The Dickinson press., 1914-12-12
GERMAN SIDE OF
WAR QUESTION

The following letter was recently
received by a leading Minnesota pub
ication from Ben Klaus, manager of
the international Harvester Co. busi-
ness in Germany:
Mr.. Klaus letter probably gives us
a correct idea how the German people
feel regarding the war: s.-. -.
lam. writing without date, and it
seems dates are only noted when an
other victory and battle has been won
blythe celebrated German army. Be-
ing on the ground-can say on the
firing ine-ones can see and judge
from the surroundings why Germany
was thrown into the War Of 1914,
which will be worlds history such as
haslnever been recorded before. The
last days of July and the days of
August, 1914, will never be forgotten.
Al gloom came over the city Of
Mannheim, during the latter part of
July such as it has never experienced
before, not even during the days of
1870 and 1871. -
The city of Mannheim is located
on the border of the firing line, and
is also the main railroad terminal
connecting Alsace-Lorraine and
France, and all troops and war ma
terial were shipped by way of Mann
helm, via Strassburg, Alsace-Lor-
raine, the battlefield of 1870 and
again in 1914.
To tell all that one has seen and
heard during these days would be a
volume in itself; the endless regi-
ments of German soldiers, the clat-
tering Of guns, the parting of fathers
from their families, the cracking Of
shots, the roaring of cannon, the
march in the air of aeroplanes, the
long lines Of ammunition wagons, the
Red Cross Societies, all help to make
one wonder: "Why all this?" All
because of race hatred, that is what
call it, and I, being an American
citizen take it upon me to express
myself as see it, and being on the
ground, will give you the real cause
Of the war.
Race hatred is the motive behind
the war now begun, and the real is
sue is Slav domination via Teuton
rule. Every sane person knows that
it is the mission Of Germany to keep
the Asiatic Slav from overrunning
Europe, and to preserve western civil
1ization with it's ideals of individual
liberty, it's advance in morals. art
science, industry and education, which
the Teuten has introduced in Europe,
and which the Muscovite would re-
place with the stagnant and despotic
civilization Of Asia.
One point I wish to make clear be-
fore going any further. England is
now fighting with Russia against
Germany. This will end peace pros
poets for centuries to come, no mat
ter who will win, as Germans never
forgive race treachery. Again I ask
the motive for this war. The real
question of the war is:
Shall Europe be ruled by Asiatics,
by Europeans, by slavs or by Teu-
tons? 49, -
when the American press takes
sides against Germany, it only furth-
ers the designs of Asiatic against
European civilization.
Now, as to the Austrian. Servia
fareup, Russia really cared nothing
for Servia. Russia did see a chance
to strike a blow at Germany, with
the aid of France and England. That
is why the mobilization of Russian
troops was ordered on the German
frontier. And when were they or
dered on the frontier? Long before
Germany even thought of mobilizing,
Russian troops invaded German ter
ritory. Even in the face of this de-
monstration, the Kaiser did every
thing he could to serve the peace Of
Europe as the message in the Ger
man White Book shows, and these
records are facts. Talk is cheap but
it takes money to buy powder. Only
when Russia disclosed her intention
to strike, did Germany oppose with
armed forces. 1t could not be expect
ed that Germany would sit idle at
such a time and while Russia was
getting a lunch Germany already had
a meal.
French hostilities have no relation
to the rights and wrongs Of Servia.
The French, we all know, have been
sulking since their defeat 40 years
ago. Now they see chance for re-
venge, with the aid of Russia and
England. Germany could not remain
passive when the hand of a vindica-
tive enemy was raised against her.
We, as citizens of the great U. S.
A., remember we'll what happened
when our famous battleship, the
Maine" was blown up, and how in
few months the guns of Spain were
silenced and their fleet destroyed. I
will ask every u. S. A. citizen and
the press, "What would the United
States do today if they were Ger
many? Every man would fight until
his last breath; So with the Germans,
and Germany will win and win with
glory. sd q: .z. ...s .. .,~ .. 3.
There has been no wish for war by
the German people, no more than we
wanted war with Spain and Spain
has never gotten over it. Don't you
think so? You; I am asking every
American. The German people did
not want war. Never before was the
country SO prosperous, never did it SO
strongly desire peace. 1t is incon-
!. ceivable that the Kaiser Of the Ger
man people wanted war. say they
have been driven into it by the Mus
covite, who hopes to sweep Europe,
and by the French who thirst for