New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-29
SECRETARY BAKER
AIRS HIS views
Says Civilization Must Win and
Sayagery Is Defeated

New York. Dec. 29.-Speaking
within forty eight hours after the re-
oeipt In this country OF the Kaiser's
latest peace terms, Secretary of War
Baker declared last night that the
war would not end until all danger
OF q triumphant barbarism" had been
removed. unt3l cavilisa&aon had de-
annual dinner Of tho Phi Gamma
Delta fraternity, Of which he is a
member, at the Hotel Astor last night,
the secretary of war delivered in
measured terms and scathing lam
guage an indictment OF tho German
government and it's rule, cor 1nisrule,' -
Of the German people. y.
He told his fraternity mates that
the high ideals they learned in their
college days were like those which
actuate America now. and Of which
desmany KNOWS not. He said that
tho respoAse Of the college fraternity
man Of the nation to their countrys
cAN uaS IN earnest result OF the high
teachings OF their collegiate brother
hoods. After his arraignment OF. the
principles OF the German government,
and hia viviA word picture At what
the success OF the Katssr's arnas would
lnd2a 10 ts4 world. the secretary Of
war brou9hts prolon9ed cheers when
he said:
II have no doubt Of the outcome of
this war; 1t would b irrelieious to
''Tho war may be long or short"
hs said: II cannot tall; I have no
means Of knoxylng. But cavinsation
Will win a8Ainet barhAftsm.'' .
After revealing the determination
Of the matton to night On Tor ity ideals
and showing that in, hts mind there
had been NO con3uTanG with the Kais-
erA poaoo proposals., Gr. Baker said:
The result Of thin war will mot be
the tngang AWAY from somebody Of
soanethiag that ts theirs, but the re-
suit with b. 4 Donation. q Donation Of
new hearty TO ali naan osorywhere.- ,
Is. Baker hald that TIA frisndships
he had formed In the ranks Of his
college, fraternity, had been 4 help to
him all through Life, and that the
faces Of his fraternity mates appear
to me In the dark, when need SYM
pathy and comfort" H& said that
the ideals which were In the green
in college fraternity life later bios
sonned into the splendid flower OF 10y
atty to country and devotion, to ma
tional ideals" He said that as the
ideals of fraternity life had returned
to support men in this crisis. SO the
basic ideals Of America had come to
the surface in the war test Of her
strength.
Scoring to be armed tp the teeth
in times of peace. ready to leap at any
one In her path" he said. ''this ma
ton haa shown that In time of war
progreas-making people.
when the time came, had but to touch
the magnet Of its spirit to be able
to defend itself"
In referring to the part college men
had played In attending the officers
training camps, Secretary Baker said
that thAnA training camps had given
to America body Of onacers second
to naae in the army Of qny nation on
earth.
This war has emphasized two great
points in our national hfe," he con-
tinued. '"The first Is that q civiliza-
ton Nike ours does not enfeeble, as
had bean supposed. and second, that
although we do not bend to an auto
cr4t, nor spend forty years In sharp
ening our sword, 1t has been shown
that when the time comes we have
the virtue to defend our institutions
and those things dear to U.S."
4 The secretary added that the war
was q struggle OF "a remnant ana
survival Of mOdiaevalism facing a
civ,lixation that believes that the hap
piness of the least il q matter Of tho
common welfare Of the body polite"
At much length the secretary went
into the ''misrule" Of the German peo-
pie. He said that the real stgnin-
canoe Of Germans forty years OF
preparation was not in her. military
development. but that the government
haA acquired so complete domination
over the people that at the mere word
OF an autocrat Justice and love and
principles OF living had been forgot
ten. las IL by the touching Of butt
ton"
'cThink Of such a thing!" he said.
the Kaiser speaks to his people OF
God as his ally. the God we have wor-
shipped as the incarnation OF all
things good. While he is speaking
that name, his people are worshipptng
Il, apd at the same time are toferat-
ing the spectacle Of the submarine
SINKING p6A4C8Aul on1pes IAC SPo0'A'0
of a cold moonlight night with worn-
en-. and children left to die at 500
that the whole world might see and
fear to dare the Kaiser.
THE German people have n con-
science which. at the behest Of their
rulers has substituted assassination
for war! The tragedy OF the sinking
az tho La1gitania w1A not the dead
women and children whose bones lie
now at the bottom Of the English
enamel; 1t was not the death Of these
women and children, Americans
though ,thsy were> The tragedy OF the
Sinking of the Laanitnxaia was the ap-