The Hope pioneer., 1917-08-16

into war; we have had war thrust upon US. A cha
over which we have had control has brought
home to the Americans, anxious to maintain their
aaith In Germany, the conviction that Americas
sovereignty being outraged, its people killed,
Its inner peace deliberately attacked and it's nsti
buttons, founded in sacrifice and offered to the
world not only despised but in danger of destruc-
ton.
Germany has forced America, as it has forced
almost the entire world, to defend itself by arms
Nobody but those suffering from myopic idealism
Hympathies can see anything ese Some of us
hape suffered when the scales have fallen-cut
away by facts. At last we see clearly. We have
not been drawn into the war by capitalism, or by
commercialism. by national policy For months
we have been living in a state of war, deliberately
planned by nation whose leaders for ten years
have been preparing some day to fight America
and who have counted our good nature as cow
ard1ce. our unpreparedness as a lack of national
seif-respect.
Here the facts:
We are fighting this war, in the first place, be-
cause Germany made upon u.s.
For years she has sought to build up in Amer
fca a community more loyal to herself than to the
United States. Money has been lavshly spent in
Germanisfic societies, alliances, and associations
to win the admiration and loyalty of American
citizens Our universities have been fattered
our professors have been honored for this rea-
son. Praise Of the kaiser has been inserted even
Spies have been everywhere.
When the war came in 1914 German officials
many OF them in high diplomatic positions. treat
ed the United States, neutral nation, as If it
were an enemy. ProGernan publications were
founded and subsidized, strikes were organized
manufacturing plants were blown up plots
against nations with whom we had treaty rela-
lions were formed within our borders, bombs
were placed on ships in ports. Hatred of
America was Systematically disseminated through
Germany and efforts made to involve us in
trouble with Japan and Mexico
In reply to our repeated protests against these
and other acts Of Germany to be mentioned pres
emily. we have received promises and explana-
ions which little less than insults The
treaty that had existed almost the entire life of
the American republic was set at naught and
efforts were made to coerce us into favorable
notifications of its terms
The right of trade with belligerents, which Ger
many had always claimed, even to the benefit of
our enemy in the war with Spain, and which at
Germany's own insistence is universally recog-
nixed in international law was treated as the
violation of our neutrality and alliance with her
enemies. And, finally, the proclamation of unre-
6tricted destruction Of neutral ships upon the
high seas was notification to the United States
that 1t was longer u sovereign people but
that II 1t would sail the in safety it must
conform to conditions set by power that defed
international law, humanity, and elemental NOR
ality.
In the second place defending ourselves
against Germany because the German state has
entered upon program which means the destruc-
ton Of democratic institutions
The Prussahizaton of Germany means that the
policy of Prussia to carry on economic and po-
litcal expansion by is to be extended
throughout the entire world.
We recognize that there were once, and we
dare believe even that there are, two Ger
nlanys one liberal and the other an autocracy
based on mllitarism. The struggle between these
two forces since 1916 has been steady subjuga-
ton Of liberalism in Prussia and the other Ger
man states to the will of Prussian feudal no
bility. Representative and responsible govern
ment In any true sense Of the word has been
fought by Prussan leaders relentlessly Educa-
dOn has been made creature Of autocracy and q
source Of international hatred
The same fate has met every land Prussianism
has touched. Austria was beaten into submission
In 1866, and all the other German states were
made practically subject to the will of the Hohen-
zOferns between that date and 1870. France was
robbed and humiliated. The Balkan states were
kept in perennial war In the interests Of German
expansion. Bohemia and Poland have been treat
ed with the same disregard Of popular rights as
has been AIsace-Lorraine. Turkey became a vas
sal of the kaiser. great militarstic, anti
democratic state like southern Germany, sub
seryient ia Prussia has been started and all but