The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat., 1917-04-05
BATTLE CRY IS
SOUNDED IN HOUSE
CONTINUED from Page -

I Ity.
| The charge that we are going tt
wage war for profit in the interes'
OF munitions makers is as desplcaDie
as it is un-American and II IS un
worthy of an American who loves
his country better than he does the
land of an insidious foe.
IF there be in this body OF else
where citizens who object to the
course we are embarking upon, sug'
gest they address themselves to
kaiser Wilhelm. Hollweg, the reich
stag, and the author of that remark
able sample of diplomatic kultur. the
Zimm erman note.
Let those citizens tell them how
we love the history and principles OF
our governments how we have pro-
tested. pleaded and duplicated 10 a
\ degree almost humiiiating; how they
have made promises only to break
them; tell them that If their pro
/ fesSions are to be considered any
thing more than scraps OF paper
they must atone for past acts and
renew and live up to their solemn
| pledges"
"If they do this, we shall call off
the dogs of war If they do not, We
will wage war to the limit of our re-
sources, and the end will not come
until German mil1tarism, the greatest
menace to the peace and happiness OF
/ mankind, is no longer a blot on ctvlll-
zation:"
Flood stirred the house when he
said:
War is being made upon our
country and its people. Our ships
are being sunk. Our non-combatant
citizens, including men, women and
children, being foully murdered; our
merchantmen are denied the freedom
Of the seas.
| Under such circumstances, there is
but one course for the government to
! pursue and that is to go to the de-
fense Of its people and the honor OF
| it's nation. There is no choice as to
our course. We are compelled by the
acts OF the German imperial govern
ment to enter into this most colossal
war.
That imperials government has
thrust war upon us. Time for argu-
ment has passed. Time for heroic ac-
ton is here; our people Will rally TO
the support OF their government IL
this high and patriotic hour and meet
wars sacrifices and wars perils as
al q sS <1AAA P<~sA ~ ~ SE'-S -~-~
Representative Siegel said:
"I come from a people that fol
thousands of years have been taught
to love peace. I cannot shut my
eyes or close my ears to the fact
that though we cry Peace, Germany
answers by warning against US.
Let us give notice to the worlc
that in this republic OF ours. al
least we are all American citi
zens of rank. of quality, whether thai
citizenship be lately acquired OF
whether it be that by birthright anc
that in the defense OF our nag anc
country we recognize no distlnct1o1
of wealth or position; and that we
shall be guided in our actions VIII
the one common thought Of victory"
Representatives Cooper, Stafford
Of wisconsin, and Britten of Chicago
beean the pacifist opposition to the
bill during Floods speech.
They asked If the president when
seeking armed neutrality had not
stated he did not want war.
I'VE are not going to defend an
armed or any sort of neutrality,
Flood retorted. I'VE are going to
fight
|, Didn't Great Britain's mines sink
the Evelyn" Cooper asked.
Great Britain has not taken an
American life during the war" said
Flood. "The Evelyn was sunk by a
German mine, in a German field near
the German coast
When Cooper began for the paci-
fists, he indicated there may be more
than a dozen speeches against the
war measure He said sixteen men
had asked him for time. Most OF
them, it was thought, opposed the
bill.
Cooper explained that he had lost
his glasses and could not see his
speech. Other members interrupted
him to provide spectacles. This, how
ever, did not deter him from deliver.
ing his pacifist address.
He presented communication from
Secretary Lansing, saying that no
Americans had perished in the sink.
ing Of the Sussex.
But the president said that several
Americans went to the bottom OF the
English channel when the Sussex
sank" continued Cooper. SIS It not
time that we have accuracy Of state
ment from the president Of the
United States?"
He declared En- gland had prevented
while the United States had let her
women and children ride on any
ships
81 have been called a pacifist,'
said Cooper. "and with that 1t is said
l am opposed to protecting American
lives.
Il voted for all the preparedness
measures This campaign of slandef
has no regard for that whatever
Cooper expressed himself as op-
posed to any war except in defense
and then in defense of something
worth defending. He doubted that
the question of American rights to
travel on ships was a right over
which the nation should go to war.
Germany made no absolute sub.
marine promises" Cooper said, OF. the
Teuton note that averted war months
ago. .a