Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-09-08
A WORLDWIDE EMPIRE.

at large, including the United
States, grasps the idea that the pres
ent war is one instituted and wag-
ed by Germany to the end of secur-
ing universal dominion, the sooner
will the world in general and the
United States in particular get a
proper perspective Of what is going
on. While this is true, no one, espec-
! tally no one in this country, need
apologize for slow compreh ension of
the magnitude of the infamy now
| being perpetrated. England is a
lot nearer to the scene of action
than is the United States, and is al
so very much more closely involv-
ed; but the English people have not
walked up to the situation very
much more rapidly than have the
Americans. The English have for
long time comprehended fully
that the activity of German naval
construction was essentially on
their account; but serious conflict
, on land appears not to have enter
ed into their calculation, and the
consequence is that the actual out
break has found them about as we'll
prepared in military sense as the
United States would be in similar
emergency, and further it is because
of this ill-preparedness on England's
part that the French are not being
backed up as they ought to be and
as they would be if the English COM
prehension of German purposes had
been more acute.
But apologies for not having seen
the situation sooner, and even skep-
ticism now, do not and will not al
ter the substance of the issue. the
first tests of which are being tried
out along the northern border of
France with a general advantage to
the Germans. This is an awful war
and there is only one adequate rea-
son for it, and that reason is that
Germany chose the moment to
make general war upon her neigh
bors. The diplomatic correspond
ence shows that Germany first en-
couraged Austria to make extortion-
ate demands upon Servia and that
later when the Austrian cabinet
showed signs of weakening in its
purpose, Germany made its declara-
ton of war upon Russia before the
Austrian and Servian dispute could
be patched up. Then Germany made
| it's demand for the free passage of
Belgium, even though Germany had
II by formal treaty Joined in guarah-
teeing the neutrality CT that coun-
try, and because the Belgians in
sisted that the German pledge be
made good, when to make it good
involved German inconvenience, the
Belgian land has been made desc
late, a contribution of $40,0OG,G00
has been demanded of Brussels and
one of $1O,OOO,0OO from Liege,
while the university city of Louvain
has been sacked and burned. Ger
many has made good its clam to
pass through Belgium; but it has
done so at the expense of Demon
stration of utter national perfidy.
And the attack on France, although
not involving such absolute breach
of faith, is in fact a wanton assault
upon a neighbor, with whom Ger
many lad no present quarrel, but
to have an excuse for attacking
whom in the tangle of European al
liances the Austrian was prompted
to jump onto the Servian. The whole
proceeding is ruthless. and its like
has not before been known in mod
Crn times.
But in this world everything has
a reason, and the reason in this case
is the kaiser's overweeniEg ambi-
IlOU. Tie IS SClOu vi uOtSe " 'I1h
for a thousand years or more has
been having things come its way.
Things have not all come at once;
but the house has been fortunate,
and different representatives have
been able to add to the family power
and dignity. The present represen-
tative recognizes that he has inner
tied much and he assumes the re-
sponsibility of increasing the hertz
age. But the heritage already COM
prehends all of Germany, and if the
same is to be increased the increase
must come through the acquisition
of neighboring states. or these
neighboring states Russia is bis