Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-03
AWAKE AT LAST

l. revelations" OF the Zimmerman note
matter
German Vaccinations in Mexico have
been the subject Of common report for
years. German desire TO detach Japan
as well as Russia from the Entente is no
secret. The thoroushness with which
Germany goes about her work is notorl.
Gus. The possibility of war between the
United States and Germany has been i'm.
mlnent ever since the Lusitania was sunk
in May, 1915
We may prefer to live I'm a fools para.
disc and shut our eyes TO what is before
them. But not SO the Germans. Al
though they have been fighting the rest
Of Europe for nearly three years. there
Is no doubt that they have a plan Of cam.
pagn already worked out and that its
execution only awaits the opportune oc.
casion.
The Congress of the United States, how
ever. with warnings everywhere visible
to men who have eyes to see. has dawded
along. trusting to luck for the protection
ing that Mr.. Taft said year or two ago
that God Almighty takes care of fools,
drunken men and the United States" for
the United States, like drunken men and
fools seems to be unconscious of the
perils which beset its path.
When foreseeinG men have urged a
greater measure OF preparedness, Mr..
Bryan has charged that they were talk.
ing for the builders of warships and the
munition makers who were anxious for
profits from war business. Congressman
have risen In their places and echoed the
charges in the Capitol. This week. when
documentary evidence of the German de.
sire to incite Mexico to make war upon
closed, there were Senators and Repre-
sentatives so blind to all the facts as to
suggest that the document was a yJrGery
and that it had been made public in the
interests Of the men who wanted to make
profit out of orders from the War and
Navy Departments.
The assurances from the White House,
however, that the document is authentic
have fortunately convinced all but a small
minority of pacifists that we are con-
fronted by a grave danger increasing in
seriousness every hour. Even Mr.. Bryan,
his power to prevent preparation for the
use of force. turned around and went
back to Florida as soon as he learned
that the Zimmerman note was genuine.
This is the most creditable thing that
this extreme pacifst has been guilty Of
for several years,
The responsible officers of the Govern.
ment are now aware of the dangers that
confront us. They have been actively
preparing for the worst for the last two
or three weeks. II is important that they
| should be backed by the unanimous
sentiment of the whole country. The
Central West. which is so far from salt
water that the dangers of a naval war
patriotism enough to stand by the Ad.
ministration in its efforts to get ready to
defend our shipping on the seas. The
organizations, religious and industrial
which have been passing resolutions of
| protest against war are composed of
men and women who, In a crisis, must
be willing to abandon their theories and
stand by their country. They must know
That no one wishes war, least of all the
men in charge of the Government at
Washington. But they must know also
that it is the moral duty of every Amer
lean citizen, regardless of his ancestry,
his religious creed or his industrial afli.
atoms, to uphold the hands of the Presi.
dent who must prepare us for defense
and must guide us through war if war
be upon the knees of the gods.
The United States will hereafter play
large part in the world, as Colonel
Roosevelt reminded us several years ago.
1t can play it nobly or ignobly That is
the only choice it has. We cannot play
our part noby unless we are prepared
with soldiers and ships to defend our
rights wherever they may be questioned
and against whatever Power that may
assume that it is the only sovereign in
the world. The nation is awake now.
Let us pray that 1t may not again fall
asleep
BOY DAY
| l respectfully suggest to the fathers