South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-13
LESSON Nd rs.
WHY WE FIGHT.

essary at once TO put curb on so /
powerful and unscrupulus ali
enemy Is set forth IN an official I
publication How the War Came 10 I
America"
judging the German govern |
ment now i'm the light of our honest !
attempt 10 keep the peace. wei
could see the great autocracy and |
read her record through the war. I
And we found that record dari-
nable. With a fanatiCal faith |
in the destiny CT German kultur az
the system that must rule the
world, the imperial governments
actions have through years Of
toasting, double dealing, and de
ceit tended toward aggression upon
the rights of others. And if there
still be any doubt as to which ma
ton began this war. there can be !
no unceI tainty - 10 which one was
most prepared, most eNultant al
the chance, and ready instantly 20
march Upon other nations-even
those who had given no offense. The
wholesale depredations and hide
Gus atrocities in Belgium and IN
I
parcel with the imperial govern
ments purpose 10 teTrorize small /
nations into AFFECT submission for
generations to come. But in this
autocracy has been blind For is
record in those countries. and il
Poland and in northern France, has
given not only 10 the allies but 10
liberal peoples throughout the
world the conviction that this
menace 70 human liberties must lie
utterly shorn OF its power for harm. .
For the evil it has effected has
ranged far out of Europe-out up
on the open seas, where its SUD
marines in defiance of law and the
concepts OF humanity have blown
up neutral vessels and covered the
, waves with the deaG and the dyinG.
rner and women and children alike. I
Its agents have corspired against
the peace of neutral nations every
where, sowing the seeds of dissen-
sion, ceaselessly endeavOring by tor
tuOus methods of deceit, of bribery
false promises, and intimidation, 20
stir up brother nations one against
the other. i'm crder that the liberal /
world might not be able 20 unite, in
order that the autocracy mieht
emerge from the war.
~AI this we know from our own
eXcrience with the imperial gov
eminent. As they nave dealt with /
Europe. so have they dealt With us
iand with all mankind And SO out
of these years the conviction has
grown that until the German ma
ton is Invested "a such democracy /
can not be safe"
Not Hostile tn German People.
one thought which you should
keep always in mind, is the clear
distinction between our attitude to-
ward the imperial German govern /
ment and Our attitude toward the
German people. The president sad /
in MS speech Of June IA, 1917:
"Wc ere not the enemies OF the
German people and they are not our /
enemies. They did nos originate or
desire this hideoIs war orr wish I
that we should be drawn into il; Z
and we are vaguely conscious that
we are hghting their cause. as they I
Will some day see IT, as we'll as our |
own. They are themselves in the /
strip If the same sinister power that I
has now at last stretched its ugly F.
talons out and drawn blood from /.
us"
EN cry American soldier i'm this /
war fights for objects Jearer 10 all /
OF us than life itself-for freedom /
and democracy, for the safety OF
our own homes AMI families, for /
the honor of our country. You 7
will think often of these objects /.
during your period of training and .
after YOU actually enter the trench T.
as. The more you think about .
them, the greater Will be you-
pride that YOU are one of those /
first chosen TO defend them.
The world must be made safe I
for democracy"