The Donaldsonville chief., 1917-08-18
FIGHTING FOR "RIGHTs OF
NATIONS"

entertain lingering doubts as TO tne
necessity for and Righteousness OF the
entrance of the United States into the
world war, could read the striking ar
ticIe on this subject written by
DR.. Robert NJ. McElroy of Princeton,
New Jersey, and published IN the
Auo1Ist 5 issue Of the New Orleans
Times -Picayune. 5
Pr NcElrov succeeded President
Wilson as head Of the department OF
history and politics in Princeton Uni
versity, and his article was prepared
in his capacity as member OF the
National Security Leagues commit
tee on patriotism through education
for circulation in the campaign the
league is conducting to arouse the
country to the meaning and gravity
of the international conflict. lie
handles the great topic with a master
hand and brings out into bold relle1
the causes which drew this country
into the struggle and the principles
we are fighting to enforce and per-
petuate.
The opening paragraph gives the
kew to the ringing declarations ana
unanswerable arguments which fol-
low:
"Why does America fight Germany?
Our ideals are threatened with de-
struction and we must fight to main
tain them. We are fighting for the
fundamental thoughts, the dreams,
the ideals, the aspirations, which to-
dav are seething in the vast polyglot
community which we call the United
States of America. That is what we
are fighting for, we Americans,
whether of English blood, of French
or Italian, or Russian or Spanish
blood"
Further along the writer quotes the
inspiring pronouncement OF President
Wilson that owe are about to hght
for the rights of nations, great ana
small, and the natura1-born privilege
of men everywhere to choose then
own ways of life and obedience. The
world must be made safe for de-
mocracy, and it's peace must be plant
ed upon the trusted foundation OF
political liberty" and from this ut
terance DR.. McElroy deduces the
leading issue and paramount theme OF
the titanic combat to be "The Rights
of Nations
"Our ancestors fought for THE
Rights of Man and secured them to
u.s. he says, and eve are fighting for
The Rights of Nations to secure
them to our descendants. Our ances-
tors fought and crushed the theory OF
the Super-man. We are fighting the
theory of the Super-nation, the
theory that there is given to the
strong nation divine right to
trample upon, the weak nation"
Asking the question, "Does anyone
still think of America as fighting for
herself, to sustain her own dignity, or
to protect her own property, Dr.
McElroy answers it by quoting the
words of the president of the United
States. given to the world only a
month before congress proclaimed
the existence of state OF war pc
tween this country and Germany: :,
''These are the things we shall
stand for:
"That all nations are interested IN
the peace of the world and in the po,,
litical stability of free peoples, and
equally responsible for their main
/ tenance.
ssThat the essential principle of
lneace is the actual equality of nations
IN all matters of right and privilege
ssThat peace cannot securely or
Justly rest upon an armed balance OF
power.
sThat governments derive all their
inst powers from the consent Of the
governed, and that no other powers
should be supported by the common
thought, purpose or power OF the
family of nations.
ssThat the seas should be equally
free and safe for the use Of all peo-
! ples. under rules set up by common
Eagreement and consent and that they
should be accessible to all upon equa
terms.
"That national armaments should
| be limited to the necessities of nation
al order and domestic safety"
: "These words" declares Lloyd
: George, represent also the faith
which inspires and sustains our peo'
ple in the tremendous sacrifices they
: have made and are still making
They also believe that the peace anc
unity of mankind can only rest upor
democracy--upon respect for the
rights and liberties Of nations, botf
: great and small; upon the universe
dominion of public right"
These enlightened and liberal dec
larations are in marked contrast tt
the quoted utterances and teaching:
of Frederick H., greatest of the Ho
: henzollerns, and such apostles of the
/ Prussian doctrine that might make:
right as Nietszche, Treitschke ane
: Bernhardi, while the pleas for popu
lar equality and freedom voiced b!
the leaders of American and British
2 thought find a harsh antithesis in the
: imperious assertion Of the German
: kaiser that eve Hohenzoflerns take
our crown from God alone. On me
the spirit Of God has descended-wht
oppose me, shall crush" and "Ht
| who listens to public opinion runs {
danger of inficting immense harm OF
, the state"
: We have space for adding only th'
two closing paragraphs of DR.. Nc
| Elroy's admirable article, which
we repeat, should be read IN it:
entirety by Americans everywhere:
"Should Germany win this war
nay, should Germany fail to lose it
finally and conclusively, the staml
of success will be given to terrorism
disregard to treaties and general in
ternational dishonor. The wars which
our children must face will be many
and of speechless horror. Germany
2 cannot win hrt IL NAV be given tt