Repository: UIHistories Project: War Publications - WWI Compilation 1923 - Article 17 [PAGE 9]

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of any or all the ordinary pleasures of life—ever satisfied me as these impalpable, imponderable delights of American citizenship have done. They are going to be enormously increased for you and yours as a result of this Great War and its consequences. The names of many heroes will come forth from the mighty womb of time to multiply and strengthen our manifold causes for joy and pride in our country and its work. All this will be uplifting and helpful to you—a source of infinite strength and power in the mighty tasks you have to help solve. I congratulate you once again and finally upon the chance you have to get into and become an integral part of this Great War and thus to share personally and immediately in its glorious results; be entitled to feel that you have been a living, working, contributing cell in this life process of the ages. It will exalt you, lift you out of yourselves and into higher regions of life and light. No one will suspect me of underestimating the value of science and scientific investigation to our society; nor of setting a low value on the University of Illinois and its services to the State and country. But all this, to my mind, is of secondary importance—nay of far lower importance than that compared with the winning of this war. If we have been breeding and feeding and training a generation of men and women who will permit the Central Powers of Europe to dictate such a peace as they have hoped to win [-vain, vain has been our work-* and empty the achievement of building an American nation—for such a nation would be unworthy of Washington and Lincoln, would be unworthy of the men who died that this country might be created, or the men of that far greater army, who died that it might be saved. Ah! young men and women, if you fail to put forth your best efforts to help win this war, you will regret it as long as you live. You will be ithamed to tell your children and your

grandchildren that you stood asid let this great movement of * ^ sweep on, and looked upon this d r T * ^ Vc human freedom with apathy, •i n c H f*°r' ««^*»— -^ or actual hostility. Perhaps you do not realize fully what it all means.

J u s t remember two or three things and let them sink into your souls. I shall not undertake to describe the remote causes of the w a r ; I can not even undertake to give a brief history of its rise and progress. Like other great wars the history can not be written for a century to come. But a few things are now clear and can

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welfare or any a n * * * tiocs except ncs. H we ha England in menace to a 2 righteous Oat Gertni that she is England. I know 1 atrocities a Mfium an •itnesses h;

be known of all men: I. Germany began this war, and that in two senses. It refused to prevent it as it might have done; and it actually first invaded a foreign country. 2. It invaded a small, defenseless, peaceable country whose neutrality it had guaranteed to protect. When this country resisted, it attempted to break its resistance by a policy of terrorism. War is horrible enough at best, but directed not at armed forces but at helpless civilians in order to frighten them into inaction or to serve as an example to other peoples—it is unspeakable. Germany not only conquered Belgium but it has laid heavy tribute upon it for attempting to defend itself, compelling it, moreover, by forced contributions of labor and money and material to impoverish itself in order to help Germany defeat France and England. thing 3- Germany has done the same in all countries she has overrun. 4. She proposes to make the p c ^ •he conquers pay the cost of their being what that conquered. Stop to think means. and 5- She proposes to conquer France s England and then she will take the Umtea States. Arc you willing that this should l>e done? If not. then into the conflic with body and soul! 6. Germany has proposed to take trie coal and iron mlnei of Belgium »nd nortn8

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