Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-09
WHY THE UNITED .
STATES IS AT WAR !


From the League to Enforce Peace.
Our country is ut war. Many OF us had
hoped the war would not last long and
that We need not be drawn into 1t. II
was in harmony with our traditional pol
Icy that we should not involve ourselves
In local quarrels among European nations.
Both Jefferson and Washington had wise
~ warned us against entangling alliances.
And for two very good reasons.
First. our forefathers felt, and rightly,
that We in America were too remote to
be concerned about the disputes which
were always coming up among tie nations
bf Europe. They thought that the things
europe qIarreled and fought about were
none of our business. And this was un-
eoubtedly true a century ago.
Secondly, they felt, and rightly, that the
success of our experiment in democracy,
pn this continent, should not be leopard
ICED by too intimate association with sys-
TENS of government which we had repu-
dated and from which we had managed
to free ourselves only after a costly war.
1t was thought that VT ought not to be
nnequally yoked together with unbelievers
n democracy. This also was undoubtedly
true a century ago.
Time has annulled both of these reasons.
We are no longer remote from Europe.
There is no longer an old world n a
new world. There is only one world and
we are a vital part of that world. This
war has awakened US from our dreams OF
ISOLATION and seclusion. We ave. seen
that war is a red plague which cannot be
segregated. We have seen that oceans no
longer separate nations. We have lived
- see continent united by cables and
tommerce. By virtue OF quick communi-
eltion and rapid transportation, we have
all become citizens of the world. We
should not permit ourselves to forget that
1876 was a long time. go. At that time
lhere were two democratic republics in
the world; today there are more than a
score. Democracy has demonstrated it's
worth. Our experiment has been imi-
tated all over the world. Since our war
Of independence the Mayflower has voy-
aged back to Europe freighted with lib
frty and democracy.
II Jefferson and Washington could
speak today they would welcome the
league OF liberal nations now allied
against the autocratic central powers. We
are fighting for the things America has
always fought for. We are fighting for
liberty and Independence. The situation
Is perfectly plain. More than 10 nations
are today threatened by tyranny far
worse than that OF George the Third.
What are the facts? Is 1t not a fact that
Germany, stripped of honor and Justice.
without decency and shame, has run
amuck among the nations? Is 1t not a
fact that Germany has trampled upon
every human right? Is 1t not a fact that
Germany has flouted every law of reason
and Justice? Is it not a fact thai Germany
has torn into scraps OF paper not only
treaties, but the moral law itself? Is it
not q fact that the policy OF Prussia Is
to put the whole world in bondage to
Berlin?
This is why we are at war-because
democracy must be defended against the
menace Of the mailed fist. America must
fight, Is our president has said, to help
make the world safe for democracy.
America must fight for a peace that will
last.