WHY AMERICA ENTERED THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 16779, 6 July 1918, Page 9

WHY AMERICA ENTERED THE WAR

The notion of the United States Government in issuing an authoritative document in support of the President's policy in recommending Congress to declare war against the Teutonic Empires has been universally endorsed. And no more fitting time—the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—could have been chosen for circulating in British-speaking countries this illuminating, incontrovertible, and imposing arraignment of Hun perfidy, and for the exposure of his manifold crimes against humanity. Let every lover of Right read, mark, and inwordly digest this historic 'document, together with the copious citations of fact that accompany it. These annotated texts are supplied by Mr Guy S. Ford, Director of the Division I on Civic and Educational Co-operatiuii, i (Continued from yesterday's issue.) We have no quarrel with the German people. We have no feeling toward them hut one of sympathy and friendship. It was not upon their impulse that their government acted in entering th? war. (i'S) It was not with their previous knowledge or approval (£!f) It was a, war determined upon as wars used to be determined upon in the old unhappy days, when poonles woto. nowhere consulted by their rulers arid wars were provoked and waged in '(ho iniarest of dynasties (So) or of little .-roups oi ambit'.ous rno.n who were accustomed to use their fellow men as p.r-vr..- and tools. | (?.l) When the crisis was prrcipifa'ed late' in July. 1914, there was a strong peace, party in GeiM a::y, iind earnest p;oie;t? were made against. letting Austrian aggression ar/airst Serbia Eta t. a world conflagration. In Berlin on July 29, 28 mas- into ings were he'd to denounce the proposed war, and on" of thorn is said to have, been attended by 70 000 men. Tho ' Vonvacrtis' (the gioat organ of the Socialist-) declared on that day "the. In 'ications proved beyond a doubt fat the

