Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-29
WHAT AMERICA is
FIGHTING FOR
Democracy and Free Life on the
Globe at Stake-Mad Impe-
rialism and Autocracy
Must Be Crushed

TNHE patriotic rally of Saturday will be
u n pledge of our continued devotion to
| the cause for which we have been war.
ring against German autocracy since
| August. 1914.
We know now that every food ship
was in German eyes an armed ship. II
we have made ourselves think that we
have been neutral, we have never made
Germany think so.
Though we are not to be one of the
| Allies, nor can ever be- unless all the
Allies subscribe TO the full measure of
the liberties for which our forefathers
gave their lives, we nevertheless will
| pledge II redoubed effort for the cause
of humanity and democracy which more
and more whole.heartedly the Allies
! have made their single reason for CON
tnu!ng the conflict. 1t is time that our
! jnEoes forget their sense of shame and
| humiliation that America did not strike
| sooner. She has been striking all along
in that no movement to stop the feed
| ing and munitioning of the Allies could
ever gain headway against the feeling
| that Germany was the enemy of free in
stitutons. TO what end do we now move
toward n more open espousal of armed
democracy? To the end that the pro.
gressive and humanitarian spirit in civ
| ili2aton shall survive the onsaughts
which Prussia has made upon It and
which Prussia hopes to make upon it
for years to come until either that spirit
or Prussia is DESTROYED.
The Barrier Against Tyranny
one great stronghold stands in the
way of this mad imperialism-Amer
lea Her resources are intact and over
| flowing. We can thank God we have been
kept out of the wars early stages, FOR
new we see that we have been saved to
hc the hope of that progressive and hu-
manitarian spirit--that spirit which has
| always been the genius Of our race. We
have been saved to be the hope of the
white race. not only now, but in the years
to come. when the immense labor of or.
ganizing permanent peace will tax all
energies almost as severely as a world
war--may indeed produce a sequel of
reactonary war. suppose Russia breaks,
suppose Japan begins to doubt, suppose
the Moslems of India join their Turkish
brothers--before or after an inconclusive
peace is made--still would our untouched
resources stand in the way of the Berlin
terror And even when that terror is no
more, still must our resources he con.
served to encourage the republic for
which Liberal Germans are working.
Who knows but that we may some day
have to stand up for that republic against
some new reaction that may appear out,
side OF Germany?
More Than Legal Rights
There was good reason to save our
selves and bide our time 1t is no cause
for shame that we waited and that
we even doubted certain of the Allies when
they seemed imbued with the same spirit
of Imperialism against which they We're
fighting. Even now we are to run no
risk OF eXhausting ourselves. The stakes
are too great for a cheap victory, one
gained 10y bluff or the rush Of tremen-
dous forces into battle. The stakes are
free life on the glob~. We must simply
keep feeding our nature strength into
the veins of France and her allies just as
we have been doing for thirty-two
months, and with redoubed energy We
must fight for free Ireland whilst we
are fighting for a free England, whom
we help with the knowledge that through
our help we shall be in a better position
to demand the same freedom for Irishmen
in Ireland that they have here, If the
sacrifices we make for the cause of hu.
manity are not so great as those of
glorious France, who has bled herself
white for the cause. that is all the more
reason for giving what we do give un-
selhshly
We can no longer deceive ourselves
that we are neutral or merely standing
up for our legal rights We have some
$4,000 American citizens fighting on the
western front. Our aviators destroy Ger.
man aircraft Our gunners stand day and
night at their posts on our decks with
their eyes strained for the sight of a
hostile periscope. DO we do this for
greed and tyranny? Does any one really
! believe that we are fighting Cor Morgan
| and his money?
Spirit Of the State House