The Washington times., 1917-06-05

$50 NAasS Cdlleu. Inere are
some who have not clearly seen the
reason for that call. To these would
speak a word.
Why are we lighting Germany?
The brief answer is that ours is a
war OF selfdefense. We did not wish
to tight Germany. She made the at
tack upon US: not on our shores, but
on our ships, our lives, our rights,
our future. For two years and more
we held to neutrality that made us
apologists for things which outraged
mans common sense OF fair play and
humanity. At each new offense, the
invasion OF Belgium, the killing Of
civilian Belgtans, the attacks on Scar
borough and other defenseless towns,
the laying Of mines in neutral waters.
the fencing on of the seas, and on and
on through the months we said: This
is war-archaic, unciyIlized war. but
war! All rules have been thrown
away. all nobility: man has come
down to the primitive brute. And
while We cannot justify we will not
intervene. 1t is not our war"
Then why are we In? Because we
could not keep out. The invasion Of
Belgium, which opened the war, led
10 the Invasion OF the United States
by slow, steady. logical steps. Our
sympathies evolved into a conviction
OF self-interest. Our love OF fair play
ripened into alarm at our own peril.
Construed n CouardIee.
We talked in the language and in
the spirit OF good faith and sincerity,
as honest men should talk, until we
discovered that our talk was con-
strued as cowardice. And Mexico was
called upon to COW us. We talked as
men would talk who cared alone for
peace and the advancement of their
own material interests. until we dis
covered that we were thought to be a
nation or mere money makers, devoid
OF al character, until, indeed, we were
told that we could not walk the high
ways OF the world without nsrmI.sior
OF Prussian soldier, that our shIns
might not sail without wearing a
striped uniform OF humiliation upon a
narrow path of national subseryience.
we talked as men talk who hone for
honest agreement, not for war. until
We FOUND that the treaty torn 70
pieces at Liege was but the symbol ~
policy that made agreements worth
less against a purpose that knew no
word but success.
ana so we came into this war for
ourselves. II Is a war to save Amer
lea to preserve self-respect, to ius-
tify our right to live as we have
IVed' not as some one else wishes
US TO live. In the name Of freedom
we challenge with ships and men
money and an undaunted spirit. that
word "Verboten" which Germany has
written upon the sea and upon the
land For America is not the name
OF so much territory. II is a living
spirit, born in travail. grown in the
rough school OF bitter experiences. a
living spirit which has purpose and
pride and conscience, knows why Il
wishes to live and to what end, 1
knows how It comes to be respected
OF the world, and hopes to retain that
respect by living on with the light OF
Lincoln's love OF man as its old and
new testament 1t Is more precious
that this America should live than
that we Americans should live. And
this America as we now see has been
challenged from the first OF this war
by the strong arm OF a Power that
has no sympathy with our purpose,
and will not hesitate to destroy US
IL the law that we respect, the rights
that are to us sacred. or the spirit
that we have, stand across her set
will to make this world bow before
her policies. backed by her organized
and scientific military system. The
world OF Christ-a neglected but not
a rejected Christ-has come again
face to face with the world OF Ma
homet who willed to win by force.
Reasons for Fighting.
With this background OF history
and in this sense. then. we fight Ger
many:
Because Of Belgium. invaded. out
ragged, enslaved, impoverished Bel
gium. We cannot forget Liege, Lou
vain and Cardinal Mercier. Translated
into terms of American history these
names stand for Bunker Hill. LeXing-
ton and Patrick Henry.
Because OF France, invaded, desc
Grated France, a million OF whose
heroic sons have died to save the
land of Lafayette. Glorious golden
France, the preserver OF the arts, the
land Of noble spirit. The first land
TO follow our lead into republican
liberty.
Because of England, from whom
-
of life and inherent love OF liberty
which we call Anglo-SaXon civiliza-
ton. We defeated her once upon the
land and once upon the sea. But Aus
traIia, New Zealand, Africa and Can
ada are free because OF what We did. |
And they are with US in the tight for
the freedom Of the seas.
Because OF Russia-New Russia. |
She must not be overwhelmed now.
Not now, surely, when she Is just |
horn into freedom. Her peasants
must have their chance; they must go |
to school to Washington, to Jeffer-
son and to Lincoln, until they know |
their way about in this new, strange |
world Of government by the popular |
will.
Because of other peoples, with |
their rising hope that the world may |
be freed from government by the
soldier.
Sought TO TerroriEe.
We are lighting Germany because
she sought to terrorizs us and then
to fool us. We could not believe that
Germany would do what she said she |
would do upon the seas.
We still hear the piteous cries OF
children coming up out OF the sea
where the I.usitania went down. And |
GERMANY has never asked forgiveness
OF the world.
we saw the sussex sunk, crowded /
with the sons and daughters OF neu-