Molite se za Srbe
Lansing Urges All to Go to Places of Worship on July 28 and Offer Sympathy to Invaded Nation.
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, July 26. – Secretary Lansing issued an appeal today to the American people of all faiths and creeds to assemble in their churches on Sunday, July 28, to voice their sympathy for the people of Serbia and their oppressed and dominated kindred in other lands. This will be the fourth anniversary of the day when the Serbians, as a result of Austria’s declaration of war in 1914, were called upon to defend their homes against the invader. Secretary Lansing’s appeal follows:
“On Sunday, the 28th of the present month, will occur the fourth anniversary of the day when the gallant people of Serbia, rather than submit to the studied and ignoble exactions of a carefully prepared attack, were called upon by the war declaration of Austria-Hungary to defend their territory and their homes against an enemy bent upon their destruction. Nobly did they respond.
“So valiantly and courageously did they oppose the forces of a country ten times greater in population and resources that it was only after they had thrice driven the Americans back and Germany and Bulgaria had come to the aid of Austria that their armies were compelled to retreat into Albania.
“While their territory has been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the Serbian people has not been broken. Through overwhelmed by superior forces, their love of freedom remains unabated. Brutal force has left unaffected their firm determination to sacrifice everything for liberty and independence.
“It is fitting that the people of the United States, dedicated to the self-evident truth that it is the right of the people of all nations, small as well as great, to live their own lives and choose their own Government, and remembering that the principles for which Serbians so nobly fought and suffered are those for which the United States is fighting, should on the occasion of this anniversary manifest in appropriate manner their warm sympathy with this oppressed people who have so heroically resisted the aims of the Germanic nations to master the world. At the Same time, we should not forget the kindred people of the great Slavic race who, now dominated and oppressed by alien races, yearn for independence and national unity.
“This can be done in a manner no more appropriate than by its general observance in the churches. The Department of States feels that the people of the United States of all faiths and creeds will wish to assemble in their several places of worship on Sunday, July 28, for the purpose of giving expression to their sympathy with this wronged people and their oppressed and dominated kindred in other lands, and to invoke the blessings of Almighty God upon them and upon the cause to which they are pledged.”
The New York Times
Published: July 27, 1918
NYT on Lansing Appeal, July 26 1918
APEL AMERIKANCIMA DA SE MOLE ZA SRBE
Lansing poziva sve da 28. jula posete sveta mesta i pokažu saosećanje sa okupiranim narodom.
Specijalno za Njujork tajms.
VAŠINGTON, 26. jul – Sekretar Lansing je danas pozvao Amerikance svih vera i verosipovesti da se u nedelju, 28. jula, okupe u svojim crkvama kako bi iskazali svoje saosećanje sa narodom Srbije i njihovim ugnjetavanim i okupiranim sunarodnicima u drugim zemljama. Tog dana će biti četvrta godišnjica od kako su Srbi, kao posledica austrijske objave rata 1914. godine, pozvani da brane svoje domove od napadača. Prenosimo apel sekretara Lansinga:
„U nedelju, 28. u ovom mesecu, obeležiće se četvrta godišnjica od dana kada je časni srpski narod bio prisiljen zbog objave rata od strane Austro-Ugarske da brani svoju zemlju i svoje domove, protiv neprijatelja koji je odlučio da ga uništi. To je učinio radije nego da se pokori smišljenim i nečasnim zahtevima koje je neprijatelj unapred pripremio. On je odgovorio na plemenit način.
Oni su se tako hrabro i odvažno suprotstavili snagama države koja je deset puta veća po broju stanovnika i bogatstvu, tako da su tek pošto su tri puta proterali iz zemlje Austrijance, Nemce i Bugare koji su pritekli u pomoć Austriji, bili prisiljeni da se povuku preko Albanije.
Iako je njihova zemlja bila razorena, a domovi uništeni, duh srpskog naroda nije bio slomljen. Iako su bili savladani nadmoćnom silom, njihova ljubav za slobodom ostaje nesmanjena. Surova sila nije uticala na njihovu čvrstu odluku da žrtvuju sve za slobodu i nezavisnost.
Narod SAD zalaže se za očiglednu istinu da je pravo ljudi svih zemalja, kako malih tako i velikih, da žive sopstvene živote i biraju svoje vlade, i on pamti da su načela za koja se Srbija tako plemenito borila i trpela, ona ista za koja se bore SAD. Neophodno je zato, da se prilikom ove godišnjice pokaže na pravi način naša topla blagonaklonost za ovaj pokoreni narod koji se tako herojski suprotstavio ciljevima nemačkih država da zagospodare svetom. Istovremeno, mi ne treba da zaboravimo srodne narode velike slovenske rase koji sada pod dominacijom i okupacijom strane rase traže svoju nezavisnost i nacionalno jedinstvo.
To se može učiniti na najbolji način u našim crkvama. Stejt dipartment je uveren da će žitelji Sjedinjenih Država svih vera i uverenja želeti da se okupe u svojim hramovima u nedelju, 28. jula, kako bi tom prilikom izrazili svoju naklonost prema ovom pokorenom narodu i njegovoj potlačenoj braći u drugim zemljama, i da se prizove blagoslov svemogućeg Boga za njih i stvar za koju se oni bore.“[1]
Njujork tajms
Datum objavljivanja: 27. jul 1918. godine
[1] Prevod apela preuzet iz Dragoljub R. Živojinović, „U potrazi za zaštitnikom. Studije o srpsko-američkim vezama 1878-1920. godine“, Albatros plus, Beograd, 2010, str. 149-150
