Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-08-02

within twenty four hours. This
ultimatum was described by Sir
Edward Grey as the most
formidable he had ever heard OF
between civilized states; it was a
demand for the instant giving up
of Serbia's independence. But
Sir Edward was Judging it by
the standards of the old days OF
peace; it has been matched more
than once, indeed surpassed, by
subsequent incidents in the dip,
lomatic history of Austria and
Germany. Brutal as it was, il
lacked the oily hypocrisy of some
of the recent peace treaties on
/ the eastern front.
1t was the first manifestation
of the spirit of the thing which
all but a few of the free nations
of the world are now fighting.
Serbia was in the way of the
German and Austrian march tc
the east; Serbia and Francis Fer
dinand could be used as a con.
venient excuse for the loosing OF
an attack long planned. Of this
attack Serbia was to have been
the first victim, but she beat
back two invasions before the
Bulgarian stab in the back
brought her down.
Four years after that ultima
tum, where is Serbia and where
is Austria? Serbia's territory
has been overrun; her people
have died by hundreds of thou
sands. But her army is still in
being, her spirit is still unbroken.
Her Jugoslav kindred have been
drawn to her more closely by
four years of war than they were
ever likely to be drawn in the
perpetuated compromise of peace.
Four great and free nations have
pledged themselves to the union,
around Serbia, of the Jugoslav
people. Four years ago the
more farsighted Americans were
warning their fellow countrymen
against the idea that we had no
interest in the affairs of Serbia,
warning them that a war begun
in Serbia might conceivably eff
feet business and finance in the
United States. That was all.
Today the people of the United
States are praying for the future
welfare of gallant ally, and it
is no derogation from the efficacy
of prayer that at the same time
millions of Americans are work
ing, some hundreds of thousands
are fighting, millions more are
getting ready to fight, that these
prayers may be realized.
Austria has overrun Serbia, in
deed, with German and Bulgar-
ian aid; and last week on the
floor of her own parliament she
was denounced as hideous
nightmare, as a crime centuries
Did. Hundreds of thousands of
her rebellious subjects are in
arms against her and her allies.
Ter subject nationalities are only
waiting the opportunity to rise
md strike for the freedom which
he free nations leagued against
Austria have promised them.
Serbia is a symbol of the world
which the Central Powers have !
lttacked; she was typical of them /
III, from Belgium to the United
states, in her willingness to !
make almost any concessions to
tyranny in order to pre- /
eut the outbreak of war, and in \
er unwillingness to make the i
nal concession which would j
ave implied the loss of self-re- 4
pect and of freedom. The
rincipals for which Serbia has
} nobly fought and suffered"
avs Mr.. Lansing, are those for 4
'hich the United States is fight \
lg. The principals for which q
ustria has suffered much and 4
were visible in the ulti-
latum which she presented in
lly, 1914; and nations SO power
Il and remote from the immedi-
.e scene Of the conflict as the ]
nlted States, nations so far
way as Honduras and Siam, have
wv joined the alliance which is