New Britain herald., 1917-07-30

er lasted, It's lire was as neetlnS as I1le
struggle for it was everlasting.
THE Declaration of independence
sounded the beginning of the end of
the doctrine of the Divine right OF
kings. Every change in every gov
eminent since that time has been
toward the abrogation of that doc
trine and the extension of Democracy.
Today there are really but three au-
tocracies upon the face of the earth
These three are now united in the last
death struggle Germany. Austria
and Turkey alone of all the nations of
the earth have maintained their au-
tocratic form of government. We are
now at war with Germany We are
at war with the ideal of German au-
tocracy. The world cannot remain
divided between democracies and au-
tocracies. So this war will determine
for all time as to whether or not our
form of government, our Ideals OF
liberty shalF vanish from the race OF
the earth and the autocrat be en-
throned in the place of the rule of the
people
Our country is at war. We did not
enter this conflict until the allies were
exhausted and our entrance was es-
sential If Germany were not to 1rl-
umph. From a selfish STANDPOINT
alone it were better for our own safe
ty that the war be confined to Euro
pean shores and kept away from TINS
side of the Atlantic. It requires no
ina gination to realize that Germany,
successful abroad, would look with
covetous eyes on this great American
republic, and it would be only Ques-
ton of time, and perhaps a snort
time. before there would be invasion
of our own shores. While we are
now fighting the battles of the allies,
while we are endeavoring to MAIN
tain upon the face of the earth the
right of democracy to live, we are
nevertheless primarily fighting for
our own preservation. To conquer
and overcome Europe would natural
ly infame the Teutonic mind and to
conquer the world would simply mean
to overcome and make powerless the
United States. To attempt this would
be the logical and inevitable sequence.
This country from its very incep-
ton has opened its portals to the OPP
pressed of all the nations of the
world. We have welcomed to our
shores the immigrants from every
land We have offered to them that
most sacred t-llberty-with the
attendant privileges of freedom of re-
ligious worship and the opportunity
to make for themselves and their
families place among men.
Debt of Immigrants Sons.
eff you will pardon a personal al
fusion, I am the SON Of an Irish inlmi-
grant. Ny father left his native En-
erald Isle in order that he might wor-
ship God accordingly to the dictates
of his own conscience, in order that
he himself and his children might
have the opportunity of advancement
that was denied to him and would be
denied to them in the old world. He
came here for the same reason that
every other immigrant came, and this
includes those who arrived in the
Mayf1ower as we'll as those who ar
rived on the last boat at Ellis Island.
am certain that if my father were
here that he would desire, to repay to
the United States some part OF the
debt that he owed the United States
for what this country has done Cor
him. AS his son, and I know the same
feeling is shared by every other i'm
migrant and their sons it is my duty
to pay that debt. just as much my
duty as if the debt could be measured
by a monetary standard.
1T is the duty Of all of US, with un-
divided allegiance, to direct every eff
fort, every thought, toward the one
end-the preserving for ourselves and
our posterity the democracy Of
America and to hand down to our
children this country and its starry
emblem as fEee and unsullied IS it
was handed to ue by the fathers. We
owe to our country all that we haze
even life itself-and ungrudgingly
and fundamentally we ought and
viii pay this debt
"A democracy is not an ideal fight
ing instrument. We have been satiat-
ed with freedom, we rather resist be-
ing told what we will be obliged to do.
That is why an autocracy is in war
so much more successful. The master
mind may determine what each one
should do because of autocracy and
the life long obediance to it's dictates
the individual responds. We have
been our own masters, and 1t is d1fh-
cult for us to conceive of being order
ed and directed, yet to be successful
we must realize that every man wo-
man and child in this great nation
must make sacrifices, that we all must
with one accord support those in au-
thority, that every fibre Of our being,
every impulse Of our SOUL every beat
Of our heart must be given for our
Government and in this way alone
may we help to free the world and
retain our own independence.
Why We Are Fighting.
IT said a moment ago that I am
the son of an Irish immigrant. I have
heard 1t asked why should an Irish
man or the son of an Irishman fight
for E.nola nd . Thank God this view