The Irish standard., 1914-12-12

terribly serious, one would be inclined
to laugh it to scorn.
Americans, can your clear-headed in
telligence really believe that If a man
has worked for forty years with iron
industry to build up his house, he will
himself wilfully set fire to it at the
end Of this time? Such man must be
insane. Can your intelligence really
believe that If for four decades PEG.
pie has devoted itself with painful in
dustry to the causes of civilization,
that this very people will then volun-
tarily destroy its own work, annihilate
its commerce, paralyze its sciences and
arts, and send the flower of it's youth
to their death? Can you really con-
ceive that highly nation
which down to the humblest gives it's
citizens an excellent education, which
represents powerful, peace-loving, ad-
ably-organized democracy, which is
in the vanguard of progress in regard
to the emancipation of women,-do
you really believe that such a nation
would be capable of allowing itself to
be coerced into any policy of arbi-
trary violence, bathing itself in seas
of blood, at the instigation of any one
personality, be he emperor or crown
prince, or any other single Individual?
Can you really imagine that the entire
German people, sixty-six million souls
in all, from the Emperor down to the
most violent Social Democrat, could
have suddenly gone so absolutely in
sane?
Not one German,-do you under
stand-not one single German wanted
this war. We have been forced into
1t by cowardly and malicious trickery.
Up to the very last minute the EN-.
peror and the Imperial Government
were engaged in peace-negotiations
But at this very moment Russia was
mobilizing against us, in spite of the
Cars word of honor to the contrary,
in spite of the word of honor of the
head Of the Russian general staff.
England's fleet lay ready modified un-
der our very noses. France was busy
rushing troops to its boundaries and
refused any explanation regarding her
Intentions. Belgium, neutral" Bel
gium,, was permitting French aero
planes to cross her territory into the
Rhine provinces, permitted without
protest the entrance of French soldiers
within its neutral" borders, had, in
fact, long since come to an understand
ing with England and France. Ger.
many was caught like rat in trap.
If the German government had al
lowed itself to be drawn into a longer
delay by England, If it had hesitated
any longer to mobilize, the German
people could have accused it's Emperor
and its government of treacherous neg
ligence.
This was the situation which will ex-
plain to outsiders the attitude of our
Social Democrats which induced their
leaders, by principle opposed to war,
to volunteer in the service of their
country. The Social Democrats de.
sired peace, stood out for peace till
the very last moment. But when the
storm broke, when at last every mortal
In Germany recognized the well-pre-
pared conspiracy and realized the aw-
full danger In which the country stood.
then the whole German people arose
like one man. Then the entire peo-
pie from the Emperor down to the
deepest-dyed Social Democrat formed
a solid phalanx against the triple as
sassin. Then all the factions van
ished at touch, Germans went to the
front, to fight for a beloved country, to
battle for civilization.
We foster no hatred against France
here in Germany; not even on the
Rhine in our most threatened prov.
inces. The motive of "Revanche,' %
though inimical in itself to the peace
of nations, has its origin in a chival.
rous sentiment which we can appre.
ciate, and we respect every chivalrous
nation. And no more do we cherish
any animosity towards the Russian
nation. We have only pity for the
Russian people, held in tragical bond.
age by an inflexible, incompetent, un.
progressive and cruel government
in the worst bondage of ignorance,
poverty and superstition that ever be-
fell a nation.
But It is against England that the
indignation of the entire country is
aroused-against England, our blood
relative,-England contemplate in its
hypocrisy, great and powerful, and yet
cowardly enough to attack country
already battling with a double foe
England, mean enough to flood the
world with lies, and not ashamed to
violate the most primitive principles
of civilization by setting the yellow
race in Asia and the black race in AT
RIGA upon defenceless European col
onies.
Do you Americans actually believe
IL .