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Show In The Interest Of Peace A GREAT many English-born and German-born H men in this country are impatient that the I United States does not take a decided course In H favor of their respective countries. This is due H no doubt to that attribute which attaches to a H great many people who have decided views and H who with a little practice get to think that people H who do not entertain their particular views must H be either prejudiced or lacking in clear reasoning H powers. H Both England and Germany have been repeat- WH edly violating international laws since the first H months of the present war. The United States H could have found full justification for a serious I misunderstanding with each or both of them, ana t the reason it did not was not because of fear or I involvement in trouble, but in the interest or fl peace and neutrality, which the president pro- I claimed when the war burst upon the world. ' As we think back a little this country t is not jH under any particular obligations to either, power. ' In our great Civil war wo had plenty of reasons I for declaring war upon Great Britain. I In our war with Spain every American soldier , killed was killed by a German bullet fired from ,1 a German-made gun. For a full century all western and southern Europe has been unloading her paupers, criminals Am and lunatics upon us. l We have taken care of the lunatics, given the II poor honest employment and educated their chil- xl dren and have hanged a few of the criminals. The f I greatest menaco that threatens us today is an or- I ganization of criminals ninety out of every hun- I dred of whom never had a decent suit of cloth- jl Ing or enough of wholesome food to eat until they ill were supplied by our country. f I In our international dealings with the old II world we have kept all our contracts; since the 31 present war began through the generosity of the II American people, American hospitals and relief Jl stations have been established in half1 a. dozen l countries of Europe. The American Red Cross is qM on every battle line in Em ope. Moreover, it is I the expectation of every thoughtful man in this Jl country that our country will bo taxed to the 'Jl limit by the wave of impoverished men, wopaen jl and children from Europe that will sweep in upon l us when the great war closes. jl The American hope is that because of the ' course pursued by the American government and tl t M n ,1 H people, our country will have peculiar influence H when the terms of peace come to be considered. H The thought is that wo are strong enough to H be patient with those who beyond the sea are H suffering so much. H The war has taught us the need of being better B prepared for war, because wo have learned that H some of the nations beyond the sea do not regard H their most solemn covenants when the war horn is H blown. H The United States, because of its superior H blessings, is under especial obligations to try to M keep the world at peace, for all the accompani- m meats of war are brutal and while the history of H the world is mostly made up of tho history of B wars, except in isolated cases they have accom- H plished nothing for tho good of mankind. H Our country is devoted to peace; wo hope H that in the next few months a policy will bo in- H augurated which will begin to enable us to com- M m and the peace of the world. |