The Tupelo journal., 1917-08-24

And so, having exhausted every re-
sources of patience, our Government
on the 18th of March finally issued
orders to place armed guards on our
merchant ships. {
With the definite break in diplo-
matte relations there vanished the
last vestige of cordiality toward the
Government of Germany. Our atti-
tude was now to change. So long as
we had maintained a strict neutrality
in the war, for the reason that cir
cumstances might arise in which Eu-
rope would have need of an impair
tial mediator, for us to have given
official heed to the accusation of eth
er party would have been to pre-
judge the case before all the evil
dence was in. But now at last, with
the breaking of friendly relations
with the German Government, we
were relieved of the oppressive duty
of ~endeavoring to maintain "a juri-
cial detachment from the rights and
wrongs involved in the war. We
We're no longer the outside observers
striving to hold an even balance of
judgement between d%isputants. One
party by direct attack upon our rights
and liberties was forcing us into the
conflict. And, much as we had hoped
to keep out of the fray, it was no lit
tie relief to be free at last from that
reserve which is expected of a judge.
Much evidence had been presented
to is of things SO abhorrent to our
idaas of humanity that they had
seemed incredible, things we had
been loath to believe, and with heavy
hearts we had sought to reserve our
Judgment. But with the breaking of
relations with the Government of
Germany that duty at last was ended.
The perfidy of hat Government in its
dealings with this Nation relieved us
of the necessity of striving to give
them the benefit of the doubt in re-
gard to their crimes abroad. The
Government which under cover of
profuse professions of friendship had
tried to embroil us in war with Mex
leo and Japan could not expect us to
believe in it's good faith in other mat
tiers. The men whose paid agents dy-
namited our factories here were ca
pable of the infamies reported
against them over the sea. Their
Governments protestations, that
their purpose was self-defense and
the freeing of small nations, fell like
a house of cards before the revelation
Of their peace terms"
And judging the German Govern
ment 10 in the light of our own
experience through the long and pa
tient years of our honest attempt
to keep the peace, we could see the
Great Autocracy and read her record
thr tgh the war. And we found that
r. damnable. Beginning long be-
I he war in Prussian opposition
to ry effort that was made by 9TH
e. Gions and our own to do away
warfare, the story of the Autoc-
Ie has been n of vast perpara-
tt IS for war combined with an aat-
of arrogant intolerance toward
all other points of view, all other sys-
TENS of government, all other hopes
and dreams of men. With a fanati-
cal faith in the destiny of German
kultur as the system that must rule
the world, thefImperial Governments
actions have through years of boast
ing, double dealing, and deceit ten
ded toward aggression upon the
rights Of others. And if there still
be any doubt as to which nation be-
gan this war, there can be no uncer-
tainty as to which one was most pre-
pared, most exultant at the chance,
and ready instantly to march upon
other nations-even those who had
given no ~sffense. The wholesale
depredations and hideous atrocities in
Belgium and in Serbia were doubt
less part and parcel with the Imper-
ial Governments purpose to terror
izeIsmall nations into abject submis-
sion for generations to come. Butin
this the Autocracy has been blind.
For its record IN those countries, and
IN Poland and IN northern France,