The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-09-13

Preceding Lessons 1. Your Post OF
Honor. 2. Making Good as Sol
der. 8. Nine Qualities Of a Soldier.
4. Getting Ready for Camp. s. First
Days In Camp. 6. Cleanliness in
Camp. Z. Your Health. 8. March
ing and Care of Feet. 8. Your
Equipment and Arms. 10. Recrea-
ton in Camp. II. Playing the
Game. IL. Team Work in the
Army. 10. Grouping Men into
Teams. IA. The Team Leaders. Is.
Fighting Arms Of the Service. 16.
Staff Branches Of the Service-I. II.
STAFF Branches Of the Service, IL.
IS. Army Insignia. 10. The Army
System of Training. 20. Close-Or-
der Drill. 81. Extended Order
Drill. 20. Guard Duty. 90. Getting
Ahead in the Army. "a. Army Cour-
tesy. rs. Discipline and Respect for
the Colors. g. Some National Ira
ditions.. 27. The Spirit of the Ser
vice.
Every American knows the causes
of our war with the German Govern
ment. Yet this course would be in
complete If it did not contain a brief
review of the events that finally
forced us into war, when at last there
remained mo other means of defend
ing our rights"
The soldier of an autocratic Kaiser
may fight best when he understands
least of the true meaning of the war.
70 tell him the facts would be to chill
his enthusiasm. But the citizen SOL
der of a democracy is entitled to
know for what purposes he enters the
struggle. He fights best when he sees
most clearly why he fights.
The resolution of Congress declar-
inga state of war (Apr. 6, 1910 ex-
presses the immediate cause in these
few words:
"The Imperial German Government
has committed repeated acts of war
against the Government and the peo-
pie of the United States of America"
Chief among the acts of war were
attacks by German submarines on
ships and on unarmed mer-
chant ships of other nations carry
Ing American passengers. Vessels of
every kind" said the President in his
address to Congress on April 2, 1917,
whatever their flag, their character,
their cargo, their destination, their
have been ruthlessly sent to
the bottom without warning and with
out thought of help or mercy for those
On board, the vessels of friendly neu-
trails along with those Of belligerents.
Even hospital ships and ships carry
ing relief to the sorely bereaved and
stricken people of Belgium, though
The latter were provided with safe
conduct through the prescribed areas
by the German Government itself and
we're distinguished by unmistakable
marks of identity, have been sunk
with the same reckless lack of COM
passion or of principle The pres
ant German submarine warfare
against commerce is warfare
against mankind"
German Insults and AggresslOns
There were other acts of hostility in
addition to the submarine warfare. In
his Flag Day address delivered at
on June IA, 1917, the
President summed up the events that
brought on war as follows:
1T Is plain enough how we were
orced into the war. The extraordi-
lary insults and aggressions of the
imperial German Government left us
10 self-resepecting choice but to take
Up arms in defense of our rights as a |
rec people and OF our honor as SOW
ign Government. The military mas
ers Of Germany denied us the right |
o be neutral. They filled our unsus- !
,ecting communities with vicious
pies and conspirators and sought to
corrupt the opinion Of our people in
heir own behalf When they found ,
hat they could not do that, their
gents diligently spread sedition