The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-15
WHAT WE FIGHT FOR.
Some Plain Facts Regarding a Topic
Now to the Fore.

Now to the Fore.
New York Sun.
The senate has been spending much
time this week in discussing what we
are fighting for.
1t is to be hoped that some IN
spired orator will include among the
things for which we fight-Victory.
AS to specific ends would it not be
well to fight n little before gravely
discussing terms Of peace? Thus far
our armies are still in the making.
Our aviation fleet is all in the air in
a slang sense only, the construction
Of the fleet with which we are to blind
the Germans being not yet begun.
Our navy is in active service, but that
is precisely the form of assistance
which the allies need least though
they gratefully accept it, Except for
material assistance in q financial way
to the allies the part of the United
States in the war is as yet negligible.
The immediate answer to the query
What are we fighting for?" Is that
we have not yet begun to fight.
1t is a notorious fact that the per-
sons in our national Legislature, and
in those abroad, in private life as well
as in public life, who profess them
selves puzzled by the reasons for the
continued restatement of those rea-
sons and who are clamorous for peace
propositions, are invariably pro-Ger-
mans.
This is as true in our State cham
Der as it is in the spy infested body
of the Russia Workmen's and SOL
diers' deputies.
But if there are still persons dense
enough to misunderstood the reasons
why we are at war it should not be
difficult to restate them.
The United States is at war pri-
marily because Germany slaughtered
on the high seas, prior to our declara-
tion of war, 16S American citizens in
the exercise of their undoubted right
to travel on peaceable business. Dur
ing the same period twenty American
ships were sunk by the Germans
without a shadow of legal justification.
Being called to account by the presi-
dent, the German government at first
promised a conditional abandonment
OF the illegal practice. then arrogantly
declared its purpose of continuing its
submarine warfare upon neutral ship
ping with even greater frightfulness
than before.
That is the technical reasons for
our presence among the allies. War
was our only answer to the German
threat. But there were contributing
reasons for our act.
We are at war to estop Germany
from doing to our country, and our
people, what it has done and is doing
TO the provinces of Northern France
and Belgium and their people. We
are ut war because we know that if
we permit our enemy to have his will
with the nations of Europe and re-
ducc them to subjecton that ruthless
foe in time will seek to impose itself
upon us. 1t is better to fight now
shoulder to shoulder with the civiliza
ton of the world against barbarism
than it would be to delay until we
must fight alone
Self-dofense and the maintenance
OF our national honor are the chief
reasons for our participation in this
war. Even obstructive senator's of
the sort of Stone, Gronna and La Fol
lette n st recognize the sufficiencv of
these reasons. But we belieye-we
Ike to believe that loftier and moro
spiritual thoughts had their share in
'rouSihg the American people to :,
degree of resentment which made war
The violation of Belgium was cyi-
dence of German bad faith and ag-
Sressiveness which might well put
every nation on its guard. And the
''rocities which attended the German
march through and occupation of that
country, the infamies now being per-
pe,rated by the Boches i'm France, the
'ermah alliance with the Turk and
participation in the Armenian massa-
res the wholesale murders now be-
ing committed by submarine COM
nahders, all these and other barbari-
lleS clearly proved against the Kai-
Ser's forces and his responsible gov
nrnmcnt have made our participation
N this war holy crusade against in
famous barbarians.