The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-11-20


Belgian stronghold is ours.
Likewise i'm France all goes well.
When our forty-two eentimeter can
mons begin to thunder, there is no
longer any such thing as resistance.
You ought 20 see the ruin that these
forty.two centimeter guns with heavy
cannon balls make. They strike
through concrete walls, four feet
thick, and break them 10 pieces,
burying the earrisons beneath the
ruins. Such fort as can resist
these monsters has never yet been
built.
The French and English already
have had their noses full. Eleven
hundred English Officers we have al
ready rendered harmless. Three
hundred thousand unwounded pris-
oners, French. Russians and English
men. we have 50 far IN Germany.
"As far as our troops have gone
I'm France and Belgium, German Is
spoken. Only German trains are
run, with German.speaking crews.
In the conquered cities, German gov
eminent has been established.
Belgian would have done better
TO have stood by Germany, but no
one suspected that Germany had
grown into such an enemy.
Concerning the breach of neutral
ity. you undoubtedly have heard re-
markable stories. The worse blame,
However, does not rest on Germany,
for both these nations before our
mobilization had themselves broken
the neutrality. In Luxembourg. ,as
early as the first of August there
Ihad been French bicycle soldiers
Thereupon we marched into Luxem'
burg, for the salvation Of the whole
country Of the Moselle, for II we
had been one day later our homes
would have been in ruins.
Belgium as early as the sixteenth
tof April 1914. had concluded a Sc
cret treaty with France aud Russia
against Germany and French engi
neers were at work on the Belgian
Notifications along the Belgian Dor
| der. Nevertheless, our emperor twice
asked permission for passage through
, Belguim. The Belgian answer was
| declaration OF war against Germany
Yet with Gods help we shall conquer
"The cause OF the war was the
murder of the Austrian heir-apparen
through the plotting Of Servian OF
iicers, and behind this stood as rea
instigators. Russia. England AMI
| France. For anybody must certainly
believe that the abiect people o.
! Servia would never have. dared t
undertake war against Austria, Il
| they did not have help. The Ser
gians did not comply with the de
mands of Austria. whereupon Aus
| tria declared war.
Then Russia began TO mobilize
| Our emperor asked Russia what thu
! mobilization along the German boun
! daries meant. The answer was tina
again our emperor asked. as the mo
bilization proceeded further, how
Russia would stand in regard to thu
war between Austria and Servia
and whether 1t twas not possible Il
localize the war In these, countries
Hereupon Russia. answered that ou
emperor could step in as a peace
maker and could demand that thu
emperor OF Austria back down. 10
our emperor had chat power. ant
Russia would not be indifferent Il
| the fate of Servia.r r. a.,,r
"All this time the mobilization o
the Russiang went on. Now came
the break. Emperor William aske'
Russia TO explain within twentyfou
hours what the mobilization meant
rhe answer was the invasion b!
Russia over the eastern boundaries
How long the Russians were pre-
pared for this move one may SCI
from the fact that within the frs
fourteen days Siberian troops wert
in the fight. To bring these troop
TO the German boundary required
two months, for Russia has yer!
poor railroad service.
France also had her reserves col
Iected as early as the twenty-sixtl
of May. So one cannot accuse on
emperor of having brought this wa
about. Il was not until the secont
day of August that our mobilization
began. IA ere. - s.
"Indeed the war might have beer
avoided IL we, had said, Come, now
and divide up Germany and Austria.
But let the war come. Germany VII
dictate the terms of peace and NJ
power in the world will ever dar'
encroach OH Germany. The war de
mands heavy sacrifices from us a
well as from our enemies. bnt whel
IL is happily over, no one I'm the mex
hundred : years will declare: wa
against us. ,H.. a....-.. a..
Extend my greetings to Michae
and Kate and uncle and all. Whel
I have time | will write oftener.
hope to receive an answer soon.