The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-03

governments QE G8EH@nV 9SSadSG
TREY have not made war unon US
or challenged Ms 10 deseAd our
rights and our honor. The Aus
tF0- Hungarian government. has,
indeed, avoMwd its Unqualified en-
dorsement and acceptance of the
reckless and Iawless submarine
warfare adopted noW without dis
s-guise by the imperial German
government. and it has therefore
; not been possible for this govern
:, naant to receive Count Tarnowskis
the anbassa dor recently aeeredit-
ed to this government by the inn.
], perial and royal government OF
Austria Hungary; but that gov
- eminent has not actually engaged
in warfare against citizens of the
United States on the sease and
take the Iiberty for the present at
least, OF postpcnins a decision OF
our relations with the authorities
at Vienna. We enter this war
only where we are clearly forced
into IL because there are no other
means OF defending our rights.
at will be all the easier for US
to conduct Ourselves. as helliuer-
lents in hiah shirt of right and
Z fairness becauser Ne act without
animuss net IN enunity towards a
people or with the desire to brine
dHy BtI1GNyyT Qt0d0yuub@SG 0POH
them. but only in armed opposition
TO an Irresponsible government
which has thrown aside all con-
! SideFations OF humanity and of
riuht and is running anuck.
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 between
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 be-
cause of that neutrality-suspicious. a
patience and forbearance which would
otherwise have been impossible. We
shall. happily. still have an opportuni-
ty to prove that friendship in our daily
attitude and actions towards the mil
lions 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 all
bors and to the government in the
hour of test. They are. most of them,
as true and loyal Americans as if they
had never known anv. other fealty or
allegiance. They will be prompt to
stand with us in rebuking and re-
straining the few who may be Of a
different mind and purpose.
IF there should be disloyalty. it 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.
''It is a distressing and oppressive
duty. gentlemen Of the congress. which
l have performed in thus addressing
h.
months of sacrifice ahead of us. 1t is
a fearful thing to lead this great,
peaceful country into war. into the
most terrible and disastrous of all
wars. civilization itself seeming to be
in the balance.
'FBut the right is more
precious than peace, and
we shall fight for the
things which we have al
ways carried nearestour
hearts-for democracy,
for the right of those
who submit to authority
to have a voice in their
own governments, for
the rights and liberties
of small nations, for a
universal dominion of
right by such a concert
of free peoples as shall
bring peace and safety
to all nations and make
the world itself at least
free. To such a task we
can dedicate our lives
and our fortunes, every
thing that we are and
everything that we have,
with the pride of those
who know that the day
has come when America
is privileged to spend
her blood and her might
for the principles that
gave her birth and hap
piness and the peace
which she has treasured. !,
God helping her, she can
do no other"