The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-04-05

force OF the nation to check and nul.
lily its pretentions and it power We
are glad, now that we see the facts
with no veil OF false pretense about
them, to fight thus for the ultimate
peace of the world and for the liberia
ton of its peoples, the German peo-
pies included; for the rights OF ma
tions great and small and the privilege
OF men everywhere to choose their
way of life and of obedience. The
world must be made safe for demo
cracy. It's peace must be planted up.
on the trusted foundations of political
liberty.
1--WE have no selfish ends to serve.
We desire no conquest, no dominion.
We seek no indemnities for ourselves,
no material compensation for the sac
rifices we shall freely make. We are
but one of the champions of the rights
of mankind. We shall be satisfied
when those rights have been as su.
cure as the faith and the freedom OF
the nations can make them.
Just because we fight without ran
cour and without selfish objects, seek
ing nothing for ourselves, but what
we shall wish to share with all free
peoples. we shall, l feel confident,
conduct our operations as belligerents
without passion and ourselves observe
with proud punctilio the principles OF
right and of fair play we profess to
be fighting for.
Explains Relation With Austria.
81 have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the imperial govern
ment OF Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The Austro. Hungarian government:
has, indeed, avowed it's unqualified in
dorsement and acceptance OF the reck.
less and laWless submarine warfare.
adopted now without disguise by the
imperial German government, and 1t
has therefore not been possible for
this government to receive Count Tar
nowski, the ambassador recently
accredited to the government by the
imperial and royal government OF
Austria-Hungary, but that government
has not actually engaged in warfare
against citizens Of the United States
on the seas and take the liberty, for
the present at least, Of postponing a
discussion of our relations with the
authorities at Vienna. We enter this
war only where we are clearly forced
into ii because there are no other
means OF defending our rights.
1T will be all the easier for us to
conduct ourselves as belligerents in
high spirit of right and fairness be.
cause we act without animus, not in
enmity towards a people or with the
desire to bring any injury or disad-
vantage upon them, but only in armed
opposition to an irresponsible govern
ment, which has thrown aside all con-
siderations OF humanity and OF right
and is running amuck
1--WE are, let me say again, the
| sincere friends of the German people.
and shall desire nothing so much as
the early re-establishment of intimate
relations OF mutual advantage be-
tween us. however hard it may be for
them, for the time being, to believe
that this is spoken from our hearts.
| We have borne with their present
government through all these bitter
months because of that friendship.
exercising a patience and forbearancs
which would otherwise have been i'm
possible.
I'VE shall, happily, still have an op-
portunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions towards
the millions OF men and women OF
German birth and native sympathy,
who live amongst us and share our
life. and we shall be proud to prove
it towards an who are in fact loyal
to their neighbors and to the govern.
ment in the hour of test.
They are. most of them, as true as
loyal Americans as if they had never
known any other fealty or allegiance.
They will be prompt to stand with us
| in rebuking and restraining the few
who may be of different mind and
purpose. If there should be disloyalty,
1t will be dealt with with a firm hand
OF stern repression; but, If it lifts its
head at all, it will lift it only here
and there and without countenance
except from a lawless and malignant
| few.
Sees Months Of Fiery Trial.
at is a distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen OF the congress-,
which 7 have performed in thus ad-
dressing you. There are, it may be,
many months of fiery trial and sacri.
fee ahead of us. 1t is a fearful thing
to lead this great peaceful people into
war, into the most terrible and dis
astrous of all wars, civilization itself
seeming to be in the balance.
but the right is more precious