The Irish standard., 1914-08-22


enough to cope with the Frankenstein
they have set up.
Russia Welcomed War.
ut is no secret that Russia is
threatened with internal revolution.
This war, which Russia has provoked,
is the way out. Revolution is sub
merged by the wave of patriotism and
the lust for conquest. England and
France are being used to pull Rus
sia's chestnuts from the fire.
1--WE German Americans, who have
no other feeling than friendship for
the English people, marvel that Eng
lish policies have Unanswered Britain
into such a hopeless squagmire. No
matter what the result of the war,
England is the loser. She loses If
Russia triumphs; her ancient and
long-feared enemy becomes the mas.
ter of the world. Then, indeed, will
Britain need to guard India; then,
indeed, will she have reason to fear
Russian dominance in China and all
the further East.
If Russia wins, England and Ger.
many lose together. But II Germany
should triumph, it is still a crushing
defeat for Britain. Our sympathies
are strongest of course, for Father.
land; but we cannot help giving a
little pity to unfortunate England, risk
ing everything in hopeless war out
OF which it is impossible for her to
gain vantage.
1--WE German-Americans feel very
strongly that in this great world crisis
Germany represents not only the cause
of democratic institutions and pro-
gressive government but also the
principle of early disarmament and
rescue of the world from the feudal
thraldom of excessive military bur-
den.
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 world figure
for the first class. If Germany beats
France the second time in half CEN
fury the French will give up all hope
Of recovery of the eastern provinces,
and be willing to join universal dis
armament. So, also, with England
Once Germany has driven back the
Cossack menace to Europe, the Ger
man people will ask for disarmament
That will be the end of modern mill
tarism.
If any one supposes the German
people are infatuated with the war
game and the army toy he is mistaken
The only justification for Germanys
great military activity and burden Of
recent years is the events of today
the dire need of waging war of SELF
preservation. Remove that danger in
future by destruction of Russian ambi-
ton, and Germany's ways and hopes
will be all Of peace.
Throughout forty years the Ger
man people have been making steady
progress toward democratic govern
ment. The people of Germany now
have more political liberty than ever
before. Even the most radical social
toto admit &hof. Aud d,,r;or %,,,or%,,
six of these years the present kaiser
has been on the throne.
"kaiser Stands for Peace"
I'm all these twenty-six years the
kaiser has never been at war. More
than once he has preserved, the peace
OF Europe and would have succeeded
in maintaining it now had it not been
for the determination of the car to
seize the opportunity to use his ally
catspaws of the west to stop revolu-
ton at home and UNNECESSARILY
strengthen Russia abroad.
IF the kaiser had been the war lord
so many Americans are fond of pictur-
ing him, only awaiting convenient op-
portunity to start campaign of ag-
gression and acquisition, it is strange
that he took no advantage of the Boer
war or the Russo.Japanese war, but
steadily stood for peace.
Emperor Williams ambition has
been to leave behind him a greater,
richer, more prosperous, happier Ger
many. Hence he has opposed war.
He has been accused of vanity-it is
easy to say such things about any
great, strong man. But we Germans
know that the kaiser has always con-
sidered his greatness was the great
ness of Germany. 1t is also easy to
say Germany seeks territorial con-
quest, wants to rule the world and set
up Teutonic empires oversee. But
after the war of 1866, in which Ger
many defeated Austria in few days,
Germany could have taken all the
territory she wanted, but took nothing,
ard Austria has been her friend ever
since.
After the French war Germany, Of
course, was able to dictate terms, but
took only Alsace, formerly German,
4 - 81 f<>~s