“THE WORLD’S ENEMY.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VII, Issue 338, 28 November 1917, Page 7

“THE WORLD’S ENEMY.”

WHY AMERICA IS FIGHTING GERMANY. TERAIS OF PEACE. Atlantic City. Sept. 18It is now 1,900 years since Caspar j defeated the Germans in FranceWhen they came asking for terms he said, “Go back whence you came. repair the damage you have done, and give hostages to keep the peace lor the future.” This war will end when Germany knows that she must give hostages to keep the peace in future. With these words Air. Lane. Secretary of the Interior, the strongest man in Air. AVilson’s Cabinet, aroused the greatest meeting of American business men ever held to intense enthusiasm. The occasion was a convention of the Chambers of Commerce of the United States, which had been formally opened this morning by Air. Baker, Secretary of War. and chairman of the Council ot National Defence. Lord Northch’ffe and Air. Hoover will address the Conven-

Wil. nuuver not auuivos uio tion before it adjourns. • Air. Lane in his speech said:--. We have determined on war. That is settled. There is no appeal against that determination. People under law have made it To accept the conclusion of Congress and President makes this a Republic. There is no appeal but revolution. The American people are determined to resist the aggressions oi Germany—a Germany that broke her word to us ; a Germany that sought to start a revolution inside our border ; a Germany that sought to bring enemies upon us from the outside while wo were al peace with her : a Germany that first borrowed money in this country and then grew angry because her enemies followed her lead : a Germany that grew angrier still because we sold munitions to her enemies* following the indisputable legal right she herself, frequently exercised: a Germany that in violation of her owu word sank the ships we sent to feed the starving Belgians: a Germany that pretended to, fear Russia, that did not have one-half enough riffbs to arm her troops, nor enougli munitions to supply tiiem for a month, nor euougn railroads to carry trie munitions tney mid: a Germany otiose national poucy was to teacn cacit tuition to distrust every otJicr nation, wuose miuta-ry policy was to spread tecior, wnosc natal poncy was to prey upon neunaisj a Germany wbo uclie ecu tnat all oilier peoples must live only witn her consent ana tuat sue must bring an peoples I into a constant stale ot suoscrvivuco ' and tear. | We are against tins Germany because we cannot lire nitii her. Sue is our enemy because she is tlie world's enemy, j We tiglit her because we cannot be friendly with her. Slie does not know what friendship is. SUe asks that her friends dishonour themselves. those who are not for hei aro against her. She is an organized ambition that is hostile to the world's peace. Ji were is a better Germany inside her and she will show it, she can again be restored xo the family of nations as a iiietid. But we are determined wo shall fight Germany, that revealing spying, intriguing, terrorising Germany, until the better Germany honestly says:—“We want to live upon the same conditions as our fellows. We realize that the day of another Roman Empire has passed. We are conscious that no man can play Napoleon now. lie wish to play the 29th-centurv game tinder 20th-century rules. AVe ’believe, with our genius for organization, our intense absorption in work, we can win our way tq a place in the sun without spies, without intrigues. without terror.” It is now 1,900 years since Caesar defeated the Germans in France. When they came asking terms he said io. them “Go { back when you came, repair the damage you have done, give, hostages, keep the, peace for the future.” This war will end when Germany knows she must give hostages to keep the peace in future. It was an ancient barbaric custom to take the princes and high men as hostages. This custom Gcrmanv followed when she entered Belgium. But the world, does not ask such hostages to-day. It is the proolem of the world to discover what kind ot hostages Germany can give when she has been convinced that her hope ol world overmastery cannot come true.