The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-09

with the kaiser and by individuals
who are doing the kaiser's work, some
knowingly and some unconsciously,
Denial of Presidents Position.
In the twelfth paragraph you say
that this war ''is largely a conclusive
effort on the part of the adriot rul-
ers Of warning nations for control of
| a constantly diminishing market.
| Rival groups Of monopolists are play
ing a deadly game for commercial
supremacy, That is a plain denial
of the ruth'uttered by our president,
when he said that this is a war to
make the world safe for democracy"
It is an unWarranted attack upon the
high purposes and humane efforts of
our country. 1t has no place in the
literature Of any organization that
counts among it's members patriotic
men or expects to have it's profess
| sions of entire loyalty accepted at
face value.
As part Of your decided stand
upon the war question" you refer to
the Statement of Principle" by John
M. Baer, the congressman elected
from North Dakota by the National
Nonpartisan league. You print this
statement as a part of your war
program and statement of princi-
pies"
Throughout Mr.. Baer's statement
of principles" is filled with IFS" and
'ands" and butts. While protesting
devotion to our country's cause, Mr.
Baer, in the second paragraph, says:
Patriotism, however, cannot be
stirred in. a war for destruction of
German autocracy in Europe If it is
begun by the suppression Of democ-
with the inference which il carries,
is wholly unjustifable and has no
place in American literature, partic-
ularly at this time.
In the third paragraph of his state
ment Mr. Baer complains that "con-
gress has already pledged the lives
OF the men Of this nation and that
without first securing their consent"
1t has never been necessary for an
American president or an American
congress to first secure the consent of
the american people in an effort to
uphold the honor and preserve the
life Of the nation.
In the fourth paragraph Mr.. Baer
SAYS: THE President SAYS the Ger
man people are as peace loving as
ourselves, and that we are devoted
to. the pursuits Of peace" Then,
why the millions of American man.
hood sacrificed upon the bloody field
of war? Is 1t not because no means
have yet been devised for bringing
to agreement two peaceful peoples. l
believe it is possible these two peace
loving peoples could and would agree
to peace terms If their governments
led the way by defining terms that
would serve as a basis for negotia-
fnTe g#s,%a ~ n
was made after the President had de-
liyered his peace without victory
message. The paragraph just quoted
amounts to an arraignment of our
country and an effort to raise in
spirit and purpose, the German gov
eminent to the high level taken by
the American government. We DO
not mean to say that this paragraph
Is German propaganda, but we do
submit that it is Identical in terms
with the German propaganda with
which the American people have been
surfeited.
In the sixth paragraph Mr.. Baer
says: While we are fighting to de-
stroy German Imperialism, shall we
fight to support English imperialism?
Already, as a result of the war, Eng
land holds in Africa a million square
miles of territory. After an imperial
council had been held recently by the
British and colonial governments Of
the British empire, the premier stat
ed to the world that Great Britain
would not relinquish it's hold upon
this territory" This, too, is infer
entially, an unjust criticism Of our
own government, as though its pur-
pose in this war is to uphold and
support Imperialism in any quarter!
Again we do not mean to say that
this is German propaganda. We do
say that it is identical in terms with
the German propaganda with which