Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-14

must be on US. as It has been on
/ the allies who for three years before
we entered the war fought our
cause. 1t is necessary to again
state the case and review the facts
and make ii clear how the struggle
Is against the German people in the
. eyes Of the just God.
When war began we were over
/ JOyeI that We were not in il and re
5oiced that the ocean was between
+ us, and that Washington and Jeffer-
son had deCreed that we were not
To mix in the policies of other ma
tons. We deplored the fact that the
+ war was coming on, that the United
/ States people were to go out. and
We did not see clearly just what
+ the issues and what it meant to us
/ when the president said we must
he neutral, The pro-Germans said
I we were nOn-neutral in that we all
+ lowed our manufacturers and mer-
. chants TO sell the allies war sup
plies, ammuritiOns, artillery, guns,
etc. We did so in accordance with
the rules Of international law,
which allows neutral nations to sell
10 both beIligerents. So we were
safe, But they said We were not
fair TO the two sides. That is not
true. We sold to both sides as long
as we could. England with her
mighty fleets controlled the sea.
She stopped and seized ships on
their way to Germany and took
their commodities. The Germans
got tired of this. because they paid
for ii and England seized it. 1t was
/ not our fault
when the Germans sent a sub
marine to the American shore on
which they brought dyes and which
they sold in Baltimore, they took
what they needed for electrical de-
vices. They took this back with
tlCm The prO-Germans said we
were pluperfet. which meant for
ward. saving that we were abrOgat-
ing the rule of inert international
law. by selling instruments Of
death to kill people we were not
At war with. We did this with one
nation as we'll as with the other
and in accordance with the rules of
International law.
When a representative in con-
gress advocated preparedness, the
people at meme thought they knew
better. They got their way and as
a result we were unprepared.
The first question 1 wish to pre-
sent and argue is. We have declared
war. War now exists. What rights
We had were the rights Of interna-
tiOnal law. The rights to seize
commercial vessels at sea are as
9elLleu as az ne I1I;roi-
estate III Lle sue II - l al'l--
Sili Ply u @" III, anotber
= 'iolioli III sooe
-at-oH ma - - - 80
commeTc!aI NeSSel9 anu oal 81 az 5
they can De taken lhto tIe poL!S anu
SOFA OF SUM. puI me at ( a. : IN
I-J-i9 '--' go a. - ~ sunI5 without
warning to the crew and passengers
and nut into a place of complete
safety before the ship can be sunk
or DESTROYED. This rule the Ger
mans violated. thus sinking vessels
without warning. This is murder
Tra,- said naoDIa in the sub zone
z-ara resno1sihIe They took their
own risks when they knew what
yof,rd hanDen. A fine plea"
He smoke Of how war will soon be
hrougnr to our homes where we
xiii realize that we are at war. He
+nld of Germany's efficiency and
maj thav believed kultur to be God s
-Trrnoea and that it was left to
mem Ia snread it over the world
III smoke OF the German unreason-
irg brutality against the Belgians
~ tho qenteelness and sportsman
H. battles Of the Civil war.
me arc neither Republicans nor
4,o-,rcra+s any more-we are all
Americans he said. when we un-
,5ar+ai,a Man We will see il
,tro+l,b. wa have the money: we
80 3ba resources and the man
newer now let's 20 to it.
Nod Tauap in
w" -
This world VIII not De "orIu
TO live in unless we can uAcIa. 70
peace 70 Germany on German SUI.
And we can we can 90 ~ pS
talking or blaming. we ought 10
spare 10 enoI 4 ooo n06 mon ~
sieat' @ I,l 80, 80 80. of Siberia as
- O. r5fIlion on the western
Il