Connecticut western news., 1917-08-23
"WHY ARE WE FIGHTING ?"
An Interview with Hon. Simeon E. Baldwin, of New Haven, Former
 Governor of Connecticut.

Ex-Governor Simeon E. Baldwin has been interviewed by representative of the Connecticut State Council of De- fense and from him has been secured one of the series of "Made in Connec- ticut War Interviews" which the Council is making public through the newspapers. Ex. Governor Baldwin was asked for a statement that would answer the question "Why are we fighting.
 "That is easily answered., said the former Governor, Congress has de. clared in plain terms why we are fighting. To Congress the people of Connecticut and of every other State have committed, by the terms of the Constitution of the United States, the sole right of declaring war. It is made a legislative act, to be done only with the consent of both Houses and the ap. proval of the President.
 "It is customary for nations, in de- claring war, to state the reasons. We stated the reasons for the Revolution ary War in the Declaration of Indepen- dence. - s.. ssss.sj sss; : .-a .....-. "At the World Peace Congress of substantially all civilized nations, held at the Hague in 1907, treaty was signed on this subject. Later, in 1909, the United States and the German Empire each ratified it, and it became the supreme law of this land. Article 1 reads thus:
 The contracting powers recognized that hostilities between themselves must not commence without previous and explicit warning, in the form either of reasoned declaration of war or of an ult1matum with conditional declaration of war.
 1"Germany has made no declaration of war against the United States. The United States has made declaration of war against Germany, and it is worded thus:
 Joint Resolution Declaring that state of war exists between the Im- perial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
 Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America: Therefore be it
 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representative of the United States of America in Congress assem bled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the Presi. dent be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial i German Governments; and to bring the conflict to successful termination all the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United l States.
 Champ Clark
 Speaker of the House
 of Representatives "
 " 'Thos. R. Marshall
 Vice President of the
 United States and
 President of the Senate. |" Approved, April 6, 1917.
 Woodrow Wilson.
 "Here is our sailing chart. It is official. It is clear. The United States is waging no war of aggression. Ger. many has committed repeated acts oi war against us. She has thus thru s wal upon us. Therefore we declare that a state of war exists between her and us.
 ''This is the declaration of the whole people of the United States, througf their lawful representatives. This il why we are fighting. Congress had th' right to speak and it has spoken Con gress had the right to define our posi- tion, and it has defined it.
 Ut is not our business to look any farther into the causes of the war Congress has done that for us Our ont duty now is to turn to anl do all WI