The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-07-28

| the dTtnd VI Tic IdCL anu pOiitlCS VIC
feel the same freedom in discussing
their utterances that we would feel
in discussing the statements of any
one else. Hence we venture, with all
due respect to question the deduc-
tions of the distinguished Detroit
prelate, as quoted above.
In contradistinction to Bishop
Gallagher, we favored the entry of
the United States into the war on the
side of the allies because we felt that
in so doing our country was joining
forces with other more or less demo-
cratic peoples in fighting the most
CALLING and arrogant autocracy on the
face of the earth throwing our weight
into the balance against the most
insolent, constituencies, crafty and
dangerous despotism known to mod
ern history. And further, the rape
of Belgium and the beastiality of the
! German military forces in the occu-
pied areas both of that country and
| France filed us with loathing that
challenged the fighting spirit. And is
there any room for doubt as to the
inhuman character of German war
practices? Not unless we would
question the word Of the heroic Car
dinal MERCER, of Malines, and the
almost limitless corroboi alive testi-
mony of our own citizens who were
on the ground and claimed to have
personal knowledge OF the facts. So
much, then, for the moran side of the
case.
Now, just brief reference to the
practical issues involved. Can any
one doubt that German supremacy in
Europe could have meant anything
else than war between that power and
the United States? Could powers so
radically opposed in political tradi-
ton and practice have remained at
peace amid the commercial complica-
tons that must surely have followed
German victory? The idea to us
appears preposterous. Beside, we
have the word of our own ambassador
as to what the German emperor said
he proposed to do to America in
event he won in Europe. Sounding
the German aim from the so-called
socialistic side we have the pro-
nouncement of Macmillan Harden,
made early in the war, in the day of
the empires great successes, that
"Germany's hour has struck" Fur
thermore, supporting the views of
these representatives of the extremes
of German politics, was the contemp-
tuous attitude of the German press
and people generally toward the
United States during the early period
of the war. From the practical side,
then, we favored getting into the war
while we had friends and help to fight
ing alone with all of the ornaments
and all of the peoples of Europe
against us, as they would have been,
either actively or passively, had we
stood idly by and permitted Germany
to win the great conflict.
To say, as Bishop Gallagher virtu-
ally does, that we were hoodwinked
into participation in the war, is not
only to ignore the facts, as we see
them, but to be scarcely compliment
tary to the intelligence of our one
hundred ten millions or more of
people nor to the sincerity of their
government as to its domestic propa-
ganda.
Addressing ourselves to the ques-
ton of what we got out of the war,
we sincerely believe we got out of it
as much as we reasonably should
have expected to get. Not all we
hoped to get, truly, but as much, COM
paratively, as as any other nation
got. The difference in the rewards
represents a difference in ideals.
We proved to the world that we were
not a nation of money grabbing pol
troons that we were as ready to fight
for principle as some others were to
fight for plumber. We maintained
our national dignity and the honor
of our flag. We established our
claim to international respect. We
demonstrated that sovereign
people could be intelligent enough
and patriotic enough to yield requi-
site respect to law and discipline in
supreme crisis. We were instru
mental in saving the principles and
institutions of political freedom and
we exhibited moral strength to the
world that will be more to our ad-
vantage in the years to come than
would arbitrary sway over immense
foreign territories and millions of
of unwilling subjects" If the last
named items are what the reverend
gentleman had in mind, by way of
comparison, we can say to him that if
we have any comprehension OF the
aspirations of the American people,
they have desired nothing Of the kind.
1t is our proud history in this war
participated that we did not go in
for the sake of what we could get
out. We have gone in because it
was right to go in and the circum-
stances were favorable for accom-
plishment, and in the absence of any
selfish incentive Providence has
seemed to reward us more richly than
any other nation has been rewarded
in all time. May it be our good
fortune ever to hold fast to the safe
anchorage of our traditions in this
respect.
The bishops statement, we mag
inc, was inspired by his antipathy to
England and his devotion to the
cause of Ireland. Of either of
these sentiments we have no DISPOSE
ton to complain. In country such
as ours pride Of race that does no
violence to the obligations of citizen
ship is but natul al and is admirable.
Devotion to the great cause of human