The Elbert County tribune., 1917-08-03
DECLARES DEMocRAcYs MIGHT
MUST RUIN AMBITION OF
MILITARY RULERS.
NO WAR OF AGGRESSION
EVIL CHARACTER OF GERMAN
GOVERNMENT LAID BARE BY
SECRETARY OF STATE.
western Newspaper Union New. Service.

western newspaper Union News Service
Madison Barracks, N. Yin a
speech here before 1,700 members of
the officers reserve corps. Secretary
of State Robert Lansing. emphasizing
the peril of German Imperialism to
the United States and the world, de-
clared his belief that the German peo
pie would not cast off the yoke OF au-
tocracy until the physical might of
the united democracies of the world
has destroyed forever the evil ambi-
tions OF the military rulers OF Ger
many" That. he added. Is the only
way to restore the peace of the world
Were every people on earth able
to express their will there would be
no wars OF aggression" he said, land
II there were no wars of aggression.
there would be no wars and lasting
peace would come to this earth. The
only way that a people can express
their will is through democratic In
stitutions. Therefore. when the world
is made safe for democracy. when
that great principle prevails, universal
peace will be an accomplished fact
mo nation of people will be fit
more than the United States when
that time comes. But it has not yet
come. A great people. ruled in
thought and word as well as in deed
by the most sinister government Of
modern times, is straining every
nerve to supplant democracy by the
autocracy which they have been
taught to worship. When will the
German people awaken to the truth?
When will they arise in their might
and cast off the yoke and become
their own masters? / fear that it will
not be until the physical might of the
united 'democracies of the world have
destroyed forever the evil ambitions
of the military rulers of Germany and
liberty triumphs over its archenemy."
Mr.. Lansing sought to drive home
TO the student officers the righteous
ness of the cause for which they had
volunteered to go to France and fight,
asserting that America would win be
cause our cause is the cause of JUS
tice and of right and humanity
The immediate cause of our war
with Germany = the breaking of her
rine warfare-has far deeper mean
ing, he said, "a meaning which has
been growing more evident as the war
has progressed and which needed but
this act of perfidy to bring 1t home to
all thinking Americans. The evil
character of the German government
is laid bare before the world. We
know now that the government is in
spired with ambitions which menace
human liberty and that to gain its
end 1t does not hesitate to break
faith. to violate the most sacred
rights, or to perpetrate intolerable
acts of humanity.
"It needed but the words reported
to have been uttered by the German
chancellor to complete the picture OF
the character of his government when
he announced that the only reason
why the intensified submarine cam
paign was delayed until February last
was that sufficient submarines could
not be built before that time to make
the attacks on commerce efficient Do
you realize that this means, il 1t
means anything, that the promises to
refrain from brutal submarine war
fare, which Germany had made to the
United States, were never intended to
be kept, that they were only made in
order to gain time in which to build
more submarines. and that when the
time came to act, the German prom
ises were unhesitatingly torn to pieces
like other scraps of paper?'"
Washington = The United States
government. 1t is stated, will take nc
notice of the latest German peace eff
fort. issued in the form Of an inter
view by Chancellor Michaelis. blaming
the allies for the continuation of the
war. Secretary Lansing's speech, al
though delivered before the Michaelis
interview was published. Is taken as
complete answer in stating that
peace can come only when the united
force of the worlds democracies has
overthrown the German military sys
TEN.
Prosecution Of Slaokers Ordered.