The Benson signal., 1917-04-07


nothing.
But they have played their part in
serving to convince us at last that
that government entertains no real
friendship for us and means to act
against our people and security at it's
convenience.
That it means to stir up enemies
against us at our very doors, the in
tercepted note to the German minis
ter at Mexico City is eloquent evi-
dence.
Fight That World May Be Safe.
We are accepting this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
in such a government, following such
methods, we can never have friend,
and that in the presence of it's or
ganized power, always lying in wait
to accomplish we know not what pur-
pose, there be no assured security for
the democratic governments of the
world
We are now about to accept the
gauge of battle with this natural foe
to liberty and shall, if necessary,
spend the whole force of the nation
to check and nullify it's pretensions
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 ulti-
mate peace of the world and for the
liberation of it's people, the German
peoples included; for the rights of ma
tions great and small and the privi-
lege of men everywhere to choose
their way of life and of obedience.
The world must be made safe for de-
mocracy. Its peace must be planted
upon the trusted foundations of polit-
ical liberty.
We have no selfish ends to serve.
We desire no conquest, no dominion.
We seek no indemnities for ourselves,
no material compensation for the sac
rifices we shall freely make. We are
but one of the champions of the rights
of mankind. We shall be satisfied
when those rights have been as secure
as the faith and the freedom of the
nations can make them.
Just because we fight without ran
cour and without selfish objects, seek
ing nothing for ourselves but what we
shall wish to share as free peoples,
we SHALL l feel confident, conduct our
operations as belligerents without pas
sion and ourselves observe with proud
punctiliousness the principles of right
and of fair play we profess to be
fighting for.
l have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they
have not made war upon us or chal-
lenged us to defend our right and our
honor. The Austro-Hungarian govern
ment has, indeed, avowed it's unqual-
flied Endorsement and acceptance Of
the reckless and lawless submarine
warfare adopted now without disguise
by the imperial German government,
and it has therefore not been possi-
BILE for this government to receive
Count Tarnowski, the ambassador re-
Gently accredited to this government
by the imperial and royal government
of Austro Hungary; but that govern
ment has not actually engaged in war
fare against citizens of the United
States on the seas, and take the lib
erty, for the present at least, of post
poning decision of our relations with
the authorities at Vienna We enter
this war only where we are clearly
forced into it because there are no
other means Of defending our rights.
1t will be all the easier for us to
conduct ourselves as belligerents in
high spirit of right and fairness be-
cause we act without animus, not in
enmity towards a people or with the
desire to bring any injury or disad-
vantage upon them, but only in armed
opposition to an irresponsible govern
ment which has thrown aside all con-
sideration of humanity and of right
and is running amuck
We are, let me say again, the sin
cere friends of the German people,
and shall desire nothing so much as
the early establishment of intimate
relations of mutual advantage between
us-however hard it may be for them
to believe that this is spoken from
our hearts.
We have borne with their present
government through all these bitter
months because of that friendship
exercising patience and forbearance
which would otherwise have been i'm
possible.
We shall, happily, still have an op-
portunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions towards
the millions of men and women of
German birth and native sympathy
who live amongst us and share our
life, and we shall be proud to prove it
towards all who are in fact loyal to
their neighbors and to the government
in the hour of test.
They are, most of them, as true and
loyal Americans as if they had never
known any other fealty or allegiance.
They will be prompt to stand with us
in rebuking and restraining the few
who may be of a different mind and
purpose.
If there should be disloyalty, it will
be dealt with with a firm hand Of
stern repression; but, if it lifts it's
head at all, it will lift it only here and
there and without countenance except
from a lawless and malignant few
1t is distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen of the Congress,
which 1 have performed in thus ad-
dressing you. There are, it may be-,
many months of fiery trial and sacri-