e""->:r ih o*' win - lord? is working with iibsoiutely untcnipulous to oar.y out their ienCil (ic = .gii to |.r oip't:i!c an international war iivd (o i-tart a world-wide firo to devastate E iroyie." On the 31st this samp- paper a-serial that I lis poii.-y of the German Govriiimcnt w:ii ! "utterly without con-cienc.p " Then name the dchiration of " war emer ..<>-.ry'' (Kriopr^pfali■). molvlisntion, martini law, and ,my oxpri s=iou of public opinion w<:s stilled in Germany. fZ't) The German people had not -the 1 li r I 1i f m sniping fh= eien' which I <lto to t'i d clu Iloi o' v> l The Gf m n Ih pno i cd ci b tic Impun] to i o nih p id <il \ ukciiUo v ower nil' mitten oi foici_u )oi i The Reich ii ii id c\fii i em iln \" v ct m f-mh mflttt s Jhj (pi in <on iu i n(i t 11) b mj ti ihf I rape or jr fir p wei 10 ( mi cot ci (cpc i t nid elite ito il rai e d Jhp-pion n ' u ni ilefcll p uit ma.) Ofkr'utd bi th Fin it oi akiuo n i I p we in 1 i i i (ode are t J aid n\ lb i wu iiili u oi i-ulting any hj 0 t l 'j a \ l p i no I quel i i ii hj n tm s 1 f \ i id nit c 1 t a i w i ( t i„ t m mt Willi mi II dc c r 1 wn \\i Imt tikaiif, li ptcp'tin < ti ~ht t co fid ce im il fit ( ni dt J t (1 i ( Hi vi I t i t ndemi ol rc«poi ible Cc mil (it -sn <ii ) i bini to no Hip nooj 1c nit if _n till Jhe « ill Ch n ti'ti lie \ i i now t ucl ill ir' l\ b uut'i < i tl l in d hi t! p ( in IK Ml in ipthlp ot It _ v nine-til im £ V» f> ! I 111 1 | 3 1 If ll pCt p P i f o \\ Imi 11 p"h v. Vo it mi n n r n Ijl died to low hi in o of hi ii i Tila ( c a.ull on \—t pt u m o i -d i i, m ''OlO Ii) I m ii] on n tli a thr ms unit i if the Io d l craul i 0 i k \ md th t] in ot the I out 1 ,o ci' i i v, n \nd ano lirt tun Tr e i 1 i on m i l li 1 i co i tn I 1 lb I 1 d 1 Wlh IK 11 110 r* li i lit il i i' j be i \ fn 1 of I u to i ) n c 1 im v 1 » l lu_ it it i Ihj i\ill o r to' l i t tht c ' t i i\\ ( ) 1 < d m \ul polat H h<>il m m nil el vi i th o Jot b VIV w it h\ t i In i mos ( \ to hj own oi> n 1 i eir t uil wnli cxt en civ 1 ! 1 1 I li Hill 1 I 0 it i d 11 i u ii t ict, hi ilttol iu ce Jj e A lr tin did li M 1,1 (i_ 11 ill 1(0 ) , u ill u a\ ai li >i) t tun i t Im nn f thi hj u ti i no \o t n ii \ m r i , v il i li Im a nil nlii 1 in l ] I ot '-pi i J in i t tli i t MI thr i si lit |l 1 u ' ) 11 l ' to 1 tli p i i li i * l 11 ) J 1 i i i, pi i i I ni t , ( > < ' t I i a \ i t 1 H II t 1 <P 1 \ ' I ' 1 1 1 11 II 1 1 1 < 1 f> I t ) I t f I'l 1 'll ] it |i \ \ i i I r I i e fiM t i 1 1 < . I ( t 1i.,11 ' % 1 i s bl it ni i i , i, 1 f ' in n ( r l i l ( ) r r il til d e t i tl o n ji I t i ru i i■" re 11 hj I mi Ii it \ i > 1 n a i i i- i t' \ f v t 1 i \ i t t t i li r ii, , i 1 "it b< n i p di p u ii li I, c It i \ 1 ll I 1 t > i ' s i it l i I \ ll 1) ill u II Oil 11 11 ' hj in v. uj j i ' 1 li n I\' i id \ t i t a \ 1 id n 1 on 0 n n pti i 1 i \ w i 1 hj r\ 1 11 11 ic r r I i 1 tc a c m I r i>l 1 he t 1 ti i ( tin t i n hi it cnn i „ [1 p tti 1 i oi t ( ' I i r \ ii a 1 v r 11 \t e i i Ik < i a i % in i t i ( i on l i 11 > c \ 1 (hj \ 1 (l i t tc t t in t p i i un<■ p I i ibtr in t fi~l %thr ti | ll Mil 1 1 ' of i i Tti) i i i la c ! n n l' Im b t i I ' ' b • ut i ' int is lu t it I it I i'\ 1 t ! ic i ci cd i> 1 In i' !i m ' r n I n • tli u, ( , at \» 1 d »i l m til In 1 ! H i w rith \ I t'i ii n ii 1 ' i on„ t t b th l oti! o t i v-l'i i Tl ] <■ T t (~ „ I Itl lc It ii in 'a 1 nnt < n nil ii o 311 ) till Oil i>e n i n i f ' \ i itn 1)) n f i ni» i I ) t it tit t o t ] 1 t ' 1 t ) 1 t, f i I'll i ) p ( >wn t n ' b" 1 i I o ii < l si I i 1 i frit i nt ' 1 t it t'll t i r Hr ' 1 i r t t l i n('<l Til 1 (l ill/'" \ i 1 ni f . i int 1 it <,\ p«) '" i i < i pi i p } , c b K o lit id ti l f th C ■,) (> i Up wln ?tip so P i <i rail o j cincth iil to 'li m\ c id ni j r " p « i 1 c i t ' ' 0 oi b hj in i r n i 'mt o | 13 0 t - ti B 1,-' f ih-t i the "ti * "a\ nrr it r c r a urn i ' 1 i li pol teal in \ a <o i "i p a i wa i th T nr I r jr'i id ~i i" o c pub n i p ran n Ti i i a a i l^ i ' 1 a s f ill T i\iDhr i 1 i rl r i hi " *t Inn I ti , jit"o f ai i i\p\he i lid v i hj i ih » 1 s ) it ier> ti Ush u t r u1 n i _itlo I s , hi' i l via i rto , le to th Pen i < t pa I ii" c ■* oltlc as 0 tin ( ite ot iS in\ d b( ii i cut ion i and s'a pui d the uoid n r of t c trie ; tram from the King, ve y modelate'.y iliaed 6o a» to n ate it apoeu Hit a j 1 1 be alt insult had hptn off md tne F T n n imbastador, and then gave out th's Uxi oi it dr«n±iU fo »Jaljcatioa Ih s bo ca

FOR TBE PROTECTION OF WEAK NATIONS and in defence of' right. telling indictment ®f em treacrery and frigbtfulness. am arresting document.

ra?cd Paris public opinion that war was inv me .lately declared.

