The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-06-14
WHY We ARE AT WAR
Secretary Lane of the Interior De.
partment Succinctly and Forci-..
bly, Tells the Reason Why.
American Ships Are the Same as
American Soil-Germany Wan
tOnly Attacked Our Ships.


The brief answer is that ours is a
war of self-defense. We did not
wish to fight Germany. She made the
attack upon us, not on our shores,
but on our ships, our lives, our rights,
our future. For two years and more
we held to a 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
Belgians, the attacks on Scarborough
and other defenseless towns, the lay
| ing of mines in neutral waters, the
fencing off of the seas-and on and on
through the months we said: "This
is war-archaic, uncivilized 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 inter-
vene. It is not our war;"
Then why are we in? Because we
could not keep out. The invasion Of
Belgium, which opened the war, led
to 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.
We talked in the language and in
the spirit Of good faith and sincerity,
as honest men should talk, until we
discovered our talk was construed 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 ma
terial interests, until we were thought
to be nation of mere money max
ers, devoid of all character-until in
deed, we were told that we could not
walk the highways of the world with
out permission of a Prussian soldier,
that our ships might not sail without
wearing striped uniform of humili-
alton, a narrow path of national sub
servience. We talked as men talk who
hope for honest agreement, not for
war, until we found that the treaty
torn to pieces at Liege was but the
symbol Of a policy that made agree
ments worthless against purpose
that knew no word but success.
And so we come into the war for
ourselves. It is war to save Amer
lea, to preserve self-respect, to justify
our right to live as we have lived
not as someone 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 writ
ten upon the sea and upon the land.
For America is not the name of so
much territory. It is living spirit,
born in travail, grown in the rough
school of bitter experiences, living
spirit which has purpose and pride,
knows why it wishes to live and to
what end, knows how 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 it's old and
new testament.
1t is more precious that this Ameri-
ca 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 if 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 be-
fore her policies, backed by her organ
lied and scientific military system.
The world Of Christ-a neglected but
not rejected Christians come again
face to face with the world of Ma
homet, who willed to win by force.
With this background of history and
in this sense, then, we fight Germany:
Because of Belgium -Invaded, out
ragged, enslaved, impoverished Bel
GUM. We cannot forget Liege, Lou
vain, and Cardinal MERCER. Trans
lated into terms of American history
these names stand for Bunker Hill,
Lexington, 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 whom
came the laws, traditions, standards
of life and inherent love of liberty
Continued on page .two.)