The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-11-24
WHY WE FIGHT.

meht. Yet this course would be in
complete If 1t did not contain a brief
review OF the events that finally forced
US into war, when there remained mo
other means of defending our rights"
lhe soldier OF an autocratic kaiser
may fight best when he understands
least or the true meaning of the war.
10 tell him the facts would be to chill
his enthusiasm. But the citizen sol
der Of democracy is entitled TO
know for what purposes he enters the
struggle. He fights best when he sees
most clearly why he fights.
The resolution of congress declaring
a state of war april 6. 1910 eX-
presses the immediate cause IN these
few words:
THE imperial German government
has committed repeated acts OF way
against the government and the people
of the United States of America"
Chief among the acts of war were
attacks by German submarines on
American ships and on unaTned ner-
chant ships of other nations carrying
American passengers. Vessels OF
every kind" said the president In his
address To congress on April :, 1917,
whatever their flag. their character
their cargo. their destination, their err
rand, have been ruthlessly sent TO the
bottom without warning and without
thought of help or mercy for those OF
board. the vessels Of friendly neutraiS
along with those of belligcrentS."
There were other acts of hostility In
! addition 20 the submarine warfare. In
his Flag day address delivered at
Washington on June IA 1917, the pres
ident summed up the events that
brought on war as follows:
I at is plain enough how we We're
forced into the war. The extraor-
binary insults and aggressions OF tho
imperial German government left US
no seif-respecting choice but TO take
I'D arms Ia defense Of our rights as
free people and of our honor as SOW
ereIgn government. The military
masters of Germany denied US the
right to be neutral. They filed our
unsuspecting communities with vicious
spies and conspirators and sought TO
corrupt the opinion of our people IN
their own behalf. When they found
that they could not do that, their
agents diligently spread sedition
l0mOngst us and sought to draw our
own citizens from their allegiance
and some of those agents were men
connected with the official embassy OF
The German government itself here 10
our capital. They sought by violence
TO destroy our industries and arrest
our commerce. They tried to incite
Mexico to take up arms against us
and to draw Japan into hostile ALI
ance with her-and that, not by indi'
rection, but by suggestion from the
foreign office In Berlin. They impu'
IDENTIFY denied us the use of the high
seas and repeatedly executed theii
threat that they would send to their
death any of our people who ventured
70 approach the coasts Of Europe.
The record out Of which grows oui
dpep conviction that it is necessary al
sonce to put curb on 50 powerful anc
INSCRIPTIONS an enemy is set forth IL
an official publication How the Wal
Came to America"
Judging the German government
J.. now in the light of our honest attemp
to keep the peace, we could see Tn
great autocracy and read her recort
. through the war. And we found ina
record damnable. with IA
natical faith in the destiny of German
kultur as the system that must rui'
, fine world the imperial government:
actions have through years of boast
ing, double dealing. ana deceit TENDED
toward aggression upon the rights o
others. And if there still be any dOub
as 70 which nation began this war
, there can be no uncertainty as t
, which one was most prepared, mos
: exuItant at the chance, and ready in
stantIy to march upon other nations
, even those who had given no offense
a The wholesale depredatiOns and hide
! ous atrocities in Belgium and In Ser
f bia we're doubtless part and parce
I. with the imperial governments pur
I nose to terrorize small nations int
a abiect submission for generations I
come. But in this autocracy has bee
q blind. For its record in those cnur
:. tries. and in Poland and in norther
a France. has given not only to the allie
4 hut to liberal peoples throughout tn
o world the conviction that this nenhc
Il n human liberties must be utterl
q shorn Of its power for harm.
h aFor the evil It has effected Tia
= ranged far out of Europe-out upo
: tho omen seas. where its submarine
IN defiance of law and the concepts
= humanity have blown NJ neutral We
q sels ard covered the saves with tn
= dead and the dying. men and wome
/. and children alike.
g "AII this we know from our own e:
n ,arience with the imperial govern
i. mont AS they have dealt with f.
d rome. so have they dealt with US AZ
/ With al mankind. And 50 out
n those years the conviction has grow
n that until the German nation is dives
" oh Of such. democracy cannot be safe
lc Every American soldier in this VI
If 6.hts for objects dearer 70 all Of