Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-02-15
AMERICA HAS NO ALLIANCE

Which The United States has had with
Germany does not mean that we are
20 have war with Germany, nor does
II follow that if we do eventually
nave war with Germany we will be
allied with the entente allies-Great
brlt@in, France, Italy and Russia.
2ra United States has persistently
avoided taking sides in the European
ce01ict and has had Us much COM
piaint to make with Great Britain
and her allies, possibly more than
with Germany and her allies. The
only differences with the complaints
Is That the offenses of the entente
have been such that money amends
be made, that adjustment might be
bad years afterward; while with
the ceutral powers the oifenses COM
planned OF have been the taking Of
human lives or the endangering Of
them. There is a vast difference, q
difference easily discernible by 'even
the most partisan.
Sympathjzers with the cause of Ger
many have repeatedly charged that
the United States has shown undue
favor 10 the British, this quite natur-
ally because of their friendly feeling
for Germany, and again, unconscious
lg and lnnocently but nevertheless
certainly, because the people of Eng
land and the people of the United
States -nse the same language, the
English language.
Now that there is q breach between
the United States and Germany, the
oyer ardent friends in this eOuntrysof
Germany are more inclined than ever
to belieye il TO be true that the Unit.
cd States is the friend of the English
and the enemy of the German. And
again, since the break with Germany,
there has been exceeding carelessness
on the part of the press and the pe0-
pie Of the United States in assuming,
without reason OF any kind, that II
there Is war with Germany the United
States will be allied with England and
her allies.
Senator Stone in his address in the
semte, Wednesday. fayoring the res
olution commencing President Will
son, read q cable from London the
day she president severed relations
with Germany, which declared 1t
meant America was on the side Of
the entente. Commenting on this he
said.
a great many articles Of this inn
port have been appearing from day to
day in the American press. What
ever may be The result OF the regret
table international ENHANCEMENT in
which we are now involved, do not
know. But want 10 express my
conviction and hope that we Will not
lose our equilibrium and be swept off
our feet at least at the instance of q
foreign power, or under the influence
OF propaganda put forth for the pnr-
pose Of exciting us to war on the side
of one of the belligerents,
IL is a matter that must not rest
on foreign dictation. No matter
what comes, we should take our own
course in our own way"
The people Of America are today
no more inclined TO link their inter-
ests 8itfl those OF the entente than
with those Of the central powers.
Lhe United States is not with the en-
teutB and il is only against German
aud her allies because of their threat
ened unrestricted use Of the submar-
ine OF the high seas. The sooner
our people those who sympathize
with either the entente or the central
powers and those who sympa thize
with neither come to realize all
this, to understand that the United
States is not taking sides in an old
quarrel. that she is simply defending
her own and the interests of huma n
ity, the sooner will there disappear
seeming lack Of loyalty to the flag
and we will appear just what we are,
a great united people, striving for
our own good and foe the good of tn 9
world of humanity.
Four short weeks and congress will