Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-07-25
IS THIS A RIGHTEOUS
War?
BY REV. w. j. SUCKOW.
WHY OUR ENTRANCE INTO THE
WAR WAS INEVITABLE.

We have shown in the preceding
articles that Germany deliberately
brought on this war in order tC
make herself the mistress of Europe
so that she might ultimately become
the mistress of the world To pre-
vent her from doing this is the real
reason for the United States going
into the war All other alleged rea-
sons are Of a secondary nature.
We did not go to war because Ger
many, by pursuing an illegal submar-
inc warfare. destroyed a number Of
American ships and lives. We could
much better have afforded the loss
of a few more ships and lives than
plunge into a war which will prob
ably entail the loss of many ships
and lives, We did not go to war be-
cause we dislike German autocracy
If the German people prefer that
form of government, it is their at
fair, and it would be wholly contra
ry to the genius OF American democ-
racy to force some other type upon
them. j..
If German Imperialism had been
content to rule the German people
and let the rest of the world alone,
there would have been no war, and
least of all would we have been in
it. But German impelialism has am
billions and purposes which reach far
beyond the confines of Germany, as
has been shown; and it is because
; these ambitions and purposes are
everywhere inimical to the interests
of democracy, American as we'll as
European, that We have now a world
war
In the pursuit of its gigantic
scheme of world-empire, German i'm
perialism las not hesitated to en-
ploy every means at its command
It has contented itself with the or
binary methods of diplomacy where
these would answer; it has resorted
to intrigue, perfecting for that pur
pose the most colossal spy system
in all history; while all the time it
has held itself in readiness for an
appeal to the sword, by organizing
the greatest war machine the world
has ever known, professedly in the
interests of peace, but in reality, as
events have shown, to be in readi-
ness to strike a swift and crushing
blow at the opportune moment, and
have the world at its mercy.
A power so fertile in resource, so
masterful in ability, so sinister in
purpose, and so ruthless in method,
would, if permitted to flourish, be a
perpetual and growing menace to
the peace and security of mankind,
1t would render every form of liber-
al government not only unsafe, but
eventually impossible. Nothing short
of it's complete and permanent over
throw will make the world safe for
democracy"
But could not the allies have de-
feated Germany without American
intervention? Possibly But even
then we could not have refused to do
our part in the great struggle with
out a distinct loss of national honor.
Here was the democracy of Europe,
battling not only for it's own life but
for our future safety as we'll If now
the American people could have con-
tented themselves with playing the
part of idle spectators, congratulating
themselves that they were mot in it"
and incidentally pocketing the profits
from the sale of war material, then
the taunt that, from being the worthy
sons and daughters of the heroes and
patriots of former days, we had de-
generated into a nation of mere dollar
worshippers, would have been more
than justified by our own conduct.
The fact of our refusal to fight for the
spirit of democracy when imperilled
would have proven that there was no
spirit of democracy left in us worth
fighting for. ......... E.r 49,.