUR flag, then to load them with food
and war material and END them across
the Atlantic, through the narrow seas
that at the price of a cruiser and many
men we painfully cleared of German
contact mines, to get war prices al
Rotterdam and supply u enemies.
It is, wa confess, a smart thing tc
do. It will give your people no only
huge immediate profits, but a mercan-
tile marine at one coup. 1t certainly
VIII prolong the war and so will NEAR
the killing and wounding Of scores OF
thousands of young German, English
men Frenchmen and Belgians vh'
might otherwise have escaped. 1t ]!
within your legal rights and we %il
fell YOU plainly now we shall refuse t.
quarrel with @ about it, but we ass
vou to not be too easily offended if W
hetray certain lack Of enthusiasm fol
this idea.
Promises Of BelIiserents.
And beyond such enterprises al
this, what are you going to do for man
Kind and the ultimate peace of tn
world? You know the car has re
stored the freedom of Finland and ha'
promised to reunite the torn fragment
of Poland into a free kingdom, blu
nrobably you do not know that he anC
England nave engaged themselves t
respect and protect from each othe
and from all the world the autonom.
Of Norway and Sweden and Sweden
vast tempting stores Of mineral wealth
which lie close to the RussiaHa bound