The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-16
VOICE OF THE CHURCH.

When Germany entered upon its
long predetermined war by invading
Belgium, it definitely began a war
upon all civilization. For four years
the beast of barbarism and of atheism
has clutched at the throat of civiliza-
ton and of Christianity. When Ger
many sank the Lusitania and gloating-
ly fed to the sharks a thousand inno-
cent men, women and children, it
committed the most fearful crime ever
known on the high seas, and indelibly
stamped upon the records of history
the blacklist page that had ever been
recorded. Whatever may have been
the views\of those who prior to the
sinking. of the Lusitania did not real
iZe, perhaps, the magnitude of Ger
many's criminal acts. there was never
from that moment the possibility of
any man or woman attempting to ex-
cnse the fiendish act and thereby ia
voring Germany without at the same
time definitely becoming a co-partner
with. and an upholder of its awful
crimes against womanhood, childhood
and civilization and Christianity.
For nearly three years America held
aloof from the struggle and was pro-
tected by the armies and the navies
of England and France and Italy as
they struggled in the death grapple
with barbarfsfn.
For more than one year America
has been engaged in this great strug-
gle alongside of our allies, and upon
the outcome of this struggle rests the
future of all civilization and of Chris
tianity itself. ANY failure on the part
of America and our allies to carry this
war to the final conclusion as to
whether barbarism or civilization shall
exist, would be fatal to the best inter-
est of mankind.
AS Germany and its allies now see
that they are inevitably doomed to
defeat, since civilization is greater
than barbarism, and since the powers
| of heaven are greater than the pow
ers of hell, we may expect a continu-
alton of the efforts of Germany and
Austria and Turkey and Bulgaria to
| seek peace without punishment They
will use every influence in this and
| other countries to create a sickIy
mawkish, neurotic sentiment against
| the punishment of criminals. They
are already moving in every possible
| way to bring about a peace which
would leave their crimes unpublished
and permit them to prepare for an
other war.
The foregoing is a part of a pre-.
amble written by r. II. Edmonds, edi.
tor of the Manufacturers Record, tc
resolution adopted by the First Bap-
fist church of Baltimore. The resolu.
ton follows:
! In view of these facts we desire to
| place upon record our earnest ap-
| peal to the president of the United
states, and to congress- that no word
| OF peace shall be uttered in this
country until Germany and its allies
| have Internationally surrendered
| their armies and their navies; and
| we earnestly pray that in justice to
all the civilization of the centuries
| to come. in Justice to the millions
! who have died upon the battlefields
! IN defense of civilization, in justice
to the outraged women and the
| mangled children, that President
| wilson will insist that there shall
| be no peace until after an uncondi-
tional surrender, and until the lead
| ing criminals have with their lives
paid for their fearful crimes. I'm
less this be done, civilization would
place a premium upon crime and
| give encouragement for other wars
| by showing that it did not have the
| moral backbone to inflict punish
ment upon those responsible for the
most awful war which the world
has ever known.