The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-01-31

hy not being IN time "Too late" Is
I the cpitaph en- many thousand pa
/ thehc, eloquent little Wooden crosses
marking the graves Of British soldiers
| al Gallipoli and Neuvc chapcIle.
| We must not be too late.
And in the final analysis VIC must
respond not alone because France
calls us, or because Britain counts
heavily on our backing up her splon-
didly organized power but because
our own life, our business and our ma
tional existence demand IL.
For this is our fight
Germany promised us to respect the
flags and the rights OF ncutrals, and
did SO as long as il suited her pur-
posc--unul she had completed her
submarine fleet. Then she entered up
on her assassin's career and command
ed us TO put our ships in livery and to
sail them through German made
lane on the worlds highway, or get on
the sea. And we complied, until, NJ
Secretary Lane said, "our good faith
was construed as cowardice."
We held to the hated tofficial) atti-
tude of neutrality while Belgium was
ravished and Serbia wrecked and our
own women and children sent to the
bottom Of the sea; until, after repeat
ed attacks by Germany upon the
lives, the liberties and the properties
Of our citizens, there was only left for
us either TO raise the yellow flag or
the Stars and Stripes,
And then, at last, thank God, Old
Glory noatcd from the national mast
head!
Think you we are "but fighting the
battles of other nations?" When Bel
GUM was violated, then, too, were vio-
lated the principles upon which this
Republic Of ours was founded, which
have given us peace and happiness
and prosperity and leading place
among the nations OF the world
When Germany registered her CON
tempt for treaties and national honor
by crossing the Belgian frontier she
inaugurated her invasion Of America
through intriguing diplomatic repre-
scntativcs at Washington and the con-
sriracios Of her paid agents distribut-
cd over our land,
We are not fighting to remake the
map of Europe but because Germany
denied our free right to the open sea
highway and murdered our men, wonl-
en- and children exercising that right
and conspired within and without our
borders to complete our disunion and
to menace our territorial integrity.
She simulated friendliness for us,
and all the time was filing our coun-
try with spies. She protested only
honorable intentions, and all the time
was plotting our disunion. She de-
clared she wished only for peace with
us, and all the time her Foreign Min
lister was trying from Berlin 10 in
duce Japan ard Mexico to join her in
making war on us.
Germany must be beaten because
She literally forced this horrible war.
with murder and rapine and pillage
and destruction Of innocent life and
world art, TO satisfy the ambitions Of
her military group to become the dom
mating power Of the world.
Germany must be beaten because
her every policy, her every deed, is In
defiance of international and humane
aw; because she threatens TO enslave
al thai make life worth living; be-
:ause Of the cowardly assault on
small, guiltless nation, the deliberate
slaughter of non-combatant men,
women and children; the raping Of
Belgian and French and Serbian
women; the deportation and brutal
treatment of Belgian men; the
bombing of unfortifed towns, Of hos
,itals afoat and on land the murder
# innocent hostages for military
lecessity;' the sinking of unarmcd
passenger ships; the poisoning OF
vells; the ruthlessness OIL view in
Belgium, Serbia, Poland.
Germany must be beaten because we
nus. destroy the thing Germany
ta-ds for-the right Ct might-and
ecausc the world must learn that
reatics IRE not scraps Of paper" or
ational honor mere form Of speech
r gwen word the cloak Of mem
acity.
Yes, it's our fight.
The United States did not come in
D Iiberate Belgium, TO save France or
, help Great Britain, but TO assure
IS own liberty.
We are now at dark period Of the
ara time TO hold tight to patriot
I'm and 10 begin immediate and OBJ
gatory denial.
We must unite In self-denial as our