Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-05

| citizens Of tie United States on the
| high seas. and | take the liberty. for
| the present at least. of poStponing q
| discussion of our relations with the
| authorities at VIENNA
! We enter this war only where we
are clearly forced into it. because
/ there are no other means of defend
! ing our rights.
( It will be all the easier for Us to
! conduct ourselves as belligerents in a
high spirit of right and fairness be-
| cause we act without animus. not in
enmfty toward people or with the
! desire TO bring any injury or disad-
vantage upon them. but only in armed
! opposition 30 an irresponsible govern
ment which has thrown aside all con-
siderations of humanity and Of right
and is running amuek.
Hopes for EARLY Peace.
We are, let me say again, the sin
| cere friends Of the German people, and
shall desire nothing so much as the
early re-establiShment Of intimate re-
| latiOns Of mutual advantage between
US. however hard it may be for them
for the time being to believe that this
is spoken from our hearts. We have
borne with their present government
| through all these bitter months be-
cause of that friendship, exercising a
patience and forbearance which would
| otherwise have been impossible.
We shall. happily, still have an op-
bOrtunity to prove that friendship in
| the millions of men and women of
German birth and native sympathy
| who live among us and share our life,
| and we shall be proud to prove it to-
ward all who are in fact loyal to their
neighbOrs and to the government in
the hour of test. They are, most of
them, as true and loyal Americans as
If they had never known any other
fealty or allegiance. They will be
prompt to stand with US in rebuking
and restraining the few who may be of
different mind and purpose.
If there should be dislOyalty it will
be dealt with with firm hand of stern
| repression, but. if it lifts head at all it
will lift it only here and there and
without cOuntenance except from a
| lawless and malignant few.
1t is distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen of the congress, which
/ have performed in thus addressing
you. There are, it may be, many
months Of fiery trial and sacrifice
ahead of us.
1t is fearful thing to lead this
great, peaceful nation into war, into
the most terrible and disastrous of all
wars, civilization itself seeming to be
in the balance. But the right is more
precious than peace and we shall fight
for the things which we have always
carried nearest our heartS-fOr dem0c-
racy, for the right of those who submit
to authority to have a voice in their
own governments for the rights and
liberties of small nations, for univer
sal dominion Of right by sucn a concert
0 free people as shall bring peace and
safety to all nations and make the
world itself at last free.
To such a task we can dedicate our
lives and our fortunes, everything that
we are and everything that We have
with the pride Of those who know that
the day has come when America is pro
vided to spend her blood and her might
for the people that gave her birth anC
happiness and the peace whihc she has
treasured.
God helping her, she can do no other