Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-02

those who would build empires and control large destinies.
 Is there any measure of truth in their belief that we have been misled and hoodwinked by Britain? Now that we are in the war, can any man con Y ince himself that we might have kept
 out of 1t Should we have refused to sell munitions to the allies? Could we have repressed and held in check our feeling of gratitude to France for ser
 vices rendered long ago?
 If we can give straight answers to 'hese questions, we are doubly fortf
 lied for the war.
 And if these questions suggest them selves to us. time and time again, it
 is not because we have our doubts but because the more judicially and cold
 bloodedly and impartiaily we cross
 examine ourselves. the more evident 1t becomes that we either had to go into
 this war or Surrender our charter as a
 free people.
 Two prodigious facts stood out be
 fore at the beginning of the strug
 gle. All the sophistries and indirec-
 lions of the diplomats. all the green
 books and blue books and white books flooding the world, all of the libraries that will be written in explanation and defense never can remove ,or even alter these two mountainpeaks of truth
 One fact was that Germany de- liberate1y forced the war because it seemed that the fortunate day had arrived when the continent of Europe could be pounded into submission
 The other fact was that Germany deliberately broke her word of honor and outIawed herself by the brutal in vasion of Belgium.
 With these two facts looming in front of them, the American people immediately and instinctively turned were given whole-hearte to the all lies because they couldn't go anywhere else. The issues were too plain. The evidence was too unmistakable. Great Britain and France did not lead us. We were led by an old-fashioned and elemental preference for decency and fair play.
 After that we sold food and muni- tions to the enemies of Germany.
 The Germans have always insisted upon their right to sell guns and shells anywhere in the world at any time. Our soldiers in the Spanish American fred from German guns. Every Fill pino insurrecto hiding in ambush to get one of our men carried a German weapon that had been smuggled to him.
 We had a right 10 sell our products to Great Britain and France. And now, thank goodness, we can say open ly what we have felt all the time. that it was our duty to supply them:
 With half of the world fire 3 good many dark places are being il- luminated. This war has vindicated British policies and crowned France with a glory that never can perish.
 Germany with all of her cleverness, any contingency has consistently bun dered in her guessing as to other na- ] tions. Germany played every other | in the world for either a foof CT a coward. France could not long 1 esist because her army was disor- | ganized and her people lacked heroic | fber. Belgium would yield if 1t saw an invincible army crossing the from tier. Great Britain dared not come in. 1 If she did. Ireland would rebel. Egypt i would uprise there would be civil war ii India, the Boers would fight for i Germany. and Canada might be seized | by the United States. Russia was to he bamboozled and corrupted. The i picking.
 The qualities which enable a people to wage war successfully-tenaci city, obedience to superiors, unfaltering the ability to husband resources and | energies-these were not | 10 be found anywhere except in Ger many.
 -een the triumph of democracy. We II find the London cockney fighting | alongside of the Canadian, the New | zealander, the Arab from Soudan, the rlSnman rom COrK, SoIknS ana GnOur- II gas from India. and Boer Dutchmen rom South Africa. Which means hat Great Britain is on the square. We know that France is on the square md we have a very definite suspicion hat we are trying to be on the square. There isn't a req sonable doubt on the horizon. We are lined up with the friends of humanity against the arch levils of despotism.
 If the Lusitania had not been sunk: our men, women and children had lot been murdered: if our flag had not ,een fired upon; if we had not re- eived insolent orders to tie our ships I