Evening star., 1917-11-04
ofenses Against United States.

While yet we were neutral, strug-
Cling to keep free from the conflict,
the representatives Of that government
In this country planned to destroy our
factories and our railroads. forged our
public papers, deceived US when con-
renient. violated our hospitality and
aps s9vefeIgnty While they plotted
they deliberately and with malice
and affronting forewarning drowned
our helpless women and babes and de-
clared public holiday that their own
innocent children might celebrate the
murder.
They have bombarded unfortified
towns and bombed the unprotected
homes Of their foes. taking their toll
Of wounded and dead from the aged and
have made barren desert of the garden
spots OF the earth; they have needless
ly pillaged and willfuIly burned towns:
they have reduced to slavery men. wom-
en- and children; they have wrecked
and torn asunder families with a sys-
tenn diabolical in its efficiency; they
have wantonly defiied and destroyed
the temples Of God. They have done all
OF these things that they might strike
terror into the hearts of men so as
more easily to conquer and rule them
AS the war has gone on, the ulti-
mate aim of the imperial government
mas become more and moro clear
Drunk with the sense of its own power
ana It's asserted superiority, it has pro-
posed to secure a dominating position
for itself and for its system over the
entire world. Nowhere yielding to the
people their righteul powers. and every
Where seeking to uphold autocracy and
despotisnl, it has shown its intention TO
perpetuate absolute government of
which II admittedly is the head and
front. It's "kultur" is ayoyved 10 be
the acme of human goodness and en-
deayor. and is to boast the rulership of
the world. gained by force and arms.
Must Fight for Preservation.
The world must hght to preserve it
; self. Of this there can be no doubt.
Heretofore. save in rare cases. war
has been fight between armies; but
this war. because of the initial prepara-
tion for it by an autocracy which pros
tftuted whole mighty nation to its
purpose, Is contest between peoples
themselves. It is correspondingly in
!! tense and relentless. The march of
events shows that it is now war of
systems-kings against peoples. II our
enemy win. kings Will dominate the
world, because no democracy fights
with or for them The Prussian auto
crat and the brutal Turk will impose
upon US their wills, tell US what we
may do. what we may not do. and the
horrors and atrocities of Belgium and
Armenia leave no doubt what this
means. Government o. the people, by
the people, and for the people will per-
lsh from the earthG In this sense this
is truly war Of absolute and COM
plete determination, not Of peoples. but
of systems. and SO far as human sight
can pierce the future the life of the one
system or the other waits on the result
Thus our own very life came to be
bound up in the outcome of this war
long before we entered 1t. and even
years before the war broke. To tn.
man of vision it is as clear as sunlight
that the aim and the plan of the I'M
| perial government was and is to con-
auer the world. nation by nation. II
| was first to defeat France and Russia.
| next to dominate Great Britain, and
| with Europe at its feet to turn TO
/ America.