Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-01-24
Has Ample Power to Handle NAL
contents, Says Attorney
General Gregory.
SACRIFICES MUST BE MADE
Some Called Upon to Break With
Friends and kIndn.d AZ Those
Did Who Secured Liberties
Enjoyed TodNy.
BY THOMAS w. GREGORY,
Attorney General Of the United states

4 NseVFHSy GSHSFdt Of tHe united SIdteS.
The sporadic activities of few agi-
tators who, led by good or bad motives,
| seek to hamper our work in the war
justify me as the chief law officer of
the executive branch of the govern
ment In calling attention to the duties,
moral and legal, of all persons owing
temporary or permanent allegiance to
| the United States.
The German government began this
war by a contemptuous breach OF its
formally plighted faith made in solemn
treaty and from the beginning until
now has more than made good this
ominous earnest of its intention and
temper. TAs president has shown us
how one by one, as opportunity offered,
the Safeguards which civilization has
been able during the centuries to throw
around nsTtrals and the nonfghting
people of warning nations were ruth
lessly torn down; how patient and long
were met by fair words, and fairer
promises made only to be broken.
We all know as but sober fact, plainly
stated, that the imperial government
mas allowed no rule of war, no prin-
| cfple of civilization, no consideration
Of humanity, no teaching of Christian
| ity to stand between 1t and the work
ing out of its Illegal purposes. For
half a century that government has
schemed and prepared to dominate the
world by blood and iron" For half
century the officials of the imperial
government, from the kaiser down,
including even the teachers of their
children, have prostituted the minds
Of their youth until the whole people
has been led to a liberation, If not ap-
prevail, of the hideous outrages and
barbarities practiced by that govern
ment in this war. While yet we were
neutral, struggling to keep free from
the conflict, the representatives of that
government In this country planned
roads, forged our public papers, de-
ceived us when convenient, violated
our hospitality and our sovereignty,
while they plotted against our terrific
| rial integrity; they deliberately and
with malice and affronting forewarn-
ing drowned our helpless women and
babes and declared public holiday
that their own innocent children might
celebrate the murder.
Seek to Rule.
They have bombarded unfortified
towns and bombed the unprotected
homes of their foes, taking their toll of
wounded and dead from the aged and
They have made barren desert Of the
garden spots of the earth; they have
needlessly pillaged and willfully
burned towns; they have reduced to
slavery men, women and children:
they have wrecked and torn asunder
| families with a system diabolical In
its efficiency.
AS the war has gone on, the ultimate
aim of the imperial government has
become more and more clear. Drunk
with the sense of it's own power and
its asserted superiority, it has pro-
posed to secure dominating position
for itself and for its system over the
entire world. Nowhere yielding to the
people their rightful powers, and
everywhere seeking to uphold autoc-
racy and despotism, it has shown it's
intention to perpetuate absolute gov
eminent of which it admittedly is the
head and front. It's "kultur" is
avowed to be the acme of human good
ness and endeavor, and is to boast the
rulership of the world, gained by force
and arms.
The world must fight to preserve
itself. Of this there can be no doubt.
Kings Against Peoples.
Heretofore, save in rare cases, war
has been a fight between armies; but
this war, because of the initial prepar-
alton for it by an autocracy which
prostituted a whole mighty nation to
its purpose is contest between peoples
themselves. 1t is correspondingly in
tense and relentless. The march of
events shows that it is now war of
| system-kings against peoples If
our enemy win, kings will dominate
the world, because no democracy fights
with or for them. The PIussian auto
| CTdL anu TIE Urutdl luTk VIII 1upOSc
upon us their wills, tell us what we
may do, what we may not do, and the
! horrors and atrocities Of Belgium and
Armenia leave no doubt what this
| means.
Thus our own very life came to be
| bound up in the outcome of this war
| long before we entered it, and even
| years before the war broke. To the
man of vision it is as clear as sunlight
that the aim and the plan of the i'm
| perial government was and is to con-
| quer the world, nation by nation. 1t
was first to defeat France and Russia,
next to dominate Great Britain, and
with Europe at its feet to turn to
America. "Kultur" and the German
sword were to rule around the world.
Congress Gave Pledge.
| With all this before them congress,