The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-04-13

nocent and legitimate. Property cal
be paid for; the lives of peaceful an
innocent people cannot be. The pres
ent German submarine warfare agains
commerce is a warfare against man
kind.
at is war against all nations
American ships have been sunk, Amer
lean lives taken, in ways which 1t ha
stirred us very deeply to learn of, blu
the ships and people of other neutra
and friendly nations have been SUM
and overwhelmed in the waters in thu
same way.
'There has been no discrimination
The challenge is to all mankind. Eacl
nation must decide for itself how il
will meet it. The choice we make fol
ourselves must be made with a mod
Grafton of counsel and temperatures
of Judgment BETTING our character
and motives as nation. We must put
excited feelings away. Our motive will
not be revenge or the victorious asser-
ton of the physical might of the ma
ton, but only the vindication of right
of which we are only single cham
pion.
when I addressed the congress on
the 26th day of February last, thought
| that it would suffice to assert our neu-
trail rights with arms, our right to use
the seas against unlawful interference,
our right to keep our people safe
| against unlawful violence.
"But armed neutrality, it now ap-
pears, is impracticable. Because sub
marines are in effect outlaws when
| used against merchant shipping, it is
! impossible to defend ships against
their attacks"
Friendly to Germans.
Speaking of his feelings toward the
mass of the German people, of German
intrigue in the United States, of the
recent overthrow of autOcracy in Rus
STA, of Austria's fairly good behavior
toward the United States, and of the
nations attitude toward German-Amer-
lean citizens, the president said:
1--WE have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling
toward them but one of sympathy and
friendship. 1t was not upon their i'm
pulse that their government acted in
entering this war. 1t was not with
their previous knowledge or approval.
1t was war determined upon 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
to use their fellow men as pawns and
tools.
"Self-governed nations do not fill
their neighbor states with spies or set
the course Of intrigue to bring about
some critical posture of affairs which
will give them an opportunity to strike
and make conquest.
Welcome to Free Russia.
"Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our hope
for the future peace of the world by
the wonderful and heartening things
that have been happening within the
last few years in Russia?
Russia was known by those who
KNEW II DtSL " bNNh dt""!o 80
fact democratic at heart in all the |
vital habits of her thought, in all the
intimate relationships of her people |
that spoke their natural instinct, their |
habitual attitude toward life. The |
autocracy that crowned the summit of
her political structure, as long as it |
had stood and terrible as was the
reality of its power, was not in fact
Russian in origin, character, or pur-
pose; and now it has been shaken
off and the great, generous Russian
people have added in all their native
majesty and might to the forces that
are fighting for freedom in the world,
for juctice, and for peace. Here is
fit partner for league of honor.
Silent as to Austria.
81 have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the imperial German
government because they have not
made war upon us or challenged us to
defend our right and our honor.
Germans in America.
"We are. let me say again, the sin
,ere friends of the German people, and
shall desire nothing so much as the
early establishment Of intimate rela-
ions of mutual advantage between us,
however hard it may be for them, for
he 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.
"We shall, happily, still have an OPP
,ortunity to prove that friendship in
,ur daily attitude and actions towards
he millions of men and women of Ger
nan birth and native sympathy who
i've amongst us and share our life,
md we shall be proud to prove it to-
wards all who are in fact loyal to their
leighbOrs and to the government in
he hour of test. They are, most of
hem, as true and loyal Americans as
{ they had never known any other
eaIty or allegiance. They will be
,rompt to stand with us in rebuking
md restraining the few who may be
# different mind and purpose. If ,
here should be disl0yalty it will be
ealt with with a firm hand of stern
OPPRESSION; but If it lifts its head at !
IL it will lift it only here and there ,
Il l