Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-06-05
Eloquent Outline Is Given of
Causes Which Make Strug-
gle by This Nation Impera-
tive Duty.
GERMANY REPRESENTS
AUT0CRATlC POWER
Unscrupulous in Methods of
Conducting Hosti|ities and
Menace to Principle of Self
government,
t.r MORNING ,ouss.l s-se,.. ....so WIRE,

washington, June 4.--.On the eve
OF war registration day Secretary
Lane made a speech before the Home
club of the interior department to-
night in which he addressed a word
To those who have not seen clearly
the reason for the country's call upon
its young men, and in ringing SEN
tences answered the question, why
are we fighting Germany"
America is at war" Mr.. Lane said
lin self defense and because she could
not keep out; she is at war to save
herself with the rest of the world
from the nation that has linked itself
with the Turk and adopted the meth
Cd of Mahomet setting itself to make
the world bow before policies backed
by its organized and scientific mill
tary system.
Tomorrow is registration day."
said the secretary. ut is the duty Of
all, their legal as we'll as their patri-
otic duty, to register If within the
class called. There are some who
have not clearly seen the reason for
that call. To those | would speak a
word.
Why We Are at War.
why are we fighting Germany?
The brief answer is that ours Is
war Of self defense. We did not wish
to fight 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 u policy that made US apollo
gists for things which outraged mans
common sense of fair play and hu-
manity.
AT each new offense--the inva-
sion of Belgium, the killing of civilian
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
war is 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
Intervene. 1t is not our way
"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
evolved into q conviction
lf self interest. Our love Of fair play
ripened into alarm at our own peril
America Was Sincere.
I'VE talked in the language and in
he spirit Of good faith and sincerity
Is honest men should talk until we
discovered our talk was construed as
,owardice. And Mexico was called
upon TO cow us. We talked as men
would talk who cared for peace and
he advancement of their own mater
al interests, until we discovered that
We were thought to be nation OF
mere money makers, devoid OF all
haracter--until indeed, we wene told
hat we could not walk the highways
If the world without permission of q
orussian soldier, that our ships might
not sail without wearing striped
inform of humiliation, a narrow path
If national subservience. We talked
Is men talk who hope for honest
agreement, not for war; until we
ound that the treaty torn to pieces
It Ltege was but the symbol OF a poll
cy that made agreements worthless
,gainst a purpose that knew no word
,ut success.
War to Save Nation.
And SO We came into this war for
ourselves. 1t is war to save Ameri-
"a, to preserve self respect, to justify
,ur right to live as we have lived, not
Is someone else wishes us to live. 1nl
he name OF freedom we challenge
With ships and men, money and un-
iaunted spirit, that word 'verboten,
which Germany has written upon the
ea and upon the land. For America
s not the name OF so much territory
t is living spirit, born in travail.
,rown In the rough school of bitter
experiences. a living spirit which has
purpose and pride--knows why 1t
wishes to live and to what end, knows
low 1t comes to be respected by the
world. and hopes to retain that re-
pect by living on with the light OF
love of man as its old and
lew 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 chal. |
enged from the first OF this war by
he strong arm of a power that has
10 sympathy with our purpose and
will not hesitate TO destroy us IL the
aw that we respect, the rights that
re to us sacred, or the spirit that we
lave, stand across her set will to
make this world bow before her poll |
lies, backed by her organized and
cientific military system. The world
4 Christ--a neglected but not reject
I'd Christ-has come again face to
ace with the word Of Mahomet, who
villed to win by force.
Germany's Outrages.
"With this background Of history
md in this sense. then, we fight Ger
many:
Because of Belgium, invaded, out |
aged, enslaved, impoverished Bel
rum. We cannot forget Hege, Lou
ain and Cardinal Mercier. Translate
ID into terms Of American history
hese names stand for Bunker Hill,
lexington and Patrick Henry.
Because of France, invaded, des- |
Grated France. million Of whose he