Evening journal., 1918-04-22
Word 10 Citizens of
German Origin and Tongue
From Member of the Friends of German DemocacyWhy Are
the United States in War With the Central Powers?

You have been told The lie that Wall I
street, the big money kings, have driven |
the United States into the war.
That Is a lie which has been dissem- /
mated In the interests Of the German |
Kaiser.
America entered the war because
Germany trampled the rights Of our
people under foot. America entered the
war further because the victory Of
Germany means defect Of democracy,
OF the peoples rule IN Europe as well
as in this country, because the victory
Of Germany means the downfall Of our
free institutions.
Remember how patient President VIII
son was In the face Of the crimes COM
mtted against our fellow citizens by
the ruling powers Of Germany, German
U-boats had killed our fellow citizens
by the hundreds on the high seas.
President Wilson protested; the Kaiser
made promises which he did not keep.
AT the end OF January Of last year the
German Kaiser finally dropped the mask,
and informed the whole world that IN
the future he would have his U-boats
sink without any exceptions, all ships
with everything on board which used
! the great waterways to Europe.
In other words, our fellow citizens,
/ who earn their livelihood by shipping
our wheat and our other products to
other countries, were TO be sunk, to-
gether with their ships, so not even
a trace could be found Of them, Just
because this was demanded by the war
politics Of a European ruler.
Upon your honor now. What would
you think Of a state which would let
It's citizens, bent on peacefully earning
their living, be killed en-masse by a
foreign power and falntheartedly drew
back, instead Of demanding a strict ac-
countability?
Would you not spit on government
which calmly looked on as a foreign
government murdered your fellow-clti-
zens, while possessing means to pre-
vent this?
Now, the government Of the United
States was not cowardly. 1t threw
down the gauntlet TO the German Kai
ser and defended the lives Of its citizen!
entrusted to its care.
That was the immediate cause Of thi
war with Germany and those who still
dare after this TO maintain that thi
greed Of our capitalists plunged th'
United states into the war don't know
what they are talking about. It woul,
have been more profitable for our lnan
ciers had we remained neutral. Fo
under our neutrality, they were con
Quoting excellent business. Little b.
little they were amassing all the none
and all The securities Of Europe as pay
ment for the goods exported in hug
quantities. They did not have TO pa
war taxes as they must do now. u wa
all one to them whether their good
were sunk in the ocean or not. for the
were paid for i'm any event. only pee
ple who arc unable ia think can main
tain that the United states started tn
war against Germany in the interests q
the capialiss
Let us keep In mind that the imm'
diate cause OF The war against Gel
/ many was the declaration of the Ge
man Kaiser that beginning February
1917 he would drown our American fe
. low-citizens who went to sea by q
. thousands.
Let us remember that once befor
. somewhat more than a hundred yea
!, aqo. the United States declared war {
y Englsnd because OF a similar rcaso
!, England had likewise assaulted Anne
: lean citizens, and the republn wou
= not brook this.
When the lives and rights OF its eli
b zens are involved. the United states
3 not 10 be trifled with. Let us be prof
e TO be citizens Of q country which do
:. not shrink back from the greatest sa
rifces when it Is a question OF pr
j. tecting its citizens.
=. In this war, however, America Is d
ID fendlng not only the lives and rights
" It's citizens. 80 is defending also its II
2, institutions and human liberty In Sc
L. eral
President Wilson has declared that
l. would must be made safe for democrat
s, for government by the people.
What do these words OF our elccl
chief executive mean3