Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-05
This Is Americas War

wv HEN the young American to-day reg
w listers for military service. he is not
giving himself. in response to his country's
mandate. to some vague generality of thought
or speech. He is not being required to fight
to suffer and. perhaps. to die for mere
abstraction. Only incidentally does he offer
his life for others far away. Fighting suf-
fcring and dying will be for himself for
those near and dear to him, for the land he
loves and for the institutions which have
made it great.
1t is time. as Senator Borah. of Idaho,
recently has pointed out, to Americanize this
war. There is no difficulty in that process.
That we had abundant reasons of our own
for entering the conflict the world knows
Our rights had been nouted our protests had
been evaded or derided. our property had
been destroyed and our people had been
slain by the agents of autocracy. We had
been patient beyond belief Every instinct
of nationality, every dictate of national honor
and integrity demanded that we submit no
longer. Had we submitted, we should have
been unworthy Of that heritage of freedom.
baptized in our fathers blood. which is our
most precious possession.
There were other justifications. The at
titude or Germany toward this people was
In essence. Germany's attitude toward all
mankind. Not American ships and Ameri-
can lives only have been destroyed; nearly
every neutral nation which has ventured to
use the broad highways of the seas has suf
Tered alike We are accepting this chal-
lenge of hostile purpose" said President
Wilson in his memorable address of April .
because we know that in such govern
ment following such methods. we can never
have friend; and that in the presence of
its organized power. always lying in wait
10 accomplish we know not what purpose
there can he no assured security for the
democratic governments Of the world
The world must be made safe for democracy;
its peace must he planted upon tested foun-
dations OF political liberty
This country is part Of the world of
which the President spoke We have be-
come part Of the coalition which stands In
inc way or Germanys arrogant pretensions
because our liberties are placed in the same
jeopardy as those of other free peoples We
must fight to the last man that our own in
stituttons. bought at a great price NAV de-
scchd undchled TO our chldren's children
Who can fail TO understand what defeat
would mean to the United States? In the
nrst place. staggering war indemnify
which would repay Germany for all the ma
teral losses she has suffered and cause rs IN
groan under a load of debt In the second
place national humiliation so profound
that the fires Of our own liberties womb be-
come dimmed. In the third place, the
apotheosis Of the principle of autocracy and
democracy's decline. In the fourth place. an
insecure and treacherous peace to be main
tanned only so long as Germany willed. and
TO he torn up, like another scrap of paper
Whenever profit or the lust of power dictated
n new infamy.
These are the national dangers against
whlch the young men who register to-day
prepare TO fight Knowing the forces which
must be encountered and the evil purposes
the attainment OF which must he prevented
the zeal OF the Crusader should inspire every
heart and nerve every arm.