Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-31

General Sherman gave of war, felt
obliged 10 protest to the Imperial
German Government against the meth
cd adopted by that government in its
submarine warfare. As a result OF
that protest Germany modified its sub
marine warfare and we breathed cas-
I Ter, hoping that the crisis had pass
ed and that the danger which appear
ed imminent would not return. In
this we were doomed TO disappOint-
ment. Germany with but little notice
suddenly resumed submarine warfare,
not only against the commerce Of the
countries with which II was AT war
but denied to all neutral countries,
| including the United States, the right
and privilege to navigate the sea. ex
cept under conditions too humiliat
ing for an Independent nation to fol
low We were to be obliged to send
Only one boat IA week thru an ocean
lane surrounded by submarines, with
humiliating distinguishing marks upon
that vessal and all other ships that
ventured TO sea within the prohibit
ed zone were to be sunk without no
tice. We were not without knowl-
edge and experience of what that
meant This nation could not remain
independent and self-goyerning and
/ agree to sail the ocean only thru the
permission of any government. war or
no war. For less reason we broke
with England in 1912 and that war
was caused by English aggression.
not, however in any degree TO the eX.
tent We suffered thru this submarine
warfare. At an earlier day we were
on the eve of war with France, which
had been our ally and staunch friend
for much the same reason For less
reason than this Decatur sailed into
the home of the Barpery pirates and
destroyed their ships at their own
dock. Could this government consent
to take its orders from the German
Government? Then so would acknowl.
edge the superiority of the German
Government and no longer be free
and Independent nation That is not
all, we had already suffered enough
in the minds of many of our citizens
to justify recourse to arms We
knew by experience, by daily happen.
ings what could be done by the sub
marine. The government was placed
in the position Of being obliged to
choose between maintaining its indie.
pendence OF movement, and acknowl.
edging itself subservent to a foreign
nation. What would have followed
our acceptance OF the German pro-
gram? What could we have done in
the future had we accepted Germany
rule of the sea today? If we, by an
ackroW ledgment of our weakness or
our Gle inclination to protect our
rights could consent to Germany S
terms today what terms would Eng
land impose next year, and with Eng
land and Germany in the Atlantic
would we not lay ourselves open to
the same program from Japan in the
Pacific, and after the great nations
o. the world had imposed their viii
upon US, we would become the pre-,
OF the small nations as well, until ",
could rot travel the seas but by tn
consent of many, ard what effer
would that have upon our citizenship
Our grain, the product of our farms
could not be sold abroad Our work
men and employees could not find EN-
ployment in our factories as our pro
ducts could not sell because no on,
would have money to buy. Famin,
first would come upon the land, ma
tional bankruptcy would follow, un
less, like China, we would agree t
build a wall about us and live with
in ourselves and for ourselves, prob
ably to suffer the fate which now ha.
come upon China, and upon all 9th
er nations that have neither the vii
or strength to defend their rights
Better to go down with our fiat tly
ing in defense of our God given rights
to life and liberty and freedom of &C
ton than to purchase present securit,
at the expense of national honor.
What did we do to protect our
selves? We did what any man would
do to protect himself when his life
was in danger or great bodily harm
was liable to come to him. We did
what every citizen of the state of iii
nois has a right to do. We invoked
the right to- selfdefense.. We claim
ed and invoked the right to protect
our lives and our property by plac
ing guns upon our merchant ships
In charge OF gunners of the American
navy to protect them against any one
VINO might attack The German
Chancellor announced in the Imperial
Parliament that this was an unpre.
] cedented departure from the law Of
nations That speech was made not
to criticize this Government in Ger.
many. but to offer arguments to that
large class of splendid citizenship in
the United States of German descent