New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-04-07
Prussian Autocracy
Never Our Friend.

served to convince us that the
Prussian autOcracy was not anG
could never be our friend is that
from the very outset Of the pres
ent war it had filed our unsuspect-
ing communities and even our
offices Of government with spies
and set criminal intrigues every
where afoot against our national
unity Of council, our peace within
and without, our industries and
our commerce.
''Indeed it is now evident that
its spies were here even before
the war began; and it is unhap-
PLY not a matter Of conjecture
but fact proved in our courts of
justice that the intrigues which
have more than once come pc
rilously near to disturbing the
peace and dislocating the indus
tries of the country have been car
ried on at the instigation, with
the support, and even under the
personal directions of Official
agents of the imperiol government
accredited to the government Of
the United States.
Gwen in checking these things
and trying to extirpate them VIC
-Asve sought to put the most gen.
efous Interpretation possible upon
them because we knew that their
source lay, not in any hostile feel
ing of the German people towards
us. (who were, no doubt as ig
norant of them as we ourselves
were but only in the selfish de-
signs Of a government that did
what it pleased and told its peo-
pie nothing. But they have played
their part in serving to convince
us at last that government enter
tains no real friendship for us
and means to act against our peace
and security at its convenience.
That it means to stir up enemies
against us at our very doors the
intercepted note to the German
minister at Mexico City is eloquent
evidence.
eve are accepting this chal
lenge of hostile purpose because
we know that in such a govern
\nent. following such methods, we
han never have a friend. and that
in he presence Of its organized
DO, Yer. always lying in wait to ac-
coshplish we know not what pur-
pose. there can be no assured Sc
curitv for the democratic govern
ments Of the world.
Whole Force Of
Nation To Be Used.
We are now about to accept
e,nEVe of battle with this natural
foe % liberty and shall, if neces-
sary spend the whole force of the
natio b to check and nullify its pre-
tensions and it's power. We are
glad, now that we see the facts
with no veil of false pretense
about them, to fight thus for the
ultimate peace of the world and
for the liberation Of its peoples,
the German peoples included, for
the rights of nations great and
small and the privilege of men
everywhere to choose their way of
life and Of obedience. The world
must be made safe for democracy.
It's peace must be planted upon the
trusted foundations Of political
liberty.
eve have no selfish ends to
serve. We desire no conquest. no
dominion. We seek no indemni-
ties for our selves, no material
compensation for the sacrifices we
shall freely make. We are but
zone of the champions of rights of
mankind. We shall be satisfied
IW4gen these rights have been made
as secure as the faith and the free
dom of the nations can make them.
Just because we fight with
out rancour and without selfish
seeking nothing for our
.kes but what we shall wish to
Share with all the free peoples,
we shall, ! feel confident, conduct
our operations as belligerents
without passion and ourselves OBJ |
serve with proud punctiliousness
the principles of right and of fair
PLAY we profess to be fighting for. |
81 have said nothing of the |
governments allied with the i'm
perial government of Germany be-
cause thew have not made war