The Benson signal., 1917-11-10

nothing for ourselves but what we shall
wish to share with all free people, we
shall, feel confident, conduct our oper
ations as belligerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud pune
tilfo the principles of right and of fair
play we profess to be fighting for,
have said nothing Of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The AustrO-Hungarian government has.
indeed, aVOwed Its unqualified indOrse-
ment and acceptance of the reckless
and lawIess submarine warfare, adopt
ed now without disguise by the Imper-
iaI German government, and it has
therefore not been possible for this
government to receive Count TarnOw-
ski, the ambassador recently accredited
to this government by the Imperial and
Royal government of Austria Hungary;
but that government has not actually
engaged I'm warfare against citizens of
the United States on the seas, and L
take the liberty, for the present at
least, Of pOstpOning "a discussion of our
relations with the authorities at Vi
emma. We enter this war only where
we are clearly forced into 1T because
there are no other means of defending
our rights.
1t 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 with
enmity toward a people with the
desire to bring any injury or disad-
vantage upon them, but only in armed
opposition to an irresponsible govern
ment which has thrown aside all con-
sideratiOns of humanity and of right
and Is running amuck.
We are, let me say again, the sin
cere friends Of the German people, and
shall desire nothing much az the
early re-estabIishment of intimate reIa-
tiOns of mutual advantage between us,
however hard 1T 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-
pOrtunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions toward
the millions of men and women of Ger
man birth and native sympathy who
live among and share our life, and
we shall be proud 20 prove 1T toward
all who are in fact loyal to their neigh
bOrs 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 feaIty or al
legiance. 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 dis
loyalty, 1T will be dealt with with a
firm hand of stern repression; but If
1t lifts it's head at all, 1T will lift 1T
only here and there and without cOun-
fxHNs
malignant few.
1t is a distressing and oppressive duty,
gentlemen of the congress-, which
have performed in thus addressing you.
There are, 1t may be, many months of
fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us.
1t is a fearful thing to lead this great,
peaceful people into war, into the most
terrible and disastrous of all wars, civ
1lizatiOn 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 democracy, for the
right of those who submit to authority
to have a voice in their own govern
ments, for the rights and liberties of
small nations, for a universal dominion
of right by such a concert of free peO-
pie as shall bring peace and safety to
all nations and make the world itself
at last free.
To such task 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
privileged to spend her blood and her
might for the principles that gave her
birth and happiness and the peace
which she has treasured.
God helping her, she can do no other.