The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-10

man people. We are hostile to, and our war is with, the autocracy of Germany, a military autocracy which has enslaved the German people themselves, has de- nied them liberty, has prevented them from enjoying the blessings of free gov ernment. l pray God that when Amer ica sits at the council table of the na tions, and has a voice in the settlement of this great conflict, we shall be able to exert our power and influence in favor of self government for Germany as well as for every other nation. Democracy must have free play throughout the world, not only for the benefit of all the peoples of the earth but in order that stable bases of peace for the future may be secured. We shall never have stable peace unless the autocratic na- tlons shall become democratic and all responsible peoples shall become self governed. Self-governed peoples are pa cific, self-governed peoples are delibera- tive in their judgments, self-governed peoples do not seek war. Self-govened peoples are too humane and intelligent to engage in the brutalzing processes of War unless compelled to it by extreme provocation. Where there is democracy and self government, nations cannot be hurled into war by the arbitrary will of any individual. They demand delibera- tion on the part of their representatives. iCN NtildHu lIldl lll6 pIONONdtlOh SHdH be so extreme that there is no other hon. orable resort except war, If all the great nations were today self governed, with deliberative representative bodies, like the Congress of the United States, so that if the issue of peace or war arose. they could debate it, could assess the wrongs, and could determine whether or not they were justified in that ex- treme resort If that were the case, my friends, do you believe that the world ever would be forced into another one of these colossal crimes that is now being perpetrated against humanity? We have lived here in the United States alongside Canada, which is practically a great re- public, because they have self govern ment, for more than 100 years, and we have never had to patrol one foot of the 5000 miles of border with an armed soldier Isn't that a striking example of what it means to have self government among contiguous peoples? Do you be- lieve that if Russia had been self gov erned if Austria had been self governed, if Germany had been self governed, we should have had this war? If the people, instead of the junkers and autocrats of those countries could have decided the issues, they would not have permitted this war. Let us hope that as result of this war blessings of self government and liberty may be extended throughout the earth.
 ONE DANG EROUS AUTOCRACY
 There is left only one dangerous mil- tary autocracy in the world, and that is the autocracy of the German Kaiser. Germany must be de-junkerized and democratized if the world is to be made safe. Do you realize that for two years and a half the rights of American cit- zens upon the high seas have been wan tonly violat ted by this military autocracy in the face of repeated warnings by our government? Your great President, With uneXampled patience, suffered these un- paralleled wrongs and indignities to con- tinue until the honor and dignity of the nation could endure them no longer In 1872 America had her second war, and for what? For freedom, for the vindica- tion of her claim that the high seas were free to all mankind, and that Amer ica weak as she was at that time, was entitled to the equal rights upon the high seas, which are. the common prop erty of all the world, with any other na- tion on the face of the earth. That time Great Britain challenged our rights, and we fought and established them and have maintained them ever since. Those rights are essential to our liberty, our security, our prosperity, and our very sovereignty as a nation. So that when ever the challenge was thrown down to us, 1 QOn care WnGlUeT IL WdS ny d German autocrat or by any other kind of an allen autocrat-when the challenge was thrown down to America and We were told that our citizens and our ships must keep off the high seas to which we had just as much title as any other nation, then it behooved as freemen to take up the gauntlet and say that we would not tolerate aggression or denial of our rights by any nation.
 The overshadowing danger to civil ization today is the German military autocracy. The Kaiser, with limit less and lustful ambition unparalleled in history, has set out upon scheme of universal dominion. He, has cast his covetous eyes upon the world and through 40 years of deliberate organi- zation of the military power of the German empire that purpose has been pursued remorselessly and relentless ly. In order to win he has determined that neither the laws of humanity nor the rights of any nation shall stand in the way; that is the reason he has committed these insufferable aggres- sions upon the American nation. He had an idea that we would not fight; that he could do to this great na- ton what he has done to Belgium and