The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-09-29
GERMANCLERGy BITTERLY
ATTACK NATIONS FOES
Federal Council of Churches
Receives Statesment.
GERMANY NOT TO BLAME.
Asserts the International Telegraph
Service is Spreading "Sys-
tematic Network of Lies"

New York, Sept. 27.-The Federal
Council of Churches tonight madc
public communication from twenty
nine leading Protestant churchmen
of Germany, repudiating, in behalf
of German Christianity and the Ger
man government, responsibility for
the European war, and fixing it on
those who long, secretly and cum
ningly have been spinning web of
conspiracy against Germany, which
now they have flung over us to
strangle us therein" The communi-
cation is addressed ITO the Evangeli-
cal Churches Abroad"
It's warlike tone" says state
ment issued by the Federal Council,
"and vigorous denunciation of Ger
many's opponents is matter of con-
siderable surprise to members Of the
/ council"
"A systematic network of lies, -
the communication reads, CONTROL
ing the International telegraph ser
vice is endeavoring in other lands to
cast on our people and its govern
ment guilt for the outbreak of this
war, and has dared dispute the inner
right of us and our emperor to in
woke the assistance of God"
/ FORTY-THREE YEARS PEACE.
The communication points to Ger
many's forty-three years of peace
and to her material development lin
friendly competition with other peo-
pie" and declares that only under
compulsion to repel a wanton attack
has she drawn the sword" Her
frontiers threatened, Germany was
compelled to protect herself from
being ravaged by Asiatic barbar-
ISM" it is declared.
over against a world in arms. ''
the communication continues, 1--WE
recognize clearly that we have to de-
fend our existence, our individuali-
ty, our culture and our honor. No
scruple holds back our enemies
where, in their opinion, there is q
prospect through our destruction OF
seiZing for themselves an economic
advantage, or an increase OF power
fragment OF our motherhood, ouI
colonial possessions or our trade
We stand over against this raging OF
the peoples fearless because OF ouI
trust in the holy and righteous
God"
HOLY ENTHUSIASM.
Precisely because this war has
been thrust upon us wantonly il finds
us single people in which distinc
tions Of race and rank, of parties and
confessions, have vanished. In q
holy enthusiasm. not shrinking from
battle and from death and looking tc
God, we are all of one mind and pre-
pared joyfully to stake our all fol
. our land and for our liberty"
1t is declared that "unnamablC
horrors have been committed against
Germans living peacefully abroad,
and that Into the war which tn,
czar has openly proclaimed as the
decisive campaign against Teutonisn
and Professionalism, heather Japan i.
, called upon the pretext of an alli
ance."
Not for the sake of our people
whose sword is bright and keen, bur
for the sake of the unique world task
of the Christian people in the decis
i've hour of the world mission, We
now address ourselves 10 evangeli
cal Christians abroad in neutral and
inimical lands.
NATION CALLED TO REPEN
TANCE.
IF the people among whom mis-
sions and brotherly love had begun
TO be power lapse into savagery in
murderous war through hate and bit
terness; if Christian Europe for
feits n notable portion of her posi-
tion in the world; if the sacred
, springs from which her people!
should derive their own life, are cor
rupted and choked; the guilt OF thi,
rests not on our people. We know
fIll well that through this san
culinary Judgment God is calling oul
nation to repentance, and we rejoic,
; that she is hearing His holy voice
, and turning TO Him. But in thii
we know that we are as one will
all the Christians among our peo
pie, that we can and must repudiat,
on their behalf, and on behalf o
their government the. responsibilit,