El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-04-05

M = NtHe - -
overwhelming sentiment of the people Of the
United States favors a declaration by the
congress that a state of war exists with Ger
many; and that congress will take such ac-
ton this week.
The idea of war is absolutely repellent
to the people of this country. But the
present situation has demonstrated that
this nation is still dominated by a class of
Americans to whom something else is more
repellent.
This more repellent thing, as eloquent,y
presented by Senator Hiram Johnson and
by Jacob M. Dickinson is the sacrifice of
the ideals of democracy and submission to
the DEGREES of monarchy in surrendering
principles vital to the life of the republic.
Why are W. going to war with Germany?
Because Germany has waged war on
the United States.
Here is the situation:
If you board an American ship, flying the
American flag, unarmed, and such ship
passes over a certain portion of the open
seas, your flag will be fired on, your ship
will be sunk and you will be shot dead or
drowned If the Germans can do it.
This is the text of the German war On
the United States. The context makes no
difference. The right and wrong of the
European war, on which side Justice may
lie--these things need not enter into the
equation.
You and your flag and your ship have been
ordered off the open seas; your flag has
been fired at, your ships sunk, your coun-
trymen killed because they would not obey
the order. I
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It cannot be eyaded.
The United States holds and always has
held that warning nations must respect the
rights of non-waning nations and their
privilege of peaceahle e~xistece, no matter
what the exigencies of war; that that
certain code governing the relations of all
nations known as international Law must
be obeyed and observed.
Germany's position is frankly and without
pretense, that a belligerent is a law unto
itself and that she will shoot anyone who
attempts to impose any other law upon
her.
This makes Germany an outlaw among
nations. This outlaw has attacked and con-
tinues to attack the United States.
A policy Of non-resistance to this attack.
means:
The surrender of our right to the PRO-
lection of international law
Admission that belligerent is not amen
able to International law;
Conceding that the freedom of the open
sea is contingent on the permission OF a
belligerent.
1t is unnecessary to say that being ordered
off a mile square section of the ocean is
equivalent to being ordered off all the
ocean;
That a shot at the American flag on a
fishing smack is equivalent to a shot at
the flag on the dome of the capitol;
That the deliberate killing by the Ger
man government of one American is no
different in principle from the killing of a
thousand. I
Mr.. Bryan and the Kaiser hold that sink
ing American ships and killing Americans
are 'acts Of desperation not directed at this
country"
This means the same as the act OF a
man who shoots you and kills you to get
you out of the way SO he can see to shoot
his enemy.
If an outlaw were to deliberately murder
Mr.. Bryan's son because he INSTRUCTED the
outlaws aim. Mr.. Bryan must defend the
outlaws action on the ground that it was
an "act of desperation and not unfriendly
to his son.
The United States holds that international
law and the rights Of non-b elligerents take
no account of the fortunes of war between
belligerents.
In brief, a peaceful nation has been
warred upon. The only question is. can
America be warred upon and not defend