Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-24
Why WE ARE At WAR.

why WE ARE AT WAR.
You are now undergoing the train
ing essential to prepare you for the
final test of arrns-to strengthen you
as individuals, and to develop you in
team work" so that you may go for
ward to the supreme test with the
same spirit that has always actuated
the American soldier in his battles for
freedom. AS an army not crushed un-
der the heel Of cruel despot, nor
guided by the imperial whip Of a mas
ter, you are made mindful Of some of
these many causes rendering your sac
rifices needed.
Tt is well to remember that this
great Republic did not declare war
upon the Hohenzollern government
but by solemn act of it's peoples rep
resentatives, recognized that the Ger
man emperor and his war party, in
violation of our treaty rights, had
made war upon us Before this soi-
emn situation was met and sacred
duty performed, our legislative and
e x ecutiye representatives gave
thought to the offenses committed by
the German government against the
laws of nations and against our ma
tional sovereignty. An enumeration
of these acts of this war-mad party
of Germany is given below and is
fun reply to why we are at war"
(al 1t violated the principles Of
neutrality as applied to land warfare
to which it had pledged its national
honor by cony and of This
Hague of 1907, Is invasion CT Bel
rium and repudiated II. solemn un-
dertal1ings respecting the neutrality Of
that nation.
(b) z 1t levied huge monetary penas
ties upon occupied cities for It's own
war purposes, in violation OF the laws
Of nations.
Co 1t wantonly destroyed works Of
art and architecture which it could
not steal; and RACED historical monu-
ments and edifices Of worship, mercy,
and charity for which no military ne
cessity existed.
(d) 1t deliberately and as a fixed
and settled policy, practieed rapine,
arson, and murder against helpless
and nom onabatant pepulaee.
(ol 1t wantanly bombarded from
the land, sea, and sky, non fortified
and unprotected cities and towns, in
dulging in indiscriminate slaughter OF
women and children.
(fl 1t tore young girls from their
homes to labor in the fields of Ger.
many, and drove many to suicide to
escape the white slavery denounced
by the laws of nations.
(gl 1t destroyed converts and raw
ished nuns, and violated the principles
of the Christian religion.
(h) 1T violated international law by
the murder of a nurse and sea captain
who had committed no capital offense
under the laws of war.
Gl Tt violated the rules Of va2ri.
time warfare by murder of q riti-
zens, the citizens of other neutrals.
and the non combatant citizens Of our
allies, while engaged in peacefu1 trav-
81 on the high seas; and moro than
this, it authorized the firing on life
boats rescuing nom combatants from
the parils Of the sea.
Cd 1t openly practiceed piracy on
the high seas by its methods of sub
marine warfare.
QS) 1t violated our neutrality by en-
deavoring to incite strikes and indus
trial disturbances within our bor-
DER.
~ Il violated the laws of nations by
using. its ccn@alar and diplomatic
agents accredited to. us, in ways de-
nounced by it's own treaties,
(ln) 1t endeavored to irteite nations
with which we were at peace to make
war against us.
(nl 1T violated the principle of
constitutional law and affronted ou~
national sovereignty by its treatment
of cur accredited diplomatic and con-
sular representatives.
(o) It violated international law and
the accepted comfy of nations when
it used it's diplomatic and consular
services. in a gigantic propaganda
backed by German gold to combine
neutral nations against America, to
propagate an army of spies in our
midst, and by dread of bomb and
torch, attempted to spread fear in our
neutral and peace loving country.