Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-04-11
Wants Nation to Help the
Entente Allies Whip
Kaiser.
AUToCRACY WORLD MENACE
America Enters the Struggle to
Aid in Saving Freedom for
DemocracieS.

DemocracleS.
WashlngtOn.-In what has been de-
scribed on all sides as one of the great
state papers Of American history,
President Wilson addressed the senate
and house in joint session Monday
night and asked for a declaration of a
state of war with Germany.
He based his assertions that the
kalser's government is already con
Quoting hostilltieS against the United
States on Germany's unrestricted sub
marine warfare. on the widespread and
destructive German spy system In this
cOuntry-which has destroyed prop
erty and sought to intrigue Mexico and
Japan against us-and on the bloody
ambition of Prussian autocracy 10 do
inmate the world of self goyerning
peoples.
And to the end that this autoeratic
power may be defeated and the safety
of peace-loving nations assured. Mr..
Wilson called upon congress 10 EN-
ploy all the resources of the United
Suites TO whip Germany. He urged
entire cooperation with the entente
allies with men, money and supplies.
and he recommended the recruiting of
the regular army and National Guard
to more than half million and the
raising Of an additional 100000 mill
tary force by applying univer-
sal service law.
Most notable in the presidents ad-
dress was the section devoted 10 an
indictment Of Prussian autocracv and
professional militarism. He said
Our object now is to vindicate the
principles of peace and of justice in
the life Of the world as against selfish
and autocratic power and to set up
! amongst the really free and seIf-gov-
erned peoples of the world such con-
cert of purpose and of action as will
henceforth insure the observance Of
those principles.
Neutrality Not Feasible.
Neutrality is no longer feasible or
desirable when the peace OF the world
is involved and the freedom of its
Z
and freedom lies in the existence Of au-
tocratic governments backed by organ
ICED force which is controlled wholly
by their will. not by the will Of their
people. We ha- seen the last Of neu-
trality in such circumstances.
We are at the beginning of an age
in which it Will be insisted that the
same standards of conduct and of re-
spOnsibIlity for wrong done shall be OBJ
served among nations and their gov
eruments that are observed among the
Individual citizens OF civilized states
No Quarrel With People.
We have no quarrel with the German
people We have no feeling toward
them but one of sympathy and friend
ship. 1t was not upon their impulse
that their government acted in enter
Ing this war. II was not with their
previous knowledge or approval.
II was war determined upon as wars
used TO be determined on In the old,
unhappy days when peoples were no
where consulted by their rulers and
wars were provoked and waged in the
interest of dynasties or Of little groups
Of ambitious men who were accustomed
10 use their fellow men as pawns and
tools
A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by part
nership of democratic nations. No au-
tocratic government could be trusted to
keep faith within 1t or observe its COW
enants. 1t must be a league Of honor,
partnership Of opinion.
Only free peoples can hold their
purpose and their honor steady to n
common end and prefer the interests
Of mankind to any narrow interest of
their own.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our
hope for the future peace of the
world by the wonderful and hearten-
ing things that have been happening
within the last few weeks in Russia ?
intrigued Against National Unity.
One OF the things that have served
TO convince US that the Prussian au-
tOcracy was not and could never be
our friend Is that from the very outset
of the present war 1t has filed our I'M
suspecting communities and even our
Offices of government with spies and
set criminal intrigues everywhere afoot
against our national unity of counsel,
our peace within and without, our in
dustries and our commerce.
Indeed, it is now evident that its
spies were here even before the war
began; and it is unhappily not a mat
ter of conjecture. but a fact proved
In our courts of justice that the in
trigues which have more than once
come perilously near TO disturbing the
peace and diSloCating the industries OF
the country have been carried on al
the lnstigatlon. with the support, and
even under the personal direction OF
official agents of the imperial govern
ment accredited TO the government of
the United States.
Would Act at Convenience.
But they have played their part in
serving 10 convince us at last that the
government entertains no real friend
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