REV. DR. HENRY M. COUDEN, _In Congress, U. S. A., April 2, 1917._ [Illustration] _"THE STARS AND STRIPES IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY"_ * * * * * We are now about to accept gage of battle with this natural foe to liberty, and shall, if necessary, spend the whole force of the nation to check and nullify its pretensions and its power. We are glad, now that we see the facts with no veil of false pretense about them, to fight thus for the ultimate peace of the peoples included: for the rights of nations great and small and the privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience. The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities of ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. PRESIDENT WILSON'S _Address to Congress, April 2, 1917._ [Illustration] _PROUD TO FIGHT_ * * * * * There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts--for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other. PRESIDENT WILSON'S _Address to Congress, April 2, 1917._ [Illustration] _"ACCORDING TO PLAN"_ _Hindenburg: "We lost Vimy Ridge, about 12,000 prisoners, 125 guns, 70 mortars, 175 machine-guns, all according to pl...."_ _William: "Shut up!"_ * * * * * Hard fighting took place again this afternoon on the northern end of Vimy Ridge, in which we gained further important positions and took a number of prisoners and machine-guns. In the direction of Cambrai we have advanced our line north of the village of Louverval. Such counter-attacks as the enemy has attempted at different points along our front have met with no success.