The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-07-31
LANSING MAKES PLAIN
PERIL OF AUTOCRACY
Speaking to Officers Reserve Corps, American IRE
nier Saws German People Are Doing Everything
Possible to Wipe Democracy From the Earth.

i&Srs
Madison Barracks, N. Y, July 2S.-
In a speech here tonight before LOO
members of the officers reserve corps
Secretary Lansing, emphasizing the
peril of German Imperialism to the
United States and the world, declared
his belief that the German people
would not cast off the yoke of autoc-
racy "until the physical might OF the
united democracies of the world has
DESTROYED forever the evil ambitions
of the military rulers of Germany
That, he said, is the only way to re-
store peace to the world.
Were every people on earth able to
express their will, there would be no
wars of aggression" he said, "and II
there were no wars of aggression
there would be no wars and lasting
peace would come to this earth. Inc
only way that people can express
their will is through democratic lnstl-
tutions. Therefore when the world
is made safe for democracy, when that
great principle prevails, universal
peace will be an accomplished fact.
= Teutons Blind.
Mo nation of people will be ut more
than the United States when that time
comes. But It has not yet come. A
great people ruled in thought ana
word as well as in deed by the most
sinister government of modern times
is straining every nerve to suppaan:
democracy by the autocracy which
theE have been taught to Worshlp'
When will the German people awaken
10 the truth? When will they arise
in their might and cast off the yoke
and become their own masters?
fear that it will not be until the ply
seal might of the united democracles
of the world have destroyed F2rever
sbe evil ambitions of the military rul-
ers of Germany.'"
Mr Lansing sought to drive home
to- the student officers the righteous
ness of the cause for which they nao
volunteered to. go to France anu
asht. asserting that America would
win because our cause is the cause
of Justice and of right and OF human
sy.''
character of German Government.
The immediate cause of our wal
with Germany-the breaking OF ner
nronoises as to indiscriminate subma-
rine warfare has far deepr mean
ing he said, ga meaning which mas
been growing more evident as the war
has progressed and which needed Dus
this act of perfidy to bring it home 70
all thinking Americans. The evil
character of the German government
Is laid before the world. We kno"
now that that government is inspired
with ambitions which menaces human
lf5erty. and that to gain it's end It
does not hesitate to break faith, 70
violate the most sacred right, or to
nernetrate the most inteolerable acts
of inhumanity.
"It needs but the words reported to
nave Lt-n uttered oy the German
chancellor 20 complete the picture o.
the character of LIS st'elrment Wne'
the only reason why the intensified
submarine campaign was delayed un-
til February last was that suflciens
submarines could not be built before
that time to make the attacks on com-
merce efficient.
Promises Made to Be Broken.
"Do you realize that this means, II
# means Anything, that the promises
TO refrain from any brutal submarine
warfare, which Germany had made to
the United States were never intended
to be kept, that they were only made
in order to gain time in which to build
more submarines and that when the
time came to act the German promises
were unhesitatingly torn to pieces like
other scraps of paper%
sIt is this disclosure OF the charac-
fer of the imperial German govern
ment which is the underlying cause
of our entry into the war. We had
doubted, or at least many Americans
had doubted, the vile purposes OF the
,Io ~ Germany Doubt remained