b.sni«rck took great pride in this stroke, ' and the facts are related in ail the standard : German histories, as well as many others ; which copy thrm. ! always regarded the. manner m which he prcc'pitated this war es a masterpiece of statecraft. It remained a kind of example of true public policy for the ( next generaiion of public men in Gennauv. I (See the account by Bismarck himself in his | memoirs translated as 'Bismarck, the Man and Hie S ate.;i«m.') ! (-S) The great humanitarian aims of The, j Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907 : were i\>c limitation of armaments and tfca I oornpin'ory s . b (ration of international dis- : putcs. Unanimity among the world Powers i was essential to f:e success o? both. None dared d.sarin unless all would do so. Tho > great democracies, Great Britain. France, j and the United States, favored both proposij lions, but Germany, leading the opposition, prevented their adoption. She agreed with rr.hicrauee to a cohv.- atl on for optional arbi- ! tiation, but rcfu-ed at the second conference even to discuss disarmament. (See Scott. James Btvwn. 'The Hague Peace Conferences : of 1809 and 1907,' 1., index ' Armaments' and . Arbitration.') ( i Does not pvery American feel that as- ; s_urar.ro has been added to our hope for j tho future peace of the world by the won- ; deriul and heartening things 'that have , boon happening within the last few weeks ! m Russia? Russia was known by.those i knew her best to have been always ! in fact democratic at heart in all the ; vital habits of her thought, in all the imitate relationships ni her people that spok',; their natural instinct, theij habitual attitude toward life. The autocracy that crowned the summit of her political structure, long as it had stood and terrible as '-as the reality of its power, was not in fact Russian in origin, character, or purpose. f?0) and now if has been shaken off arid the, j.'-nerous Russian ooplc have be?n in all their raf-o naj-sty and rnl/ht, to the forces that are fie tame for freedom in the world, for justice, and for pe 'oe. Here is a fit partner ior a league of honor. _ (20) Hie whole autocratic regime has been imuosed on a people whoee instincts and insti'ir ions are fundamentally democratic. The deposed Ffmanoff dynasty besran in an eW'on amo-fr the nob!-'?. Peter the Great and the more d sno'ic of his sue e-sor-c:ct,v| larer-Iv hy imitation and Adaptation of German bureaucracy the machinery with whielthey _ rulrd. Underneath (bis un-Russia machinery of de=poiism Russian communal and lonal h'fo Iras preserved itself with wonderful vitality. During the Tlussian revolution of 1905-05 it was perfectly evident (hat the German Government were doing their uttermost to help t 1 e T'-ar and 1 Tie old recime. The pas=agg of rcvomtion.vy e.xihs into Germany was coiu tdnntly hindered: many were arrested b? tho Prussian police, and all who succeeded in entering Germany were kept under oon. slant espionage. The Tsar and the Kaiser were band iu glove to a large extent before the war broke out. The Go-man White Paper, which was published at (he outbreak of the war. containing telegrams which passed personally between Nicholas 11. and Wilhc-lm 11., gives rc.p-aled appeals from one to the other as representatives of a common interest.

One of the things that have servod to u t! t 1 I rus lan autocracy t 1 cer be ur fie d I t t 1 t*et Itl lie ert, r t ) ill i) rm] ]ct ni; om | t c o i o e of go\ei i t t 1 1 sel in u! m * c 1 i it a iat o i i 1 t c n«pl ou" p au, ritl ' t 1 i on ] str id o r i) I d 1 it now c\ dt it tl t to I re e <»n 1 ofoie 1 e r I ' t nh p) H not i f n < p I taf ft rroven ts I ff tl it th ntr a 1 e it r co p] i ] hj f I < tr! n (le pc p nj , ! ' ' *' to of tlo m ' ' f 1 nt the i t t n *1 nt 1 f f un r tl» 1 r ° ' <* f 1 il eni r 1 !' f n <■ acrr 1 t&J t 1 ' «• n 1 [ n <vl '•tit-. I fJ " lid rrnnr -mt 1 r rio of p lopolcr) f o 1 1 11 1 H 1 e t r t-p o I t n 1 (]p t I i nol l a c 1 P I 1 * e ft ( t c ' I on n \ ! 'e I TI 1 hj I t I i tl f O 1 1 co i ' p ; I ill p o I n ( r 'l\ c , n <? o ' o t r t 1 a I , r ,' A, ' ""'Be t" g to 110 v i <"t la 1 r t r> ' nfnll bc f 1 o n '<- o I tl „ r I be r n c B p c , r . I r n (Til c li' * C ' t ' ' 1 1 Cinidi T , 1 1 mi 1 1 ' 1 to tl c c s of < r r m I n ] "I <■ n< t n ' 1 1 hat cr teUicd t I on ! rs t ° 1 nin Inr an , 1 t- ou C r 1 ' s T In on t f n ent ir ] 1 0 n * T * t hjm t p f L i f ' i lot T 3 It Mot eo ] . a tan <yu T ! n r t I roves of micl> CoJe stfnda_d . 1 ) ' -. , t"5 (- 1 ? icc'W'tißr n r o t c P I nof d -or I p p <t n SO-.-X1 t i r t„ n\ ' « prm w ' ' to ti w tan ro ra.\ i I o 1 ex 1~ tn n „f n-scf th rcl 1 " ° c * of -oons fr e t i , "■" n ' hj T Cnnfrrene-^ ' ! < ( a tii no 1 d b » r 1 Tl O % n t d)