Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-08-19
FROM LEADING GERMAN
AMERICAN OF NEW YORK
Hubert CiIlius, President Of the Ger
man.American Chamber Of Com.
merce, Writes In New York Sun as
Follows:


the mistake of assuming that Ger
many had an autocratic rule. That is
not so. Germany is as democratic as
England or the United States. We
have there the same play of free pub
lie opinion, a free press, political par
ties, government by party and by par
lament. When Americans condemn
the kaiser they really condemn the
German people. The kaiser cannot
make war all by himself. He has to
have the support Of the bundesrath.
Parliament must vote the money.
ut is the German people who are
waging this war; public opinion in
that country is unanimous; there are
no criticisms; there is no grumbling;
the nation feels that it's existence is
at stake. How idle, then, for Ameri-
cans to hold the kaiser alone respon-
sible. It is the fashion in this coun-
try to single out one man and put
the blame on him. But in this case,
as in many cases, it is mistake.
"Consider for a moment the condi-
tions before the war. For forty-four
years Germany had been at peace
Nearly every other country in the
world has been at war in that time,
even the United States. Germany has
developed such vast commercial in
terest all over the world it could not
afford to seek war. In war Germany
has everything to lose, nothing to
gain. Why should our people seek
war under such circumstances?
Germany wanted nothing from
France, nothing whatever. She want
ed nothing from England, except to be
let alone. She wanted nothing from
Russia. All Germany asked of the
world was to be left peaceful and free
to develop her commerce, in which
the prosperity of the people was
wrapped up.
IF you seek a motive for the war
you will have to look to other coun-
tries. France wanted to recover Al
SAGE and Lorraine. England has long
been jealous of Germany's maritime
power and oversee trade; England has
in the past crushed all maritime riv-
ais; has used her naval power to
stamp out competition, and now his
tory is repeating itself.
Russia has feared always the Aus
trian alliance, thinks Germany backs
up Austria in barring her progress to
Constantinople. Russia has for years
intrigued to rouse the Balkan states
and seized the pretext of Austria's de-
mand upon Servia for mobilization.
| That was the real declaration of war.
! RUSSIAN troops were massing on
the eastern frontier. On the west
Russia's allies were active. Germany
was hemmed in on both sides. The
enemies of Germany had created a
situation in which peace or war must
be quickly decided upon, for if Ger
many were to daily and delay, her ad.
versaries, already preparing, would
gain enormous advantage. But be-
fore mobilizing the kaiser personally
begged the car to desist from mob.
iliZation. The car refused. To
France and England Germany made
all sorts of offers; they were treated
with GOODNESS.
| Thus the die was cast; thus Ger.
many was forced into war. And war
being inevitable surely it is not for
energetic, quick-moving Americans to
condemn the kaiser for seeing to it
that as he had to strike he struck fast
and hard.
''It seems strange to us that Ameri
cans do not see that the only power
able to checkmate Russia is Germany,
and that therefore Germany is fight.
ing the battle of civilization and OF
progress against reaction.
IF Germany is crushed in this war
Russia becomes the supreme world
power, controlling half of Europe and
half of Asia. England and France are
fighting now to build up the Cossack
j hegemony; if they succeed it will not
j be many years before they are look.
| ing everywhere for aid in striking it
down again.
make the car the arbitrator of the
affairs of Europe, as the democratic,
progressive people of England and
now trying to do, and it will be gen.
erations before the bond can be brok-
en- and the lost ground can be recov-
cred. There will be only one great
continental army, and that will be the
army of Russia. Strike down German
military power and German prestige,
and nothing but the Cossack remains
in Europe. France and England will
not be strong enough 10 cope with the
Frankenstein they have set up.
IF Russia wins, England and Ger
many lose together. But if Germany
should triumph, it is still crushing
defeat for Britain. Our sympathies
are strongest of course, for Father
land; but we cannot help giving a lit
tie pity to unfortunate England, risk
ing everything in a hopeless war out
of which it is impossible for her to
gain vantage.
IF Germany wins, that will be the
end of armament on the European
continent. This. is Russia's last
chance to master the world. If she
fails now revolution breaks out and
the car ceases to be a world figure
of the first class. If Germany beats
France the. second time in half a Gen.
fury the French will give up all hope
of recovery of the eastern provinces
and will be willing to join universal
scor mt OIL xryif IN nj