Connecticut western news., 1917-08-30
"WHAT HAVE THE ALLIES A RIGHT TO EXPECT FROM THE
 UNITED STATES?"
An Interview with Arthur l.. Shipman of Hartford, Chairman of the Hart. ford County Auxiliary Committee of the Connecticut State Council
 of Defense.

Arthur l.. Shipman, chairman of the Hartford County Auxiliary Com. mittee of the Connecticut State Coun. oil of Defense, in one of the series of "Made in Connecticut War Inter- views secured by the Connecticut State Council of Defense and made public through the newspapers answers the question, "What have the Allies a right to expect from the United States?", with the following statement:
 ''To put the question in another form, and one which is frequently asked nowadays, What are we in this war for, anyhow?'
 "Two undeniable facts furnish the answer:
 ''First, the ocean and its seas, the highways of travel and commerce, free to all neutrals, were forbidden us by the German Empire.
 "Second, that prohibition was forced against our repeated protests by one of the meanest as we'll as one of the most cruel of all war devices, the submarine. We had therefore to fight for our rights.
 It is of little consequence that this is only one of the reasons, and perhaps not the most important reason, why we are now at war. No one can deny, however, that Germany's prohibition of our use of the seas is the most imme diate and direct cause of our being in the struggle.
 Suppose, then, that such were the only reasons. Our duty, it might be said, was thereby limited to clearing for safe travel the oceans highways by the use of our naval forces and there is where we should stop. ..-.
 "But have our Allies only the right to expect of us police protection for our own carrying trade? Let us see what that involves. Our goods are carried in many other vessels besides those that fly our country's flag. We cannot pro. tect our goods enroute without protect. ing the vessel that contains them. whether British, Dutch, Norwegian or French. The moment one of our guns is fired to protect British merchant men carrying our goods, we are in 7effect fighting on British soil to defend it from invasion.
 "But no one can put any limit on his lawful efforts Tn fight. If one goes in at all, one must go in all over. This IS true. not only from the point of view of the spectator, but from the points of view of our opponents, our Allies and ourselves
 Suppose that we could quiet our own sense of shame by standing on the outskirts and protecting only the avenues of commerce, although that would be an impossible position for America with it's history and tradi. tions to occupy. Surely the onlookers and our children would put themselves in the position of our Allies and say, Whatever America has of resources, money, men, supplies, materials, food. should be nsed without stint for our support. Men, women and children are suffering untold losses in body, mind and spirit from the war and es. pecially from the kind of warfare which is being waged by the Central Powers. It therefore behooves every one of us-and by us vI mean every man, woman and child that make up America-to contribute all in his power to fight cur fight, that is, the fight of ourselves and our Allies.
 Mark you that in what have said we are putting aside all higher duty, our duty to humanity, our duty to save, or help save, the world as a proper place for us and them to live and die in. This conclusion is placed upon the lowest possible ground, viz the duty of everyone who enters any contest; the mere animal obligation towards one's fellows in fight''.