The Robesonian., 1917-06-11

ooii WIFI tne rest OF the world
from the nation that has linked it.
sen with the Turk and adopted the
| Ine1hoo OF Mohamet, setting itself to
hnaa llaAe Inc world bow before policies
backed by it's military system.
r., Why. are we fighting Germany
war of self defense. We did not
wish to fight Germany. She made
the attack upon us; not on our shores,
but on our ships, our lives, our RIGHTS
our future. For two years and more
we held to neutality that made US
apologlsts for things which outra aged
mans common sense of fair play and
humanity.
AT each new offense, we said:
This is war-archaic c,uncivilized war.
but war. Ard while we cannot ius-
tlfy, we will not intervene. 1t is not
our war!"
'Then why are we in? Because we
could not keep out. The invasion of |
Belgium, which opened the way, led |
to the invasion Of the United States
by slow, logical steps.
I'VE talked in the language and in |
the spirit of good faith and SINGER
lty, as honest men should talk, until
We discovered that our talk was con-
strued as cowardice. And Mexico
was called upon to cow US. We talk
ed until we discovered that we werej
thought to be nation Of mere mon
ey makers, devoid Of all character
until indeed we were told that we
could not walk the highways of the
world without permission of a Prus-
sion soldier, that our ships might not
sail without wearing striped uni
form Of humiliation upon a narrow
path of national subservience. We
talked as men talk who hope for
honest agreement, not for war, un-
It'll we found that the treaty torn to
pieces at Liege was but the symbol
Of policy that made agreements
worthless against a purpose that
knew no Woro hut success.
And SO we came into this war for
ourselves. It is a war to save Amer
iea, to preserve seH-respect to justi-
fy our right to live as we have live1,
not as some one else wishes US to
1--we. In the name of freedom we
challenge that w,1t verboten,' which
Germany has written upon the sea
and upon the land.
'1t is more precious that this
America should live than that we
Americans should live. And this
America has been challenged from the
f:rst Of this war by the strong arm
Of a power that has no sympath;
with our purpose, and will not hesi
tate to destroy US if We stand across
hci set will to make this world boN
before her policies. The wo:li 81
CG1tst has come again face to fact
with the world Of Mohamet, who Will
h. ed to win by force.
..Witb thic bac of hi .f,y,
We ano in tals sense, then, we fight Ger
he ma1y:
n, "Decause Of elgium-invaded, out
~ tagged, ensla sed, impo verished Bel
s,:l.ll.
= because o. France--invaded, des
. ec1ated France, million of who's
= heroic sons have died to save III
land Of Lafayette.
q Because of England-from whor
came the laws, standards of life an
inherent love of liberty which we ca
tAnglo-Saxon civilization.
because of Russia-new Russi:
She must not be overwhelmed now
Her peasants must have their chanc'
and,
Because Of other peoples, wit
their rising hope that the world ma
be freed from government by tt
soldier.
eve still hear the piteous cries
children come up out of the sea whel
the Lusitania went down.
"We saw ship after ship sent
the bottom, ships Of mercy bound o.
of America for the Belgian starvin
ships carrying the Red Cross al
laden with the wounded of all n
tions, ships flying the stars al
stripes,-sent to the bottom hu
dreds of miles from shore, mann
by American seamen, murder
aainst all law, without warning.
eve believed Germany's promi
that she would respect the neutr
flag and the rights of neutrals. B
now We see that she was holding
off with fair promises until S
could build her huge fleet of subm
rines.
"Paid German spies filled our C
les. Officials of her government !
ceived as the guests of this natie
lived with US to bribe and terror,
defying our law and the law of r
tions.
awe are fighting Germany /
cause while We were yet her frien
the only great power that still h