Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-08-22
A WAR OF DErKxsE.
This 10 New an American war. Not =
European War.
fNesu Yoxk ghsnl

| This 10 New an American war. Not .
European War.
Mes York SsM.)
Senator Borah 10 quite right. This IL
an American war. II ceased to be .
| European war for us when we entered
upon it. To clear sighted observers Of in
| transitional affairs it vas never wholly .
European war. The United States was
msnaced the moment the German howit-
Eers opened on Liege. fer that event an
nounced to Us, a. to the rsst Of the world,
that there had appeared predatory
power to whom neutral rights we're mere
scraps Of paper, By whom the dread act Of
war was to Be determined upon by mere
considerations OF national profit, to whom
might constituted right, and no nation
was to be treated - friendly that had
territory to lose or strong boxes to Be-
rified.
At NO time since August l, 1914, has the
United States been forsign to this war.
their lives and their property were bot
repeated Illustrations OF German con-
temp. for our national rights, and refusal 70
let them stand In the way OF German
progress toward its goal OF conquest.
Germany would have readily bombarded
our towns ~ sink our ships had Il seemed
to the German advantage to do so-and
had not the British navy stood in the way.
A nation animated BY the lust Of plumber
il not easily satiased, and bad It not been
for the sturdy resistance OF the French
army and the power Of the British navy
the German army would have done its
part to enact the program II shouted ~
1t marched through Belgium:
"Paris in three weeks; London In three
months; New York in three yearsi"
Senator Bonh il right, too, In declaring
this defensive war for NJ. Defensive It
il, even though Il must b fought omen
sively and on forsign soil. The time has
gone BY when nation to defend itself re-
tires within Its own borders and awaits
the coming Of the enemy. We have seen
France defending bsrsslf ON her own soil.
and prefer that our own defense b UNDER
taken elsew here-evsn Il the gates of Ber-
lin. We want no German armies within
our borders, NO repetiticu here Of the
destruction OF Louvain, Arras and Ypres;
nor for our womankind experiences like
the deportstions Of Lille. The psciist
orators, the sentimentalists who seek 10
smbarrass the government BY deploring
the idea Of our American boys fighting on
foreign soil, should mediate upon the one
Alternative, which ID to sufler German
soldiers fighting and ravagin9 on our soil.
Our war 10 defensive in that II 10 waged
with no ides Of conquest, no lust for
conquered territory. But IL 10 literally
defensive in that il IL fought to protect
our shores, citios, our people. should
there be failure to mako 1t . thorough
defense calamity iDeAlcuiabls, indsscrib-
We are fighting . fos Of proved military
ability, ofrspacity and isrocity unrscorded
in history. We enter upon The war at
moment when 1t may fairly b said that
his chance Of victory over our allies, who
have withstood him 1oe three years,
compels apprehension. We enter nm
prcpared-that always goes without
saying in the case Of the United ssates-
Our navy 10 indeed ready and in sctive
service, bu9 II 10 tho weapon OF ws< Of
which our allies have the least need. =
or our army all that 10 ready 10 in
Frsncs-eno~gh perhaps to hold Ass
miles OF the moro than Lon mklss -
trenches that reach from the North SEQ v
the vosges. Our National Guard viii
soon follow. Tie larger armg raised BY
the selective dEsft will hardly reach the
neld bsfore late spring Of next year. Tia
Germans have nearly year to push thsiR
warfare before IT, military power OF thsI
United States cao make itself 1slt.
II during that time the Submarine
brings Great Britain to subjectisn, or the
growing weakness Of the Russians snableel
Gssnany to concsntrate on snd ovsr--l
whslm the French and British semies in
Fanes, then the tfhitsd States will wake
up 70 what war really 10. Then Ne shall
bear ths thunder - hostile guas At our
seaposts, We shall - our cities - flames,
we shall mark our ssadien BY the millions
bressting the German noed beating upon
eur shores, and whsssver the ensny make
. lodgmsnt We shsal 80 Louvsin, Lille,
Rheims, outdone, for the German. hatred
Tor tie United States TO- day passss- UNDER
Standing.
To avert this calamity let CIR people,
awake to-day to its possibility. Lat them.
understand that thoa~b ws dghs to make
the world safe for dsmocfacy No fight frsA
to make the United States safs for itA
people. Let us have truce to declaring
the purpose Of the war. Rearrsngemsnts
Of governments, changes in boundaries,
the overthrow Of dynasties, annexations,
indsmnities and Al the pswns and coun1-
ers Of the diplomas are but war's By
products.
We are in this war 70 defend the Unihsd
States from the innsdiAse, real and press
ing danger Of 0nrmau invasion. Mako