The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-01-19
Has Ample Power to Handle NAL
contents, Says Attorney
General Gregory.
SACRIFICES MUST BE MADE
Some Called Upon to Break With
Friends and Kindred AS Those
Did Who Secured Liberties
Enjoyed Today.
BY THOMAS w. GREGORY,
Attorney General of the United State

The sporadic activities OF a lew agi-
tators who, led by good or bad motives,
seek to hamper our work in the war
justify me as the chief law officer Of
the executive branch of the govern
ment in calling attention to the duties,
moral and legal, OF all persons owing
temporary or permanent allegiance to
the United States.
The German government began this
war by a contemptuous breach of it's
formally plighted faith made in solemn
treaty and from the beginning until
now has more than made good this
ominouS earnest of it's intention and.
temper. The president has shown u.s.
how n by one, as opportunity offered,
the safeguards which civilization has
been able during the centuries to throw
around neutrals and the n~onfighting
people of warning nations were ruth
Iessly torn down how patient and long
suffering remonstrance and request
were net by fair words, and fairer
promises made only to be broken.
We all know as but sober fact, plainly
stated, that the imperial government
has allowed no rule of war, no prin-
ciple of civilization, no consideration
of humanity, no teaching of Christian
ity to stand between it and the work
ing out of it's illegal purposes. For
half a century that government has
schemed and prepared to dominate the
world by "blood and iron" For half
a century the officials of the imperial
government, from the kaiser down,
Including even the teachers of their
children, have prostituted the minds
of their youth until the whole people
has been led to a liberation, if not ap-
prevail, of the hideous outrages and
barbarities practiced by that govern.
ment in this war. While yet we were
neutral, struggling to keep free from
the conflict, the representatives Of that
government in this country planned
to destroy our factories and our rail-.
roads, forged our public papers, de-
ceived US when convenient, violated
u hospitality and Our sovereignty,
while they plotted against our terrific
rial integrity; they deliberately and
with malice and %affronting forewarn-
ing drowned our helpless women and
babes and declared a public holiday
that their own innocent children might
celebrate the murder.
Seek to Rule.
They have bombarded unfortifed
towns and bombed the unprotected
homes of their foes, taking their toll Of
wounded and dead from the aged and
infirm, the young and the helpless.
They have made barren desert of the
garden spots Of the earth; they have
needlessly piiIaged and willfully
burned towns; they have reduced to
slavery men. and children |;
they have wrecked and torn asunder
families with a system diabolical in
its efficiency.
AS the war has gone on, the ultimate
ain of the imperial government has
become more and more clear. Drunk
with the sense Of its own power and
its asserted superiority, it has pro-
posed to secure a dominating position
for itself and for its system over the
entire world. Nowhere yielding to the
people their rightful powers, and
everywhere seeking to uphold autoc-
raey and despotism, 1t has shown its
intention to perpetuate absolute gov
eminent of which it admittedly is the
head and front. It's "kultur' is
avowed to be the acme of human good
ness and endeavor, and is to boast the
rulership of the world, gained by force
and arms.
The world must fight to preserve
itself. Of this there can be no doubt.
Kings Against Peoples.
Heretofore, save in rare cases, war
has been a fight between armies; but
this var because of the initial prepar-
alton for it by an autocracy which
prostituted a whole mighty nation to
its purpose is a contest between peoples
themselves. 1t is correspondingly in
tense and relentless. The march of
events shows taat it is now a war of
system-kings against peoples. If
our enemy win, kings will dominate
the world, because no democracy fights
with or for them. The PIussian auto
crat and the brutal Turk will impose
upon us their wills, tell US what we
may do, what we may not do, and the
horrors and atrocities of Belgium and
Armenia leave no doubt what this
means.
Thus our own very life came to be
bound up in the outcome of this war
long before we entered it, and even
years before the war broke. To the
man of vision it is as clear as sunlight
that the aim and the plan of the i'm
Derial government was and is to con-
ouer the world, nation by nation. 1t
was first to defeat France and Russia,
next to dominate Great Britain, and
with Europe at its feet to turn to
America. "Kultur" and the German
sword were to rule around the world.
Congress Gave Pledge.
With all this before them congress,