Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1917-10-26


three years past, it has been bankrupting
and almost consuming Europe. After an
effort most humiliating to every American
citizen, to keep out of the terrible catastro-
phe. our government was compelled to en-
ter into this war for the honor Of our coun-
try and in defense of human lives and lib
erty It is too late now for us to argue the
question as to whether or not it was nee
essary for US to enter this prodigous con-
flict. We are all against war. God grant
that it will end without the loss of an Am
erican life. We would hail peace with
delight, but the indications are, am sorry
to say, that it will last probably from two
to three years. But however that may be,
we do know that we will come out victo.
rious if it takes every able-bodied man i'll
America and every dollar of our countless
wealth. So it matters not how you may feel
about it's necessity, it is condition we face
and not theory. We must stand by our
boys in the field or else the war will be pro-
longed and needless thousands of lives lost.
We must be loyal to state and nation, to
army and navy. We must do all we can to
shorten the war and mitigate the suffering
of our boys. And while it is immaterial
now with us, as to whether or not the war
was necessary, if you'll excuse me for di-
crossing, l will say, that it seems to me, our
government made every effort possible,
consistent with our honor and integrity, to
avert the calamity that inevitably follows
war.
Thousands Of American lives were lost
! in the ruthless submarine warfare OF Ger
II many. Without warning, without chance
L to save their precious lives nearly 200 Am
erican lives were snuffed out when the
|! Lusitania was destroyed and the greater
part of them mothers and their little babes.
II And that while they were travelling on the
public highway, the sea, where they had
the right to travel under international law.
Besides this unmitigated murder of Amer
lean citizens, Germany has outraged hu-
mainly. They have wantonly wrecked,
Servia, Russia and Poland, and crushed
and destroyed her innocent people |
quote from F. C. Walcott who was an eye
witness:
"A year ago went to Poland to learn
the facts concerning the remnant of people
who had been decimated by war Along
the roadside from Warsaw to PinSk, the
present firing line, 230 miles, nearly half
million people had died of hunger and
cold. They were strewn with their bones
picked clean by crows. With their usual
thrift the Germans were collecting the lar
ger bones to be milled into fertilizer, but
finger and toe bones lay on the ground
with the mud covered and rain soaked
clothing. Wicker baskets were strewn all
along the way-the basket from which
the baby swings from the rafter in every
peasant home Every mile there were
scores of them, each one telling death.
They told me 100000 people were made
homeless in six weeks of the German drive
and four hundred thousand died on the
way"
Our government passed by this needless
slaughter with vehement protest, but
warned Germany that the outrages on our
citizens must cease. She promised ,"and did
forego for while, and then like an cleo
trio shock from clear sky, came the fatal
command from Germany: Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare" The die was cast,
the limit of endurance had been reached.
The only thing our government could do
was to defend the lives of citizens and our
national honor Had il, not done SO, some
day Germany would have re-enacted the
same wanton outrage upon American SOIL
So think am right when | say that this
is war for liberty and human rights, just
as much so as our American Revolution
Why, our president was so lenient in han