The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-12-21

encouraged to keep on only by the
entrance of America into the struggle.
Compared British Efficiency.
Mr.. Miller compared the British eff
| ficiency on the front with that of the
Germans. The British excelled the
Germans three to one in guns, five to
one in accuracy and ten to one in the
number of shots fired. Mr.. Miller pre-
dicted that America would have mil
| lions of armed men marching side by
side with the British and French in
France. Mr.. Miller predicted that after
America was fully prepared, her army
would in a few months crush the kais-
er's host under an engulfing wave of
fire. This quotation by Judge Stanton
was greeted by the Mankato audience
with an outburst Of applause. The
Judge remarked, however, that he was
afraid the American people did not yet
realize the tremendous resources that
the central empires had at their COM
mand. The truth must be told and the
people must be brought to realize the
magnitude of the great war in which
America was engaged.
America Should Not Deceive Self.
! America should not deceive herself.
She should realize the great war in
which she is engaged. Americans,
among other things, should not permit
themselves to ignore the submarine
menace. Germany right now was de-
stroying tonnage at sea faster than it
could be replaced by the whole world.
America was a mighty nation, but she
was 5000 miles from the fight, and had
to transport her men and supplies
over perilous waters The courage and
strength of America would be put to
the supreme test. Nothing more men
acing than Prussianism ever reared
its horrid head above the horizon.
1t must be known of every man
whether he is disloyal or not. Every
man must be either an American or an
alien. To fail to report disloyalty or to
conceal it in any manner was itself
disloyalty. The speaker regretted to
say that there were some disloyal Sec
lions in various parts of Minnesota.
People were whispering words that
implied that the war against Germany
was wrong. The fact was that con-
gress had declared war. That question
was closed. The same disloyal people
were saying that the draft was I'M
constitutional. Under the draft system
the sons Of the poor had the same
rights and privileges as the sons of the
rich and influential. There was no such
thing now as substituting as there was
in the civil war. Some people whis-
pered that this was rich mans war.
Never before, in fact, was the Ameri-
can government placing so great a tax
burden on the rich. In reply to the
charge that it was a bondholders' war,
he called attention to the vast number
of liberty bonds held by the people of
small means. 1t had been charged that
the government had established food
trust. The fact was that the govern
ment itself was the trustee and the
people were the benefciaries.
Views of Some People.
Some took the view that this country
should not declare war until it was in
vaded. The results of that could be
seen in France and Belgium. He asked
whether the government should wait
until American farms were turned
into deserts and the chastity of Amer
lean girls and women was violated.
before going into the fight. He de-
clared that the man who would not
fight now was a miserable coward who
would never fight. Here there was an
other burst of applause.
He said America must guard against
International socialism, which was al
ways in league with the kaiser. Wolves
in sleeps clothing must be watched
for. Such men invaded Russia and Ru-
mania, and did much to weaken the
fibre of the Italian forces.
The Many Provocations.
After recounting the many prOvoca-
tons that America endured while she
was endeavoring to remain neutral,
and showing that America must crush
the power of the war-mad monarch
while the conflict was yet on the other
side of the Atlantic, the judge declared
that il the Americans of the present
day did not stand by Woodrow Wilson
they were merely degenerate sons of
the brave men who suffered at Valley
Forge.
The Judge said America had never
known defeat and never would. He
pointed to the great popular subscrip-
lions to the Liberty loan, the Red
Cross fund and the Y. NJ. c. A. fund
as showing the general spirit of pa
triotism.
He declared that Americas crisis
was Americas opportunity. America by
its entrance into the war would in
augurate new era. The doctrine of
the divine right of kings would exist
only as memory.
Pledge of Allegiance.
The Judge said America had never
hold up their right hands and take the
pledge Of allegiance, which he repeated
as follows: 81 pledge my assistance to
the government in putting down sedi-
! tion and disloyalty and consecrate my
service to the great cause of de-
mocracy." The response was cordial
and hearty. The judge said he knew
he was voicing the sentiment of the
people of Mankato, of Blue Earth
county, of Minnesota and of America.
Judge Cray now announced that the
moving pictures would be shown in
few minutes, and after a very short
interval, they were thrown on the
screen. Many scenes of he great pa
rades in the twin cities during the
northwestern loyalty rally were shown.
The st. Paul home guards, delegates
to the great convention, the Hofmeis-
ter band of New Ulm, the Mankato