The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-15

with Japan is useful rather than sur
prising. IL Il serves to convince many
Americans of the true meaning oil
German policy in the world II will only
be because these Americans have sc
far turned deaf ear and blind eye
to the supreme fact in the world OF
the present hour.
number of years ago the rulers OF
Germany and the makers of German
policy adopted as their purpose the
creation of German world power
which should dominate the, globe. They
asserted the doctrine that II was the
sacred mission OF Germany to impose
German civilization upon the world.
They affirmed the doctrine that what
men called good and what men called
evil were. in fact good and evil only
as they were advantageous or in
furious to this German purpose.
since this great struggle began. Ger
man policy has remained the same.
Ii was advantageous to Germany to
cross Belgium and Germany crossed
in defiance of all the agreemnts of
German statesmen and the interna-
tional conceptions of right. Those
Belgians who resisted German tres
pass placed themselves beyond the
pale. and the men were murdered the
women dishonored and the, children
massacred in consequence.
From that day to this the process
has been the same. Were there a neu-
trail right. consideration of humanity,
justice, right interposing between
Germany and her purpose. these were
instantly destroyed, not because Ger
mans were otherwise more ruthless
than their fellow men. but because
Germans considered that where Ger
many was concerned neither men,
women nor children, of any race what
soeyer had right to life. liberty or
the pursuit of happiness.
The fundamental mistake in the
United States has been the belief that
il was possible to remain neutral in
the presence of such policy and with
regard to nation practicing it. In
so far as European nations fight over
provinces. trade or power, as rivals,
our country can have no national
concern. 1t might have sympathies,
but it could not have interest, And
ii was this conception of the present
struggle which has brought us to our
present pitch,
But with nations, as with neighbors,
II is impossible to remain neutral when
a policy is proclaimed by one nation
which threatens the existence Of all,
is a mailman in the nelghborhood,
even II the madness is limited to q
habit of killing only those who hap
pen to get between the lunatic and
his immediate object, Nor is it pos
sible to remain neutral in the presence
of murdered who seeks only to as
sassinate an immediate foe and con-
sents to spare all those who can get
his club.
The rulers of Germany proclaimed
the German destiny to be that of world
supremacy. The masters of German
policy from the morning of the war
proclaimed that it was a German right
To trample ON all other rights incon-
venient or hampering. And for more
than two years Americans have mag
: ined that they could remain neutral
in the presence of such a policy and
under the shadow of such a purpose
The result has been inescapable Our
dead have been scattered over the
Seven Seas. our flag has disappeared
from the ocean. or own country has
been torn by violence and sedition.
Today we find that on our borders
German agents have sought to manu-
facture war. as within our boundaries
they have procured murder.
And the cause of all is the same.
When q nation or an individual pro-
claims and employs the doctrine that
'HViS - oHiS oiic iiSht' anu tHut per
sonal. then there can be only one of
two states left for the balance of man.
kind. They must be beligerents or
slaves, they must submit or fight, they
must subordinate their rights to an
ether or maintain them by force of
arms
In the end we shall have to fight
Germany, because in the end the peo-
pie of the United States will not con-
sent to subordinate their rights to
Germany or sacrifice their own lives
as the tribute paid to German will.
Between right and wrong there can
be no neutrality. and the German
policy is wrong. Whatever the merit
Of the German case against France,
against Russia. against Britain. what
ever the balance of right and wrong |
between the nations now at war. the |
essential wrongness of the German |
policy of enforcing its will by the muir
der of neutrals and seeking its ends |
by the invasion of the rights, the lib,
critics and the lives of neutrals IS
clear One must repeal all the laws
of humanity. all the concepts of civil
iZation. to justly the course of Ger
many--not with her foes. primarily,
ttfitI hI., NH. n |