Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-22
THE ISSUE OF THE WAR
Militarism Must be Destroyed or Made
Supreme.

0upTcHlC'
For more than forty years the civil
u ized world has been under tribute 10
German militarism. Not nation mas
escaped.
Five wears ago David Lloyd-George'
the British chancellor Of the eXchequer
estimated that the civilized countries
were spending s2,5OO.OOO,0OO annually
on ornaments and preparations Tor
war. Last year the total sum was near
er $4,000, ,OOO, 900. Most of this tax has
been imposed from Berlin.
Germany has been developing her
Industries and commerce largely with
borrowed capital, while her own re-
sources went into the construction OF a
monster military machine that some
day was to override the world. AS the
burden increased, the crisis approach
ed. until the German autocracy came to
see that the empire would soon have TO
choose either a war that decided the
mastery of Europe or a social revolu-
ton at home So this autocracy pent
all it's energies to the congenial task OF
making ready for war.
During the last ten years, under the
inspiration of the kaiser, the German
people have been taught to think war;
read war, write war, talk war, dream
war and prepare for war. until the
whole nation became obsessed by the
davil Of conquest. Practically every
activity of the empire was directed and
shaped toward this single end. The
"place in the sum-" Of which the kaiser
so often spoke, was a place to be won
with the sword. 1t was a place TO
which the German troops would hack
their way" as they have hacked their
way through Belgium.
Not a nation, including Germany
own allies but came to regard itself as
q possible victim of Germanys mill
tary ambition. Even the United States
far removed as it is from the sphere OF
the kaiser's ordinary activities, has
twice been on the edge Of hostilities
with Germany, through no fault Of any
American, and the Monroe doctrine has
been derided by every German imperi-
alist as "a scrap of paper that ought
to be torn up by the war lord Of the
Teutons.
The kaisers defenders boast that he
has kept the peace Of Europe for twen-
ty-five years; but they all omit the
significant fact that every crisis in
which he kept the peace was crisis OF
his own creation.
Ever since the Morocco incident the
belief had been growing throughout
Europe that war could not long be
avoided, and that the kaiser would
strike the moment he thought that Ger
many was fully prepared and held her
antagonists at disadvantage. That
belief has been vindicated by events.
The kaiser did precisely what it was
predicted that he would do.
When one word from him would
have submitted the Austro-Servian
controversy to mediation, he shut his
lips and plunged the world into war.
Today nine nations are in battle. A
week from today a dozen may be in
volved. With the kaiser's original plan
of French conquest already aborted,
now comes the first faint overtures for
peace. Nothing definite nothing for
NAL, but a tentative diagnosis Of pub
lie opinion to ascertain the largess
which the kaiser might obtain for his
consent to eXtinguish the confiagration
he has started.
1t is easy to talk of immediate peace,
but upon what possible terms? To re-
store Europe to the condition Of an
armed camp would not be peace 1t
would be merely a truce. The grim
tragedy that is now going on in France
and Belgium and East Prussia and
Poland would be resumed as soon as
Germany was again prepared to strike.
Nothing has yet been decided, and a
treaty OF peace, like the treaty guaran-
teeing Belgium neutrality would be
only "a scrap Of paper" which the
German autocracy could proceed to
tarism would still hang over the ma
ton, and every laborer in Europe
perhaps every laborer in America
would have a soldier on his back. The
war would end only to begin anew as
soon as the belligerents had had a
breathing spell Of five or ten years.
When certain questions are submit
ted to the court of cannon they must
be decided by the court Of cannon. The
issues in this case were submitted to
that court by the kaiser himself and
they cannot be withdrawn. The deci-
sion must now be written in blood and
Either all Europe will come under the
yoke Of military despotism or all Eu-
rope will be free. Europe cannot be
free-Germany herself cannot be free
the German people cannot be free
until German militarism is destroyed,
until the monster is obliterated.
Peace is no more possible in Europe
now than peace would have been pos
sible in our own civil war before the
issues of slavery and secession were
determined for all time. Out Of this
war must come more than a mere truce
more than a paper peace. There
must come a new Emancipation pro-
clamation, striking from civilization
the shackles of military autocracy.
Without new birth of freedom all this
sacrifice and suffering and bloodshed
will have been in vain.-New York
World.
An Unpaid Debt to Germany.-A