Arizona republican., 1917-06-30
Our Superfluous Declarations

Our fathers coupled with their Declaration of In- dependence the statement that "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind required that they should declare" the that mpelled them to that step. Other nations having entered being about upon usually issue similar explanations to their neighbors and their citizens subjects. Thus the present war productive of white books, blue books, yellow books red books We alone have issued none yet, but we through the president, orators and newspapers have given explanations of our entrance into the and in doing we have over-explained to such an extent that have left ourselves open to a charge insncerity. We had at least two good excuses for getting into the and on them we should have stood One of the may be said to comprise the Lustania, the Sussex and the instances of attack upon the lives and rights of American citizens Yet we let these sumber for two years within which we made preparation for going to war, but dreamed of peace with dshonor and it pleasant dream
 Then later it borne in upon that could probably keep out of We could enter it while we had allies could have it brought to shores when nations whom could have allies had been extngushed Here, certainly, were reasons for going to war. The declarations of any others would been superfluous. But declared others which superfluous foolish and harmful in that they have raised doubt in quarters whether they were not meant to veil d more sordid
 
 We poured out reasons as from cornucopia. We were going to fight for humanity and for democracy. Yet humanity, humanity, not Belgian hu- manity, had been attacked early May 1915, and there time after the began and previous to April 1917 when democracy in less danger than it and after that date. We going fight for the German people themselvs, to them from that deplorable condition in which they had existed for forty years and which had just come to understand was deplorable.
 A writer in the New Republic touches upon the matter in this wise:
 The great appeal is that this is for democ racy. What is democracy? If it be a government of the people, by the people, for the people, it does not exist. If it be government seeking the just welfare and the fullest liberty of all it's citizens it does not exist. If democracy be that government which best for it's masses valuable assets, it exists only in Germany England and America permit the fullest freedom in the exploitation of the people, with ob Igation to for them except by charity. America particularly has the vice of apparent freedom which tenure which automatically generates monopolies and privileges in few at the top and slums at the bot tom. In clean cities, absence of slums, of the workers and socalized society, Germany leads the world But, told, this socialized democracy is imposed on the German people by military des- potism and we must the Germans from them selves. The president has said have quarrel with the German people That is very valuable and important statement. Its importance cannot be exaggerated It ought in every possible way to be get, however, that the German army navy are also the German people and just tainy preparing to fight them The German people may we'll reply to our good intentions We will take