Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-02-16
THE KAISER AND THE FILIPINOS.
Germany Wanting to Make Demonstration,
She Intends to DO No Harm

One thing which is to the credit of
the German navy is it's discipline. The
German army has lOlg been the best
drilled in the world. The navy is no ex-
ceptlOn. Its sailors are courageous and
willing to stand to their guns; and were
the whole fleet to sink their bodies would
be found lying at their guns at the bot
tom of the sea.
The surviving sailors of Cervera's fleet
tell strange tales of how the sailors re-
fused to stand to their guns when they
last Fourth of July. They tell grewsome
stories of how their commander beat
, them, and threatened them with instant
death if they refused to stand to their
posts; and then as the American ships
drew closer and closer, sending their shot
and shell into the boats, the men fed and
huodling together in a mass, begged per-
mission to lower the life boats and escape
out to open sea under a flag of truce
Some of the stories go that the COM
maEder poured out rare wine for them to
he sent them, bold with spirits, back to
their guns to command them, to return
shell Il, for shell to the very last:
The Germans are brave fighters and
would never give up the ship as long as
hope remained.
But the war lord has no intention Of
much OF gentleman; too fine politician;
too skillful a ruler to send his fleet out
to meet our tnvincibles The Filipinos
may think he is aiding them but can
they prove that he has done so? Could
they show German ship flying their
flag, or German torpedo boat under
nre? 1t is all very well to talk; but as
Admiral Dewey said: "Shots tell
The English fleet lying down in Eng
lish waters has troubles of it's own Diff
ferent from the German fleet, which is
said to be looking for trouble; different
from the American fleet which has recent
~ blackened itself with powder; far diff
ferent from the Russian fleet which is
quiet; it is getting in war trim. It's sides
are being painted a lead color and the
great guns ga. are being tested and tried
Queen Victoria's forces are not look
ing for trouble, but they are getting
ready for it.. France is not far away
and France is dangerous. England has
the Victorious, the Century, the Narcis-
US, the Grafton and the Barf1eur and ever
so many other ships.
She could divide her navy and sand
part of it to the Mediterranean without
losing any of her prestige in Atlantic wat
ers. She could do up the navy of France
with one class and settle the German
fleet with another. But England saws
she is not going to fight; she is only pre-
pairing to make a demonstration.
The recent war created new word in
naval language. 1t brought into existence
the term demonstration. If a President
is diplomatic when he makes a smooth
speech, just so navy is diplomatic when
1t makes demonstration.
The word came into use when Commo-
dore Watson was ordered by the NAVY
department 10 take neet over TO the
coast of Spain, there to make a demon
stration which could be seen by the Span
lsh people. 1t was not expected to fight.
only to show them what a powerful navy
the United States had and to convince
them how useless it was to Struggle
against such a fleet.
In olden days the prisoners of war
were led past cages full of wild beasts
| They heard them roar and they saw them
gnash their cruel teeth and protrude their
wicked fangs. The animals made a dem
onstration for their benefit and the prison
ers Of war, after seeing it, were inclined
to give up their secrets and tell What theV
knew about their country's army.
1t is upon the same principle which
you employ when you show the lash to
the hound. The horse leaps forward when
| it hears the Whip-handle rattle in the
socket. The enemy runs up the white
| flag when it sees, dancing before it on the
| blue waves, the mighty cruiser with its
shining guns.
Germany may make a demonstration
| in the Philippines; why should it not?
| and England may make a demonstration
along the Mediterranean and off the coast
| of France, being far out enough to be in
neutral waters; and why not? What
profit is it to a great country to maintain
| a large fleet if it cannot once year make
| a demonstration?
The Kaiser longs to ride the seas on
| his f1agships, who would begrudge him
the privilege or say that he is upon mis-
| chief bent?