America

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 13, 18 April 1916, Page 8

America

PROMINENT CITIZENS’ MANIFESTO. f United Pkkh# Amooiatton.l London, April 16. Five hundred of the most prominent citizens of the United States have forwarded fo Britain a manifesto of sympathy. and hope for the Allies’ victory. The signatories include 212 University professors, many politicians, lawyers, and writers, thirty-two bishops, and twenty-seven judges, who claim that they are expressing the feelings of an overwhelming majority of Americans. They had refrained for •earlier expressing these, expecting that the Government would speak, and had refrained later for fear of embarrassing the Government in its difficult negotiations consequent on German officers, lint they caiinot remain longer silent, without expressing their ardent sympathy' ‘with the Allies and their horror and detestation of the Teuton methods. Some of the signatories are of German birth, but they realise that the welfare of civilisation, for which Germany in the past had done much, demands the defeat of Anstro-Germany. The manifesto says; “To the last the invasion of Belgium is a crime that can never he justified, and it will remain a blot on the history of Europe. A peace which did not restore Belgium or did not provide for an indemnity to reconstruct her ruined cities, would be a disaster instead of a blessing. The conscience of American people cries out in protest against [he Austro-Gerinan outrages upon civilisation, and her methods of, warfare in breaking international laws and the moral laws of hunlanity. The final decision involves the sanctity of treaties with eight "small f nations, and the question as to.whc-j ther militarism is to dominate oivilis-

ation. Wo hope for the Allies’ success,

believing that such will mean the restoration of Belgium and Serbia, and the suppression of militarism, ’