The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-13
VERY American knows the cause

II
OF cur war with the German gov.
crnment Yet this course would
he incomplete II it did not contain a.
brief review Of the events that finally
forced us into war. when at last there
remained mo other means OF defend
ing our rights
The soldier oi an autocratc kaiser
may fight best when he understands
least of the true meaning OF the war
10 tell him the facts would he to chill
his enthusiasm But ,hs9citizcn soldie'
oi a dcmocracS is entitled to know for
what purpose, he enters the struggle
He fights best when he sees most
clearly why he fights
The resolution of congress declaring
state OF war CApril 3, 1910 exprcSSc,
he immediate cause in these few
| words
"Thc imperial German government
has committed repeated acts OF war
against the gSvernmen, and the people
| oi the United States OF America
Chief among the acts OF war were at
tack, by German submarines or Amer
lean ships and on unarmcd merchant
hips of other nations carving Amer
lcan passengers Vessels Of every
KIND" said the president IN his address
70 congress on April 2 1917, whatever
their flag. their character, their cargo,
their destination, their errand have
Hccn ruthlcgsly sent to the bottom with
nut warning and without thought oi
help or mercy. for those on board, the
vessels of friendly ncutralS along with
hose oi helligcrcn'S Even hospital
hips and ships carrying relief TO the
,orcly bercaycd and stricken people o'
Belgium, though the latter were pro-
,idcd with safe conduct through the
orcscrihcd areas by the German gov
eminent itself and were distinguished
hv unmistakablc marks OF identity have
been sunk with the same reckless lack
n compassion or ot principle
The present German submarine war
ARE against commerce is a warfare
against mankind
German Insults and Aggressions.
There were other acts on hostility in
addition TO the submarine warfare. In
his Flag day address delivered at
| Washington on June a. l9l7, the pres
dent summed mp the events that
brought on war as follows:
at is plain enough how we were
forced into the war The extraordinary
insults and aggfc>sions OF the imperial
German government lett us no Sc't-re-
.pccuug choice lint 10 take up arms IN
defense oi our rights as a free people
and Of OUT honor as a sovereign gov
crnmcnt The military masters oi Ger
many denied us the right to be neutral
They filled our unsuspcctlng commnnl-
'ics with vicious spies aud conSprator'
and sought to corrupt the opinion ol
our people in their own behalf WheN
they found that they could not do that
their agents diligently spread Scdltlor
amongst MS and sought to draw our
,wn citizens from their allegiance
band some OF those agents were mer
connected with the official embassy ol
, Inc German government itself here ir
our capital They sought by violcnc,
10 DESTROY our industries and arrest
.ur commerce They tried to inCltc
Mexico to take up arms against rs am
! 10 draw Japan into hostile alliance
with hrr-and that not by indlrccton
hut hy suggestion from the foreign OF
ice in Bcrln' They mpudcntly denied
ms the use oi the high seas and re
ncltelly executed their threat that the,
would send ,o their death any oi M
people who ycnturcd - approach tht
coast, of Europe"
Our Liberty and Safety Involved
We, even this list ot Extraordinary
insults and aggrcSions" docs not tel
the whole story dur motives Tor wal
go even deeper. Not only our right
and scli-rcspcct but our liberty am
safety, are involved Speaking on JUL
20. 1917. at the officers training cam
At Madison Barracks, n. Y, the secrc
taty ot state said
"Thc evil character Of the Germar
government is laid bare before th
world We know now that that gov
crnmcnt +, inspired with ambition
winch menace human liberty and rha
,o gam Ir, end 1t does not hesitate 4
break 'W'h m violate the most ,acre
rights. or 'u rcrpclratc ,niolcrabl
acts ~ ,nhnmanliy Let II
understand once for all that this is NJ
var to establish an abstract principl
oi right II is war in which the fu
,ure OF the United State, is At Sakr
The record o,u on which prnus oil