South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-06
What We Are Fighting For

have just made a journey that
included the far corners Of the
United states and gave me a new
conception OF what we are lighting
Tor in this war against Germany.
Never was the real meaning OF
democracy brought home 10 me III
Fuch a big and graphic way-and
j; Is for the preservation Of democ-
sacy and our great country that We
fight.
Ny recent travels really began in
the regions about Great Champlain
and Lake George. and took me
partly through the AdirOndacks and
over into Vermont The wildness
and freedom up there brought 10
me memories OF Ethan Allen: and.
indeed, I passed through the very
gate at Fort Ticonderoga that let
Allen and his intrepid Green noun
tain boys into the fort.
Then I came west, through the
wonderful state OF New York, tenn
ing with its millions OF people and
dotted the whole length OF 10 with
factories. Here is the dominant
state OF the nation. in population
and manufactures. in wealth, in
nuence, example. and perhaps edu-
cation. New York state is always
in the flood light IL is the show
state OF the union Superb auto
mobile roads cross and crisscross it.
and here you find cars from the
whole continent. In quick success
sion I saw automobiles from Ore
gon. Arkansas. Kentucky. Maine,
and Florida. Thousands Of motor
lists whizzed along these magnificent
highways; hundreds of thousands
Of people sped 10 and fro on the
railroad trains; millions Of persons
IN this empire state went ABOUT
their varied affairs. Everywhere
were multitudes of peOple-and all
OF them free! They were all free
TO go and come, TO engage in their
own pursuits Of work or pleasure.
SO long as they did not interfere
with the democratic rights OF 9TH
eTs, nobody questioned or hindered
them. They accounted to nobody
They did not have 10 register at the
police stations. In America, we do
not tolerate government by the SOL
der and police. We DO not tolerate
governmental tyranny Of any sort.
but we ourselves rule. We seek
our own opportunities-and we find
them. indeed As I went through
New York state. partly by auto
mobile and partly On the railroads.
] saw all around me the evidences
OF opportunities that had been ac-
cOmplished because Of our demo-
cratic institutions
And then, IL was borne in upon
me that this freedom was threaten
ed: that the iron hand of autocracy
actually had been raised against
us; that our very opportunities
were at stake. The thought was in
tolerable. Ny Imagination could
not formulate the thought of a mil
itary government usurping the
functions OF pOlicitcal control there
I'm New York state. Yet I could
not get away from the sinister pos
sibilities. What would happen if
we should be defeated in this ware
We are not blind. We know that
spies have been taking account OF
us. We know that the enemy has
full knowledge Of our strengths and
our weaknesses. of our resources, of
our whole land, district by district
We have seen ample evidence of
the enemy's world ambitions, and
we know what he will do TO &C
complish them. We can see. too,
that If these aims should be at
tanned il would mean the end of
modern civilization. the end Of our
American opportunity and freedom.
our institutions would be swept
away. and a handful Of autOcrats
would have the power TO starve
and butcher at Will We remem-
Der too we'll the Lusitania. the Sus-
sex, and all the ships on which our
own people have gone 20 watery
graves. We remember Belgium.
II is shown by the last census
that New York. New Jersey. Con-
necticut, Massachusetts. Rhode
Island. and Delaware combined,
have about two and a quarter mil
lion factory hands. The last cen
sus figures / find available indicate
that the number of factory workers
IN the United States is, or was.
about six and three-quarter mill
lions. so that practically one-third
of the factory population lives in
the six states mentioned. Moreover.
a large proportion of them live in
the coast cities or near the coast,
and hence would be the first affect
cd by a great naval or military
movement on the part of the enemy
against US
IL is difficult for us to visualize
such a thing. yet il is the very
catastrophe we are fighting TO
avert. Unspeakable as IL is. we must
face il. This war OF ours is not
one Of aggression. A nation that
nights for conquest can withdraw II
A. chooses and call the war of. we
are lighting for defense. and we
can not quit until we have averted
the peril that threatens us Ger
many has attacked us. she has
struck heavy and ruthless blows at
this freedom / have spoken of.
do not need 10 recite the long list
OF brutal crimes she has perpetrated
against our people and our proper
~ what would she do 10 us If she
ever got into this great land Of
ours2 Just suppose she gained a
foOthOld in New York state and