The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-05-25
BACKWARD 100 YEARS
IF GERMANY wins
FORMER CONGRESSMAN FLEM'
ING EXPRESSES OPINION
AS TO THE WAR.
CONFIDENCE IN Mr.. WILSON
Emperor William Has Offended HUI
mainly and Civilization, Says Au-
gusta Man, by Violating Sacred
Treaties Between Nations.

81 have great confidence in Presl-
dent Wilson and l trust he Will not
allow his Christian idealism to carry
him too far. l believe there is such
q thing as a militant Christianity, and
it seems to me we are very near 10
point where it should assert ITSELF
this was one of the many force1ul
exnressions of former Congressman
VIM. H. Fleming, of Augusta Wheh
asked for an interview on the war
situation by a reporter for the Macon
Telegraph.
81 have no hesitation in express
ing my views on the matter SAID
Mr.. Fleming. 81 am a great admlrer
of President Wilson and have en-
dorsed all his leading policies up to
this time. | am with him in spirit
and am now hoping the crisis will
be passed without America getting
into the war. But" (and Mr..
Fleming bore heavily on the 'but')
"But if there is no other way for
German milftarism to be crushed out
| would rather see the United States
Join the allies morally, physically
and financially than to see the Ger
mans succeed in the war now going
on in Europe.
Better to Down Them Now.
''My reason for saying this is, l
believe, in the long run, it would be
cheaper in men and money for the
United States to help put down that
military domination now than 1t
would be for us to have to meet the
issue at some later time should Ger
many succeed. If the Germans, by
any possibility, should win out in the
present war she would dominate the
other nations of Europe with as
heavy a rod as the Roman empire
ever did in it's day. 1t seems to me
that there is a great overshadowing
and fundamental issue for ciViliza-
ton at stake.
For about 1900 years at least
the civilized world has been strug-
Cling onward through great difficult
ties in establishing some recognized
standards of morals and humanity in
connection with warfare. Every
man, | presume, who is thinking on
these things looks forward to, or
hopes for international peace. Now,
there can be no International peace
except through International treat
les, and these treaties must necessa-
rily rest upon recognized standards
of ethics and morals. The civilized
world must of necessity create some
sanction of power behind an interna-
tiOnal treaty for its enforcement.
Offense Against Humanity.
"Now, right here is where Ger
many has offended against humanity
and civilization. When the war first
broke out and the German soldiers
invaded Belgium against a solemn
treaty the German chancellor an
nounced to the world that they were
violating the treaty, but, to use his
own language, necessity knows no
law
Relying on that treaty for the
neutrality of Belgium France had
not deemed it necessary to protect
her northern border line between
herself and Belgium. 1t was, as it
were, an open gateway, and through
it the German soldiers marched.
1.-The statesmen of the world cam
not afford to allow Germany to break
down and trample under foot all
these moral and ethical standards
which mankind has so laboriously
established through hundreds Of
years of struggle and suffering.
NATURALLY, we Americans wish to
keep out of the war, but l confess
to some misgiving when l see a great
nation like ours standing alOof as
mere spectator of battle on whose