The farmer and mechanic., 1914-08-18


know anything. He's just as much
of a fool as the man who thinks we
are getting the news Of this war right
now.
I'VE don't know what's going on
Most Of the stuff were reading IS all
bunk. Most of the news our Amerl-
can newspapers are printing right now
comes direct from the American bar
OF the Hotel Savoy in London. 1T
makes good stories. but it doesn't tell
US what is going on al the front. IL :
all on a par with the Splurge they
made about MuelhauSen this morning.
| knew Muelhausen. It's a little man
ufacturing town, with no Notifications
TO speak of-really no fortiflcations
Just little busy manufacturing town
Dutch River Boats to Take German
Products Down the Rhine.
What's the use of talking about
the capture of such place as this?
1t doesn't count any more than does
this talk about Germany making war
on Holland. My heavens, the Germans
aren't fools Get out your map and
see what peace with Holland means
to Germany right now. You'll see that
the Rhine gets out to sea that way.
Do you know what is the significance
of that? Why, it's just this: Prac-
tcally all the boats on the lower
Rhine are Dutch bottoms-theTe's
only one German line. And all that
part of the Rhine, up to MainZ, is the
manufacturing section. 1t means that
the Dutch river boats are going to
take out the German products that
aren't COntrabrand.
What fools the Germans would be
to declare war on the Dutch. They've
been letting those Hollanders catch
that trade for years with just this
present situation in mind-and that is
- I hn 1rn GC
of American factories that are abSo-
lutely dependent on German products.
That is the only way in which we're
going to get anything from Germany
| for months"
Mr. Metz asserted that unless the
Rhine was kept open for the transpor-
tation of the factory products of Ger
many, notably for the shipping of the
| rye chemicals in which his firm is one
| of the big dealers, it would work
almost incalculable injury to the
American textile industry.
| The materials they need for dyes
| can be procured from no other cOun
| try in the world, and, according to the
| Congressman, there is no prospect o-
| getting them for months, and per
| haps year, unless the shipments cal
| be made from Holland.
| Germany doesn't want Holland
Belgium. or at least a part Of Bel
| gium. There are only two races il
| Holland, the French and the Flem
mish. The latter are in the north
and that's what Germany intends t
| seize if she is victorious talk
the country around Antwerp, AM
that will give her the seaport that sh
needs.
Franco German War. and a Fight t.
the Finish.
But Germany hasn't any real idea
l am sure, except to humble Franc
in this war. My sympathies aren'
with anyone. l haven't any thought
} about the justice or the injustice Q
the war But I do say that this Who'll
proposition is FrancO-German. A
the other questions are side issues
, this-and it was forced upon Ger
5 many.
5 Germany couldn't get out Of it,
r tell you. 1t is fight for the very e2
t istence Of the Empire"
2 But the German states are not a
l united in the war it was suggested
y "Poppycock! All bosh." cut in tn
: Congressman. "All Germany is
e this thing to the death. Why, man,
means their very life. They couldn
' do anything else, and they've got I
fight to the last ditch. But it has a
Y got to be over soon, or Germany
r bound to be the loser, [ am afraid"
1T is asserted that Bavaria may CT
d loose from the Empire, Congressma
e because of the war;"
8 Rats" said Mr. Metz, and the or
;. word disposed of all argument
e "Hoch the Kaiser!"