The Tupelo journal., 1917-08-24

oppressed to make their voices heard
in the councils Of their nation. AL
ready, on January 16, 1917, unknown
to the people Of Germany, Herr Zim-
norman. their Secretary of Foreign
Affairs, had secretly dispatched a
note te their minister in Mexico, in
forming him of the German intention
to repudiate the Sussex pledge and in
structing him to offer to the Mexican
Government New Mexico and Arizo-
ma if Mexico would join with Japan
in attacking the United States.
In the new year of 1917, as though
our acceptance of world responsible
tiles so plainly indicated in the Pres
ident's u%tterances in regard to a lea
que of nations, we felt ourselves now
drawing nearer to a full accord with
the powers of the entente; and as on
the other hand we found ourselves
more and more outraged at the
German Governments methods of
conducting warfare and their brutal
treatment of people in their con-
quered lands; as we more and more
uncovered their hostile intrigues
against the peace Of the New World;
and above all, as the sinister and an
democratic ideals of their ruling
class became manifest in their man
oeuvers for a peace of conquest
the Imperial German Government
abruptly threw aside the mask.
On the last day of January, 1917
Count Bernstorff handed to Mr.. Lam
sing a note in which his Government
announced it's purpose to intensity
and render more ruthless the opera
hons of their submarines at sea-,
in a manner against which our Gov.
eminent had protested from the be-
ginning. The German Chancellor al
50 stated before the Imperial Diet
that the reason this ruthless policy
had not been earlier employed was
simply because the Imperial Govern
ment had not then been ready to act.
In brief, under the guise of friend
ship and the cloak of false promises,
it had been preparing this attack.
This was the direct challenge.
There was no possible answer except
to hand their ambassador his pass
ports and so have done with a diplo-
matte correspondence which had been
vitiated from the start by the often
proved bad faith of the Imperial
Government.
On the same day, February 3, 1917
the President addressed both Houses
of our Congress and announced the
complete severance of our relations
with Germany. The reluctance with
which heFtook this step was evident in
every word. But diplomacy had
failed, and it would have been the
hollowest pretense to maintain rela-
tions. At the same time, however,
he made il. plain that he did not re-
gard this act as tantamount to a
declaration of war. Here for the first
time the President made, his sharp
distinction between government and
people in undemocratic lands.
1--WE are the sincere friends of the
German people," he said, .'and earn
estly desire to remain at peace with
the Government which speaks for
them. = = God grant we may not
be challenged by acts of willful in
justice on the part of the Government
of Germany"
In this address of the President,
and in its Endorsement by the Senate
there was a solemn warning; for we
still had hope that the German Gov
eminent might hesitate to drive US
to war. But it was soon evident that
our warning had fallen on deaf ears.
The tortuous ways and means of
German official diplomacy were clear
" shown in the negotiations opened
by them through Swiss legation on
the 10th of February. In no word of
their proposals did the. German Gov
eminent meet the real issue between
us. And u State Department re-
Piled that no minor negotiations
could be entertained until the main
issue had been met BY the withdrawal
|of the submarine order.
nv the LIST of March it had become