THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 268, 20 April 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA.

America has been supremely patient with G rmany. Words feebly express the patience this peace-loving nation has shown. It has boon tolerant, longsuffering, Christianlike in its neutral. ity. It nas all but turned the other cheek in ord r to preserve a traditional friendship, to keep its conscience clean, and to avoid being drawn into the European cataclysm. It has be.<:i slow to wroth—so slow to wrath tint, in an hour of prevalent and contagions bellig roncy, it has seemed by contrast a nation without !>!oocl or spirit, lacking virility, its Aniericansm at lowest ebb, its national idealism vanishing, atid pride of country gone. With these words, the Seattle ''Post Intelligencer" prefaces an article in which, on March "2 it forecasted the momentous decision which the United States has now made For two years and mere, Germany has offered affront after affront to this neutral republic, treated its obligations as mere scraps of paper, made travesty of intern at inoal Jaw, murdered on the high s?a.- hundreds of Americans exercising the privilege of citizenship, used the German embassy at Washington as the operating baso tor criminal activities and treacherously spread a piopagantla of disloyalty tlirougnout this easy-going land. In the face of these circumstances, it is not surprising that the "Post Intelligencer" should admit that what America nas endured —patiently endured, while the Bryans, the Fords, the Jane Addamses, the Amos P'ncliots and lessor Miss Nancys have ciied "Peace, peace," when there was no peace—has , exemplified a forbearance beyond tho power of language to illuminate. But the revelations of February brought the s ; n:ster spectacle to a climax. The brazen machinations of the wicked house of Hohenzollern reached a culmination within America's own gates, in a bold plot, officially exposed, to incite Mexico and Japan " to matte va» upon this patient, peace-craving people." In tho light of recent developments tlio remainder of the "Post Intelligencer's" eloquent article "is worthy of being quoted in full:— And now the sinister spectacle Is brought to a climax, the brazen ma- 1 chinations of the wicked houso of Ho-! henzollern reach a culmination within our own gates, in a bold plot, officially exposed, to incite Mexico and Japan to make war upon this patient, peacecraving people! Has ever history re- 1 corded a chapter more abhorrent or 1 foreign intrigue so diabolical! It is no ! time now to count the cost of our sup-' r,emr>, sublime patience. Whatever tho' cost, our conscience- is the clearer tor it. Von Bernstortf undeniably doseived his passports when Boy-Ed and Von 1 Papon received theirs. He knew all about the iniquitous work in wh-eJi they were engaged and doubtless m-l spired it. There was amplo warrant tor tho severance of relations then. The president acted wit:i extreme kmdh- 1 ness—not to say shortsightedness—and j moderation. imagine how Theodore Roosevelt would have handled such cufjjrits—or Grover Cleveland or Benjamin Harrison. Tile .patient McKinlev summarily dismissed a diplomatic envoy for a more bit of clumsy letter wilting, whereas, after making scapo goats of underlings, the MachiavejUan \on Beiustortf, in this later decade, • has been unmolested for months while-! plotting high crimes against the nation I and endangering its industries and its' institutons. How potential Germany I has bein in fomenting troublo across' the border and keeping alive the tires I cf anarchy no one can surely say. It has cost treasure by the millions"; no I less than patience at Washington,' io in check and under survoillanee tie conspiring designs of an arch and conscienceless foe. But this is no time to dweil upon the mistake of overpatience and, as already said, there is' compensation for it all in the knowledge I that not an iota of provocation attach-! es to our patient, tolerant course. Bewaro the wrath or a patient man is i.n' adage that we devoutly hope will to-j day find demonstration in Woodrow W llson. And let it be hop.'d, also, tliat' righteous resentment burning within tiio heart of every lover of this country wi]l rouse the sleeping patriotism and Americanism for which the nation for weary months has longed. When the head of tlie family discovers a marauder tunneling under his home, j with design to blow up and destroy tho houso and its inmates, it is hardly a time to palter with the intruder orj discuss the adventure with him. It is a time, only, for instant and immedi-j ate frustration of the plot and for such' full and complete safeguarding against' future plotting as may be possible. The, people, of tins country have been rudely j awaken* d from the concerns of pea 0ful industry, theiv altruistic attitude toward the belligcimt world, and their j earnest desire that peace should come to Europe "without victory." Tho re-J velations contained in the story sent' out by the Associated Press concerning' the German plot against the life of this : nation must change the American attitude of patient waiting to one of deliberate purpose to place the German power beyond further possibility of harm to us. A European peace with-1 cut victory, in the light of the revelations of German treachery, would be a crime. Germany must be thoroughly defeated and its power for evil to the' remainder of the world forever ttcw-j troyed. To permit any other settlement of die present war would bo to suffer a dangerous malefactor, a plotter against the lite of nations and' the peoples of the world to roam at will and to work his evil purpose undisturbed. Th," season lor allowing' murderers to run at large has passed.' The riot alarm lias been turned in, end tho international police form must bo called out to apprehend a dangerous criminal, to pies' rve llw> security of the civilised world. There should he an end of Congressional quibbling with the form, lime or season of war preparation in America. Every member oi Congress who is an American, and we assume every member is an American at heart as well as in theory, should lay down his pel grouch, Ins private or polit'ca! purpose, and net as an American citizen ready to do l::s private and public duty by bis country. Do the navy, tile army, the president of the United States want money, authority, commission to use ;:ll the instrumentalities of national power in defence of the national life and of civilisation? We have the money, the power to do, to create, tho brains to direct; these m unrestricted qiuintity ap' ul tho service if the nation's lender, whether or not Congress has yet (li«covei«(l the fact. The government of the United States is set. lorlii on the pursuit of a dangerous and deadly enemy. There is to be no hannuitc on to the (oat-tails of the loader of -.he expedif'on. and those who retard iho performance of insistent duty will be i no longer entitled t> tin consideration

!:•" to pqti-jV.tT I'iti/pns. Tho trnok is fo hj" rl»sr «I. and Mto>« who fail to Kcl out of tl'o wav will have cause to ■••■'•vt it. |{„|t the outlaw nation ot Hnli'iizolVrn!