The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-16

sending her ambassador home. She
replied by sinking four vessels with a
loss of rs Americans. We declared
war. My boys, what else could we
do? President Wilson did all that
he could to avert war But now what
were our duties with reference to the
protection of the safety of American
citizens? For 100 years it has been
a principle established by every inter
national law that a merchant ship
shall not be sunk without placing its
company in complete safety. But it
has been said that Americans were
warned that they were in danger of
their lives if they entered the sub
marine zone. If John Jones tell John
Smith that he will kill him if he
passes down the street in front of John
JonesS house, Jones commits murder,
does he not? The warning cannot be
accepted as plea. 1t is the same with
nations. The high seas are the COM
mon pathway of nation and red
blooded Americans cannot be blurred
in that sort of fashion. Senator La
Toilette says that We ought not to
have declared war-that our rights
are only technical. 1t is too bad that
senator in congress should refer to
the right of the babes of the Lusitania
to the protection from German pirates
as technical matter.
IF, for instance, Venezuela had
adopted German tactics. sunk our
ships and murdered our people every
pacifist in the land would be ready to
fight What is the difference? There
is none in principle. The trouble IS
that we are faced against the greatest
military power that ever existed and
it means a real war and great sacri-
flee of life and treasure. The uncon-
scious DIRECTORS wUufd be willing
enough to fight a little nation that
they could lick with one hand. When
these have a real job on hand then
they don't like war. How does that
strike you as red-blooded Americans?
Norway has lost 500 sailors in Ger
many's submarine campaign. Norway
doesn't dare to take 10 arms. She is
weak. Are we to be like Norway?
I'VE have no patent on democracy
and we do not attempt to force a par
ticrlar form of government on Ger
many. But we are fighting the Ger
man people who have allowed them
selves to become the dupe of the kali
ser and his military regime. Bismarck
united the German state by force of
iron and blood. The destiny of Ger
many. after conquering Denmark,
Austria and France, grew larger in
the eyes of her emperor and her peo-
pie and the policy of blood and iron
which had been directed first to the
achievement of the unity of Germany
expanded into dream of Germaniz-
inS the world. A cult of philosophy
self in the universities and schools.
The principle was that the state could
do no wrong. that the state was an en-
ticy that must be sustained by force
This proposition easily led into the
further conclusion that there could
be no international morality; that
morality and its principles apply only
to individuals. but when the action of
the state is concerned, considerations
of honor become only "a scrap of pa
per-
Thus Belgium is violated where
Germany promised to protect and her
people are led into abject slavery. II
has resulted in an alliance with Tur-
key and German indifference to the
sacrifice of 100000 Armenians. Ar
menians today are dying by the tens
of thousands in the deserts to which
they have been deported. GERMANY
is possessed of a mob spirit The
scales will not fall from their ewes
until we hold a surgical operation on
their heads with a club and you bows
are the ones to use the club. Defeat
is the only way to end a military
dynasty. Then the German people
will begin to look for a scape-goat
and will relegate its false prophets to
the place where they belong Ger
many has not lost her power. We
have a great work before US but I
have every confidence that you will
make the finest soldiers the world has
ever seen. God bless you, go on to
victory"