Denver labor bulletin., 1917-12-22

While America was neutral, j was
one American who was never neutral.
| knew which side | was on the first
day that the German criminal, mill
tary machine invaded Belgium. | did
not stop to think. / only felt. In a
great crisis like that | would be
ashamed to think. | did not need to
have time to think upon a question
so clear as that ! have never been
neutral on anything. No doubt / have
often been wrong-but not neutral.
And on any great question that in
wolves the rights and liberties of men
no one can be so far wrong as to be
neutral.
We waited while people in our gov
ernment protested that we should sell
no ammunition to England and to
France, and | was one who did not
believe in selling them-in selling 1t
- wanted to give 1t away.
We waited and listened glibly to
the kaiser as he took God into his
confidence. And he speaks of God
with such disgusting familiarity that
that shows US that he believes that
God. too. was made in Germany. And
I don't dorbt but what his god was,
know Of no other land that could
make such q god
symn1thize with the German love
II the fathor'ani. / symUathIze with
t so deeply that ! would be glad TO
see every abIe-bodici man on earth
arm himself with bayouet and gun to
help drive the German army back 10
the fatherlani where it belongs
The American Pacifists.
Our American pacifists sat neutral
while Belgium was invaded while
France was invaded. while the sub
marines were killing their victims
upon the German ocean, while they
were giving their orders to America,
a people Of one hundred million souls
although l doubted the souls while
we were taking orders. But we have
found them now, at last, late though
IL be. and our people will never rest
until victory is won.
We waited patiently and the pacl-
fists protested that we had no right
TO ride on what they termed muni-
ton ships, munition ships that were
the vessels of commerce and Of trade
of American citizens and that all non
belligerents had the right to use be
fore the German kaiser told us to stay
off the seas.
We took insult and injury. We
waited until Germany violated every
rule of war and became an outlaw
And then we drew the sword. And
that sword will not be sheathed until
Prussian militarism is destroyed.
The Germans used to tell US of the
shortcomings of the nations who were
fighting them, and the pacIflsts now
noint to our allies and ask how we
like them. How do we like our allies?
When we speak Of the crimes of Ger
many thew talk of England. Of Bel
gium. of Russia. and even of France.
know that the past of no nation
is perfect. England has been guilty
Of acCressions in the past. So has
Belgium So has France. SO has
Russia. So have all nations, and in
these aCEressions Germany has been
the -reotest sinner. But whatever the
arrressions Of the past of these ma
tions. our allies. what has that to do
with the invasion of Belgium and
France and the assassination of lib
artv by the kaiser and Germany
The past Of all these nations has moth
mo to 20 with this case. As we law
vers would say. they are incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.
" one of YOU would find your pock
cts picked as you so ont Of the hall
today md YOU would find the thief
and bring him into court tomorrow,
he would have hard work making
defense on the Eround that your
was n pickpocket, too.
And whatever England or France or
RoIriur, NAV have done in the past
docs not change the duty and the
obligation of the civilized world in
this war that is upon us now.
4 Word from Our Allies.
BIT lot me say something for our
allies. for those who are fighting with
,,s TO-DAY to preserve the civilization
of the world. am ashamed of none
of them. | am proud Of all of them.
ANY crime they may have committed
in the mast hos bocn washed away
in the blood Of their devoted sons
who arn fiphtinC this great FIGHT.
Nations chon~e r'o~a th"n in''"'4-
uals change. for nations take their
character from the rulers who shane
their policies. And the England of
hundred years ago is not the ENGLAND
of today. For the England reaching
ort in its conouests. subiccting
large portion Of the world. vo"nC and
vigorous and strong. was the ENGLAND
of the past ENGLAND TODAY is man
ned by another crew. Fngland's poll
cies TODAY are shaped by as great n
man. ms broad and democratic man,
as devoted to humanity and the rights
of mnn as any democrat on earth
Llovd George.
But what about England? This
countrv has had two wars with Eng
land. In sense. they have been our
foe. Onr politicians have
educated the American peonle to hate
them. don't know how I, individu-
ally, escaped, brt ] did. ! have never