America's Determination

Levin Daily Chronicle, 9 April 1918, Page 4

America's Determination

PRESIDENT WILSON'S SPEECH. NEW YORK, April 7. President Wilson's speech at Baltimore was on the occasion of the celebration of America's acceptance of Germany's challenge to fight and the inauguration of the Third Liberty Loan. The President declared the nation was awake. There was no need to call. It knew the war must cost the utmost sacrifice of the lives of our best men, and, if need be, all we possess. The people were ready to lend their utmost, even where it meant sharp skimping and daily sacrifice. The cause we were fighting for stands more sharply revealed now than ever before. The America's way now is more sure than ever before. The cause is their own, and if it should be lost their own great nation's place and mission in the world would be lost. He reminded the audience that ho had never judged Germany's purposes intcmperately. He would be ashamed to speak the turbulent weak language of hate or vindictive purpose. He sought to learn the objects of Germany from her own spokesmen to deal frankly with them, as he wished them to deal with him. America proposed to commit no injustice and no aggression. He was ready whenever the final reckoning was made to be just to the German people and to deal fairly with German power. The German leaders have answered, in unmistakable terms, that not justice, but dominion and the unhindered execution of their own will, is what they want. This avowal has not come from Germany's statesmen, but from her military leaders who are her*teal rulers.

After reviewing the various German peace oilers the President compared them with their actions in Russia, Finland and elsewhere, which followed these professions. The execution of these actions proclaimed a very different conclusion to such professions. Are we not justified in believing they would do the same thing on the western front if they were not face to face with the armies which their countless divisions cannot overcome? If, when they have felt their check to be final, they should propose favourable and equitable terms in regard to Belgium, France and Italy. Could they blame us if we concluded they did so only to assure themselves a free hand in Russia and the East Tiehr purposes undoubtedly are to make all the slavic peoples and all the free nations of the Baltic Peninsula slaves to their ambitions. All the lands Turkey has dominated and mis-ruled are the object of their will and ambition, and they hope to build upon that dominion an empire of force, whereupon fancy can erect an empire of gain and commercial supremacy—an empire as hostile to America as to Europe, which it will overawe, an empire which will ultimately master Persia, India, and the peoples of the Far East.

That programme once carried oui, President Wilson proceeded, America and all who care for, or dare stand with her, must arm themselves to contest this mastery of the world —a mastery wherein the rights of men, women, and all who are weak enough would, for the time being, be trodden under foot and the old age-long struggle for freedom and right begin again. He was ready even now to discuss a fair, just, and honest peace, if put forward with sincere purpose. But the answer when he proposed such a peace came from the German commanders in Russia, and the meaning of the answer could not be mistaken. Therefore he accepted the challenge, "and I know you accept it," lie said. "All the world shall know you accept it. The answer shall appear in the utter sacrifice of self, the forgetfulness with which we shall give all that we love, and all that we have, to renew the world and make it fit and free for men like ourselves to live in. My fellow countrymen, henceforth let everything we plan to accomplish ring true to this response, till the majesty and might of our concerted power utterly defeats the force of those who flout and misprize what we honour and hold dear. Therefore, but one response is possible from us. Force must be opposed to force, to the utmost of our force, without stint or limit —the righteous and trumphant iorcc which shall make right" the law of the world, and cast selfish dominion down in the dust."