The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-13


 across Europe for 50 years, in
 many lands.
 You recollect what happened some years ago to France when a French foreign minister was practically driven out of office by Prussian interference Why? What had he done? He had done nothing but what a minister of an inde- pendent state had the most absolute right to do. He had crossed the imaginary line drawn within French territory by Prussian despotism.
 LEGITIMATE FRONTIER But Europe after enduring this for generations, made up it's mind at last that the Hndenburg line must be drawn along the legitimate frontiers or germany.
 This has been an undoubted fight for the emancipation of Europe and the emancipation of the world. It was at first hard for. the people of America who tried to appreciate that Germany had never interfered in single step with their freedom. But at last they have daily to endure the same experience. Americans were told they were not to be allowed to cross and recross the Atlantic except at their peril. American ships were sunk without warning. American subjects were drowned without apology, as matter of German right.
 "At first America could not believe it.. They could not think it possible that any sane people could behave in that man. ner, and they tolerated it once and they tolerated it twice, until at last it be- came clear that the Germans really mean. it. Then America acted and acted promptly.
 AMERICA SAID ROLL IT''
 'The Hindenburg line was drawn along the shores of America and Americans were told they must not cross it, and America said, What is this?' America said, The place for that line is not the Atlantic, but on the Rhine and we mean to roll it up. And they have started.
 There are two great facts which c1inch the argument that this is a great strug- gle for freedom The first is the fact that America has come in. She would not have come in otherwise. The second is the Russian revolution.
 EXAMPLE OF AMERICA
 ''When France in the eighteenth
 century sent her soldiers to Amer ica to fight for the freedom and
 independence of that land-France
 was an autOcracy in those days
 the Frenchmen in America, once
 they were there, found that their
 aim was freedom. their ntmos-
 phere was freedom. their inspira-
 tiOn was freedom. They con
 quered at first for others freedom
 and they took it home, and France
 became free.
 This is the story of Russia Russia engaged in this great war for the freedom of Servia, of Montenegro of Belgium. The Russians fought for the freedom of Europe and they wanted to make their own country free, and they have done it. The Russian revolution is not merely an outcome of this struggle for freedom; it is proof of it's character. And if the Russian people realize, as there is every evidence they will realize it. that na- tional discipline is not incompatible with national freedom. nay, that national dsci- pline is essential to the security of na- tional freedom, they will become free people.
 'I have been asking myself the ques- ton, why did Germany deliberately, in the third year of the war, provoke America to this declaration and to this action? Deliberately! Resolutely It has been suggested as a reason that there were certain elements in American life which they were under the impression would make it impossible for the United States to declare war. That I can hardly believe. But the answer has been af- forded by General Won Hindenburg him. self in very remarkable interview which appeared in the press.
 DOES NOT KNOW AMERICA
 He depended really upon one of two things. namely, that the submarine cam paign could have destroyed interna tional shipping to such an extent that England would have been put out of business be- fore America was ready. According to his computation America could not be ready for 12 months. He does not know America. He is confident in the alter native that when America is ready at the end of 12 months with her army she will have no ships to transport an army to the field of battle.
 "In General Won Hindenburgs words, America carries no weight. He means that she has no ships to carry weight. It is not wise always to assume that even the German general staff, as has happened so often, have made calcula- tions that they have no right to make, and therefore. it behooves the whole of the allies, Great Britain and America notably to see that that reckoning of General von Hindenburg is false reckon ing.
 ROAD TO VICTORY "rhe road to victory. the guar antee of victory, the absolute as- | surance of victory. has to be found in one word. ships. and second