The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-02-15
100000, 900 BACK OF WILSON.

A long step nearer to actual war
was taken Saturday when President
Wilson gave the German ambassador
his passports and severed friendly re-
lations with the great empire which
Bernstorff represented.
And there was no haste on the
part of President Wilson in taking
the step which may mean so much TO
the future of the United States, and
that self same time OF dellbera ton
and cool thinking has put, every, one
of the hundred millions of people OF
the United States squarely behind
him-and there we Will stand as
one man no matter what comes, veal
or woe.
President Wilson, when the fatal
note came, took many hours Tor de-
liberation and reflection two Of those
hours on the golf links. He gave
many hours to consultation with oth-
er leaders Of the American people in
-buttit- the -liegis+arfve~ anu executive
branchs of the government. lie stud
led the expressions of newspapers
and public opinion coming from all
sections Of the country: lie was
long closeted alone with his con-
science and as he is devout man
we may be sure he sought guidance
of his God as to his duty toward his
country and toward humanity IN this
dreadful crisis. The result of it all
was the decision to give Won Bern
storff his passports, recall Gerard
from Berlin and prepare for eventu-
alities.
1t is hardly possible for the. public
to realize with what agony OF spirit
the president reached his momentous
decision tor we know something or
his intense devotion to peace, his
christian and scholarly horror OF war
and his unremitting struggles to
IL, no
ent awful contest. We know how
unusual and dramatic We're his re-
cent efforts to hurry the day Of
peace in Europe as the surest means
of preventing the spread of the red
flames of war to the shores OF free
and peace loving America. While
his decision to sever :. diplomatic re-
sion that all his efforts had failed, he
was obliged to admit to himself, in
reaching it, that war has crept so
near that it is scorching our faces,
Never more than at the present is
it a time for cool heads and temper.
ate speech in this great America OF
ours. AS yet we are not in war, al
though it is we'll known that almost
invariably heretofore when such
step as President Wilson has now
taken it has resulted in war--but it
does not necessarily follow that the
precedent will control this time-as
has many presidents which Wood
row Wilson has shattered. Much will
depend-rather, perhaps everything
will depend on Germany's future
course The sinking of American
vessels, the sacrifice of American
lives on the open sea without warn,
ing and ruthlessly, would in al!
probability be fatal to peace. But if
the Imperial Government, warned,
and sobered in the last moment by
the firm stand America has taken in
defense of it's honor and it's plain
rights, should so administer its sub
marine policy as not to do violence
to those rights, war may yet be
avoided.
AS patriots it is the duty of all OF
us to look to the president and con-
gress to lead us, and to follow where
they lead, We know our hands are
clean and our cOnsciences clear. We
have tried to do our duty as neu-
trail. We have violated no laws. We
have trampled on no nations rights.
We have coveted none of the lands
or goods. We have stood for the
rights of humanity. We have striven
with all our strength to put an end
to the slaughter, urging peace terms
that would do justice to all. II, in
spite of it all, we are to be. forced
into a war not of our seeking, we
may face the future with the serene
faith that goes with righteous
cause backed by the devotion Of a
hundred million people.-St. Joe OBJ
. Rnrvor