The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-21
Why We Fight
No. s
Because Germany Mennces the
Freedom Of the World and Russia
Can no Longer Resist

Ill \Aou Nv A<0n4Os AAooaSS L
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
Secretary OF the War Committee OF the
Union League Club of Chicago
We are in this war with Germany
because 1t Is a war for freedom more
truly than ever before was war
fought for the liberty Of man. In times
past, it Is true, men have fought for
freedom from oppressors. Sometimes
they have won and sometimes they
have lost. But always there has been
place In this big world where those
who had lost in the struggle at home
might go and find country where
they might enjoy the liberty they
loved.
Now all is different. IF the forces
which are fighting for freedom in this
war are defeated, there will be no
place in the whole world to which they
may go to find a refuge from Prus-
sian domination. Every land under
the sun will be directly or Indirectly
under control Of the victor; and If
the victor is autocracy, freedom per-
lshes.
The land where freedom IS most inn
minently menaced by the legions Of
Prussian autocracy, at this moment,
Is the land where unwonted freedom
temporarily has run riot and has lost
the power to fight for itself-Russia
We are fighting for the freedom Of
Russia, and must continue to fight for
It until Russia learns what freedom
means. and is again able to fight. If
we do not, freedom will die In Russia;
plot the country for It's own benefit;
/ and the very forces which overthrow
the czar will be turned against the
freedom not only of themselves, but Of
other lands.
In years gone by, when the forces
Of revolution were showing themselves
here and there in Russia, they had the
| sympathy of America in spite of the
, methods of terrorism Of which we
did not approve. When the car and
! the kaiser, leaders Of autocracy, were
locked in death grapple, Russia still
had our sympathy, because she was
| fighting on the side Of those who were
seeking to safeguard the world from
PruSSfan militaHSm.
When the car was deposed over
night American feelings were mixed.
! There was Joy at the downfall OF an
! old, and sometimes cruel autocracy,
/ but there was fear that Russia would
become too disorganized to fight fur
Their, coupled with the thought that per.
haps the revolution had come too soon
to be effective.
Then followed the brief regime OF
Kerensky, when it began to look as
though freedom in Russia might be an
organized freedom, prepared to fight
for its rights, and all America hailed
! the Russian revolution as blessing.
| It had become absolutely correct TO
say that the war was q war of democ-
/ racy against autocracy. No pro-Ger-
man could longer point to the car,
| whenever an argument arose.
| Finally came the bolshevikf revolu-
ton, In which Kerensky was over
thrown. Russian industry and Rus
sian society were disorganized, and
! Russian armies ceased to fight. The
| kaiser's armies pressed on unopposed,
! took what they desired in spite of a
| signed peace, and Russia appeared to
j! be about to pass completely under con-
troll of Germany. America stood
aghast at the prank freedom had
played, and American opinion turned
largely against Russia. but thinking
men refused to give up hope. Rus
STA was and still is incapable OF Offer
| ing resistance, but Russia Is not re-
signed to autocracy. It devolves upon
others to fight for the freedom Rus
| STA must have.
| The experience of other nations has
been that men who loved freedom
were willing to fight for it, and to die
! for it If necessary. The Russian at
titude Of nonresistance was something
new in the world, and is hard to un-
derstand. The bolsheviki represent
ed the extreme idea of liberty. To
| them freedom meant not the right Of
| the majority to choose their form OF
government, but the right Of the indi-
vidual to be free from all forms OF
governmental restraint. They would
| tear down the old order completely,
at one stroke, and set up the mill
lenium. They would divide the land,
the factories and the tools among the
workers, and have no masters hence
forth.
Even in Russia, however, there were
dissenters. Some took up arms; and
| the bolsheviki, who fought the Ger
mans not at all, fought their brothers
most ferociously. The result was an
archy, lawlessness, massacre. the dis
| organization Of the railways and the
failure of the food supply. The mil
! lenium refused to come at the mere
decree Of the bolsheviki. It was shown
that there must be organization and
! government Of some sort.
Russia win not longer fight side by