New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-26
MOB RULE SPIRIT
AID To GERMANY
WILSON DECLARES
President Appeals to Nation for
Justice and Humanity for Those
Accused Of Grimes
EVERY MAN A TRAITOR
WHO HELPS LYNCHINGS

Summary Executions in United States
Eagerly Seized Upon by Enemy as
Argument Our Democracy and Fair
ness Are Shams-Eyery Such Act
of Violency Blow at Americas Wei
fare.
Wilson today, in personal statement,
addressed to his fellow countrymen,
denouncing mob spirit and mob action,
called upon the nation to show the
world that while it fights for democ-
racy on foreign fields, it is not de-
stroying democracy at home. The
president referred not alone to mob
action against those suspected of be-
ing enemy aliens or enemy Svmpathiz-
ers; he denounces most. emphatically
mob action of all sorts, especially
lynchings, and, while he did not refer
especially to lynchingS of negroes in
the south, it is known that he included
them in his characterization of mob
spirit as "a blow at the heart of orr
dered law and humane justice"
1t is known that the lynchings Of
negroes, as we'll as attacks upon those
suspected of being enemies or sympa-
thizers, have been used by the German
propaganda throughout Central and
South America as well as in Europe
to contend that the pretensions of the
United States as a champion Of de-
mocracy are a sham
Deeply concerned hv the sit1atio,,
the president decided to address his
fellow cOuntrymen, and to declare that
every mob contributes to German
lies about the United States what her
most gifted liars cannot improve upon
by way of ca1umny''
The Presidents Statement.
The presidents statement in full fol-
lows:
My Fellow Countrymen:
II take the liberty of addressing you
upon subject which SO Nitally affects
the honor of the nation and the yerz,
character and integrity of our insti-
tutions that l trust you will think me
justified in speaking very plainly about
it.
Il allude to the mob spirit which
has recently here and there very fire.
quentIy shown it's head amongst us,
SN''y
and widely separated parts of the
country. There have been many
Enchings, and every one of them has
been q blow at the heart of ordered
law and humane justice. No man who
loYeS America, no man who really
cares for her fame and honour and
character, or who is truly loyal to her
institutions, can justify mob action
while the courts of justice are open
and the governments of the states
and the nation are ready and able to
do their duty. We are at this very
moment fighting IaWless passion.
Germany has outlawed herself among
the nations because she has disre-
, garded the sacred obligations of law
and has made lynchers of her armies.
Lynchers emulate her disgraceful eX-
ample. l, for my part. am anxious to
see every community in America rise
above that level, with pride and a
fixed resolution which no man or set
of men can afford to despise
Every Mob Participant a Traitor.
I'VE proudly claim to be the cham
ptons of democracy. If we really are,
in deed and in truth, let us see to it
that we do not discredit our own. I
say plainly that every American who
takes part in the action of a mob or
gives any sort of Countenance is no
true son of this great democracy, but
It's betrayer and does more to discredit
her by that single disloyalty to her
standards of law and right, than tn e
words of her statesmen or the sacri-
fees of her heroic boys in the trench
es can do to make suffering peoples
believe her to be their saviour. How
shall we commend democracy to the
acceptance of other peoples, if we dis
grace our own by proving that it is
after all, no protection to the weak ?
Every mob contributes to German lies
about the United States, what he1
most gifted liars cannot improve
upon by the way Of calumny, They
ran at least say that such things can
AContinued on Fourteenth Pagel