But Germany had committed a great wrong against Belgium at the beginning of the war.

In 1839 the governments of Prussia, England, France, Austria, and Russia had agreed that Belgium should always be a neutral state, that is, it should not be disturbed by any other nation.

In 1914 Germany broke this agreement. She sent armies through Belgium in order to attack France.

These armies burned cities and villages and murdered men, women, and children.

Von Bethman-Hollweg, the German Chancellor, admitted in 1914 that Germany had committed a wrong but said that it was necessary for the army to "hack its way through."

Most of the people of the United States thought that Germany had committed a great wrong.

But we believed that it was best to remain neutral in order to help the countries at war to make peace.

During the first winter of the war Germany declared that it would sink without warning all ships which belonged to the Allied nations if they were found within a certain part of the sea.

This was contrary to international law. This law makes it necessary to give warning and to allow passengers and crew to escape.

The United States sent a note of protest but Germany would not change its purpose.

In May, 1915, a German submarine sank without warning the great steamship Lusitania. Among those who were lost were more than one hundred American men, women, and children.

President Wilson sent a very strong note to Germany after this terrible crime and Germany promised not to sink any more ships without warning.

But the next year Germany broke this promise by sinking the Sussex.

Then the President told Germany that if such an act should occur again we would break all relations with Germany. And again Germany promised to sink no more ships without warning.

But all promises were put aside in January, 1917, by Germany's announcement that within a certain area all ships would be sunk without warning.

The President then broke off all friendly relations with Germany.

Germany sank many American ships without warning. Many innocent Americans were killed. The American people could suffer no longer.

On April 2, 1917, the President called for war upon Germany.

The President's War Message

The President spoke to Congress. He gave the reasons why we must fight Germany. He gave the objects which we should try to gain.

He declared that we were not fighting against the people of Germany. We were fighting against the despotic emperor who governed without consulting the people.

In Germany the word of the Kaiser was law.

The Kaiser proclaimed that God had chosen him to rule the German people. Himself alone the people must obey.

If he asked it, they must give their fortunes and their lives for his glory.

The United States did not enter the war for gain. The President made it clear that we did not fight for a selfish motive. He said in his address to Congress :

We desire no

"We have no selfish end to serve. conquests, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall so freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when these rights are as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them."

World Peace through Democracy

Since the beginning of the world there have been

wars.

"How shall the world prevent all wars forever?" There is the question that the Allied nations have asked.

They have agreed that there is only one way to prevent war.

That is to form a "league of nations."

All the nations of the world must unite to keep the peace.

They must all agree to keep the peace.

This league of nations must protect the small as well as the great nations.

An autocracy cannot be trusted to keep its promise with the rest of the world. All countries must have free governments ruled by the people.

Only the free people of a democracy can keep their promises. This thought the President has stated in his message:

"A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. It must be a league of honor, a partnership of opinion. Only free people can hold their purpose and their