Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-26
Germans Demand Justice.

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with all of them. IN her best citizen
ship flows the blood of all the nations
J now at war. America has learned te
respect and love types of all these peo'
pies. She respects the personal feel
ings of her own patriotic citizens OF
foreign extraction. She must not be
preIudiced by one-sided reports. She
must impartially await full and final
|, hearing. Her immeasurable value as
preserved. She must not listen to one
side and discard another unheard
Where natural prejudice exists wise
counsel and reflection should be invok-
ed. She should hear all the evidence
and hold an even balance.
i At hand we have a folder addressed
ITO the Civilized World" 1t is signed
by nearly 100 Of the most famous rep
resentatives of German science ane
art; men. many of whose names are
well known in every civilized land.
professors in Germanys most famous
institutions. One cannot read the SOL
emn statement of these men without
being impressed with the earnestness
OF their purpose and the honesty of
their declarations. II our sympathies
are with the allies, we still owe a DUTY
to our German friends Let us give
them respectful audience. If our sym.
pathies are with them, then we shall
rejoice in this distinguished assurance
of our hope.
TO THE CIVILIZED WORLD.
AS representatives Of German Science
and Art. we hereby protest to the civil
iaed world. against the lies and calum-
MES with which our enemies are endeav-
oring TO stain the honor of Germany in
her hard struggle for existence,-in a
struggle which has been forced upon her
the untruth of the fictitious German de-
feats, consequently Misrepresentation
and calumny are all the more eagerly at
work. AS heralds of truth we raise our
voices against these.
1t Is not true that Germany is guilty
OF having caused this war. Neither the
people, the government, nor the .'Kai-
ser. wanted war Germany did her ut
world has documental proof. Often
enough during the rs years of his reign
mas Wilhelm II shown himself to be the
upnoider OF peace and often enough has
this fact been acknowledged by our OPP
ponents. Nay. even the Kaiser" they
now dare to call an Attila, has been ridi-
euled by them for years. because of hfs
steadfast endeavors to maintain uni-
versal peace. Not till numerical SUI
periority which had been lying in walt
on the frontiers. assaiied us, did the
whole nation rise to a man.
1t is not true that we trespassed in
neutral Belgium. 1t has been proved that
France and England had resolved on
such trespass, and 1t has likewise been
proved that Belgium had agreed to their
doing SO. It would have been suicide on
our part not to Nave been beforehand.
1t is not true that the life and proper
ty of single Belgian citizen was injured
defence having made 1t necessary; for
again, and again, not withstandng re-
peated threats, the citizens lay in am
bush. shooting at the troops out of the
houses, mutilating the wounded, and
numbering in cold blood the medical men
while they were doing their Samaritan
worx.-There can be no baser abuse than
the suppression of these crimes with the
view of letting the Germans appear to
be criminals only for having Justly pun
ished these assassins for their wicked
deeds.
1t is not true that our troops treated
having treacherously fallen upon them in
their quarters, our troops with aching
hearts. were obliged to fire part of the
town, as a punishment. The greatest
part of Louvain has been preserved The
famous Town Hall stands quite intact;
for at great self-sacrifice our soldiers
saved it from destruction by the flames.
Every German would of course greatly
regret. If in the course of this terrible
war any works of art should already
have been destroyed or be destroyed at
some future time, but inasmuch as in
our love for art we can not be surpassed
by any other nation, in the same degree
we must decidedly refuse to buy Ger
man defeat at the cost Of saving a work
of art.
1t is not true that our warfare pays no
respect to International laws. 1t knows
no indiscplined cruelty. But in the east,
the earth is saturated with the blood of
women and children numerically butch
cred by the wild Russian troops, and in
the west, Dum-Dum- bullets mutilate the
breasts of our soldiers. Those who have
allied themselves with Russians and
scene to the world as that of melting
Mongolians and Negroes against the
white race have no right whatever to
call themselves upholders of civilization.
1t is not true that the combat against
our so called militarism Is not combat
against our civilization. as our enemies
hypocritally pretend 1T is. Were 1t not
for German militarism, German civiliza-
ton would long since have been extir-
pated. For its protection it arose in a
land which for centuries had been
plagued by bands of robbers, as no other
land had been. The German army and
the German people are one. and today,
this consciousness fraternizes 10000, 900 of
Germans, all ranks, positions and par
ties being one
We cannot wrest the poisonous weapon
the lie-out Of the hands of our enemies.
All we can do is to proclaim to all the
world that our enemies are giving false
witness against us. You. who know US,
who with us have protected the most holy
possessions of man, we call to you:
Have faith in u.s. Believe, that we
shall carry on this war to the end as
civilized nation. to whom the legacy of
a Goethe, a Beethoven, and Kant, Is
homes.
For this we pledge you our names and
our honor.