Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-07

aase Esssss - : I1g 8.
JOSEPH w. FOLK.
| this war is for the liberty OF all man
kind. Other wars have been waCed to
free one people, while this war Is not
only to keep ourselves free, but to
make free humanity Of every race and
OF very creed. The outcome will de-
t0rrnine whether the world will be all
democratic or all nutocratIc whether
government OF the people and by the
| people shall obtain throughout the
earth or shall perish everywhere.
We are at war with Germany because
there is nm irreconcilable conflict be-
| tween the ideals OF this republic and
the dominating purposes OF the Ger
prevail. then the German autocracy
will prevail over us. We are nKhtins
| Germany because OF outraged Belgium,
Invaded and enslaved; because OF
| France. unjustly and barbarously as
sailed and attacked; because OF Rus
sln just emerging into tho light or
democracy and Just freed from tho
shackles of tyranny: because OF Eng
land, from whence came our laws and
civilization, and whose early entry
| into the conflict prevented that vic
tory for German arms which would
otherwise have been certain, thus saw
Ing us from tho terrors of German
unitarian. We are lighting Germany
| because the success OF Germany would
mean the end OF freedom here ana
| everywhere. America cannot remain
free IL Kaiserism wins II Germany
should triumph over our European
allies. we would have to battle single
handed with a victorious Teuton au-
tocracy. determined to conquer and
subjugnte the world.
PREHAREs FOR WAR
FOR FORTY YEARS
For forty years Germany has been
building up military machine. In,
central thought OF which has been
world domination. and this terribl,
world calamity Of blood and misery I,
the result of this aim Of the German
| autocracy.
Germany's method Of warfare I'm the
sinking OF merchant ships without
warning, In the drowning of helpless
woman hnd children. in bombarding
uhIorlihed cities. in lurking like as.
hassins beneath the waters and in the
air. ready 10 strike and murder tho
unarmed. the unsuspocting. and the
l
brutality such as the world has never
known before. Humanity will End IL
dinicuit to forgive and history impos-
| sible TO forget. Germany is the out :
law among the nations. trampling un-
uertoot every obligation OF fntcrna
tioha' law, threatening every ideal
dear to the hearts OF frcemen: and
Inc world Will not be a safe place
1or liberty until the German autocracy
Is overthrown and crushed forever.
we would have lost the respect OF
| mankind and our own self-respect had
we tailed to take up the gauntlet SO
| lnsolently thrown in our face by the
German rulers. We are fighting for
our own freedom and for the freedom
or all men during all the years to come.
IL takes lighting to mako the people
frec' and more lighting 10 keep the
people free. We want no conquered
territory, wa desire no indemnity
The mission of America In this war
IS to Tree mankind by enthronln6 JUS
t1cn and brotherhood In the hearts OF
msn everywhere. We are lighting Ger
many In order to secure the permanent
peace or The world, which is in,pos.
| s'pie as long as the German military
system Is allowed to exist, for there
can De no enduring peace until further
| criminal aggressions against the other
| nations by the German autocracy have
been rendered Impossible The same
reasons which impelled us TO enter
the war must force us to keep up tho
war until its objects have been ac-
| complished, for an inconclusive peace
| now would merely mean Il death strug-
gle later on between American ideals
and an encountered German autocracy
NO COMPROMISE BETWEEN
LIBERTY AND TYRANNY
A truce now would be compromise
and there can be no compromise be-
| twoen liberty and tyranny. A truce
| now would BIO surrender, and surrender
would be defeat. James Russell Lowell
wrote these words in tho long ago, and
| they come to us in tho present crisis
with new and deeper meaning:
| once to every man and nation comes
tho moment to decide
In the strife Of truth with falsehood
for the good or evil side.
Hast thou chosen. o my people, or
whose party thou shall stand,
Ere the doom from its worn sandals
shakes the dust against our land
Careless seems the great avenger; his
tory's pages but record
One death struggle in tho darkness
'twixt old system and the word
Truth forever on the soaffold, wrong
forever on the throne,
Yet that scaffold sways tho future. and
behind tho dim unknown
Standeth God within the shadow. keep.
ing watch above his own.
List the ominous stern whisper from
the Delphic cave within,
"They enslava their children's children
who make compromise with SIM
Before we entered the war Amari.
cans had right to be neutral as he.
tween other nations. Now that we are
in, no American can be neutral. The