Tanya Hertel

Chris Hilgeman

US History

February 5, 2020

Four Minute Men Speech

In 1915 the great cruise ship Lusitania was destroyed by a German submarine. 2000

innocent people died that day, 128 of which were American. That could have been you. You

could have been one of those helpless people blown to pieces just because Germans were

engaged in a war with other countries. Why do our neutral American people have to suffer in a

war that is not even theirs? We did not assassinate archduke Franz Ferdinand. We did not want to

create vast empires in other people's land. We did not starve and neglect our people to the point

where they started a revolution to overthrow the government. We did not declare war on Russia.

We did not start trench warfare in the battle of Marne. We did not kill 19,000 soldiers in one day.

My point is, ladies and gentlemen, that we Americans did not contribute to this war. We did

nothing to provoke the German attack on our citizens. We need avenge our dead brothers and

sisters, our dead cousins and grandparents that were on that ship. Americans are not ones to start

a war, but when innocent human beings are slaughtered out of cold blood, we will act. Our

troops are ready. Women and men from all over the country are coming together to fight for a

just cause and you can contribute, too. You may not be able to fight alongside our brothers and

sisters, but you can help them by financing their food, clothing and ammunition. Just a single

dollar is enough. Liberty bonds not only help save the lives of our troops, but they also give back

to the generous kind-hearted people who contributed to their success. The government will

compensate every single penny you donate today, with interest. “Every charitable act is a
stepping stone towards heaven”. And with these wise words of Henry Ward Beecher’s, dear

ladies and gentlemen, I will leave it up to you whether you want to place your first stepping

stone by donating to our honorable men and women of the United States Army.