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Show j IHII WHEN WE STRIKE, UET ! iUJ! US BE PREPARED. P The preaB o the couatry is in ac- fit oord on the Arabic dBaster. The M papers declare that the sinking of the ' RH ship is open defiance by Germany and m a direct reply to the last American ; iff nto on submarine warfare. The un- J II friendly act has been committed, and ill tixeTC fi scarcely an avenue left by Wi whIch President Wilson honorably m an eBcape the tremendous responsi. jflW bllity of carrying out' his avowed, pol. . 11 Icy of omitting no word or act neces. ; U sary to the performance of the sacred , t duty of maintaining the rights of the ' III1 ted States and lts citizens and of M safeguarding their free exercise and , j! j enjoyment. Ill In.tbe lMt note to Germany the it Prealdent said: ; H "In the meantime the vorv v,io ! I H .hJ , eovernment sets upon ' J 1 th! tt h6, P60Ple and government of 1 lov .StatCS End the peoDl ad m KI Jmprcss very Boly "Pon I rvernmenthe IS ofT ,y,fr a 8crupulB observance if f no 1&K m this critical J. 1 rtendshlp itself prompts it to ay to the Imperial government ha? a,Gpetitlon by the commanders of Ger man naval vessels of acts In cental I vention of those rights must be II dedby the government of tot United States, when they affect American citizens, as deliberately unfriendly." un-friendly." In the sinking of the Arabic, Germany Ger-many seems deliberately to have challenged the United States by an unfriendly act. Tho ship was westbound, west-bound, and could not have carried ordinary contraband or munitions of war, and there was no excuse for destroying de-stroying the vessel without duo warning warn-ing except a firm resolve on the part of tho German war lords to dofy the United States. Now what arc wo to do? Sever diplomatic diplo-matic relations7 If wo end official relations, then we have takon the first step toward a very serious end. Having Hav-ing by that act declared Germany an outcast among nations and unworthy of our respect, we invite the Kaiser either now or later, to become our avowed enemy, with hatred In his heart. f If we break off diplomatic relations, there is but one thing to do and that is to get'' ready. This country must stop drifting or watchful waiting and begin to prepare for the worst, which will bo upon, us tomorrow, If not today. to-day. The United States now Is a China. Big In population, with a feeling of security, we are the most vulnerable of all powers pretending to have real military strength. The moment, the affront is thrown back at Germany this country should start to arm with all the most modern weapons of war, "great guns, high explosive shells, aeroplanes, aero-planes, submarines and, if necessary, asphyxiating gas. German war leaders are crafty. They may attempt to placate and convince con-vince us they have no designs on this country, and, if we yield to the blandishments blan-dishments and neglect to keep our powder dry, at some time in the future fu-ture when the Amorican people are least prepared, there will come a terrible ter-rible day of reckoning. With all this in view, if we are to give Germany a slap In the face, Int. ns do so fullv realizlntr that, at the most opportune tiite, Germany will slap back. |