Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-19

1CIHuaAy Will HUI AdIi, WHICH, LILO SAuAc
comes to help rebuilding the country.
in fact, she is doing so now.
O) Germany Is a country smaller
in size than California, but populated
SO times as thickly as that State,
She loves and fosters family life and!
sees her future in the raising Of large
families of healthy children under the
home roof and under the national. flag.
German parents have no desire to ex-
patriate every year a considerable
number Of their children. This i'm
which would alone give occupation to
the yearly increase Of pretty nearly a
million people SHOULD go on unham-
pered. The activity Of her people
should have an outlet in the develop
ment Of such foreign parts as need or
wish for development.
Great Britain has shown very little
foresight in constantly blocking such
efforts, playing Morocco into the hands
Of France, a nation that remained
stationary for A years with little more
than half Of the population Of Ger
many and with a system equally un-
dermining religion and morality in
keeping families small for the sake Of
worldly comforts. England further
more constantly INSTRUCTED the Ger
man endeavor to reclaim for the benz
fit of all the world the granary in
Mesopotamie. A permanent peace
will mean that this German activity
must get wide scope without In
fringement upon the rights Of others.
Germany should be encouraged to con-
tinue her activities to Africa and Asia
Minor, which can only result in per-
manent benefit to all the world. Amer
leans have saying that it will never
do good to sit on a safety valve"
There is nothing in the program Of
my country which would not be bene-
fetal to the rest of the world, espe-
cially the United States That this
is so the events Of the last months
have conclusively shown and a better
appreciation Of what Germany really
stands for, has recently taken place.
So if l plead the cause Of my country.
I am not pleading as a German alone.
but as a citizen of country who wish
es to be o useful and true member Of
the universally VI lldlOuo COhlIlUul-
ing by humanitarian aims and by the
enhancement Of personal freedom to
the happiness Of even the lowliese
members of the great world commune
ty.
1 am proud to say that cannot only
give this assurance but produce facts
and / beg to refer to the modern sys-
tenn Of social reforms. which Germany
inaugurated and carries through at an
expense which Is every year larger by
one-half than the expense Of the MILL
tary system.
The brunt Of this war has not been
borne by the men who fight but by
the women who suffer, and 1t will be
one Of the proudest and most coveted
achievement that Germany will gain
in rewarding in a dignifled and per-
nlanently beneficial way the enormous
sacrifices of womanhood and to allie
viate to the extent Of the possible the
hardship and sorrow that this war has
brought upon them.
This letter is rather longer than I
can expect you to patiently peruse, but
my excuse for this is firstly the vast
field of the subject, and secondly my
respect of the people I address, who
cannot be satisfied without a full and,
as I believe, perfectly sincere state
ment of the true position Of Germany.
Very respectfully yours.
(Sd) DIR. DERNBURG.
Edmund Won Marx
| ~ ,ovH hn
first speaker of the evening. He devoted
himself to a discussion Of the peace
proposals of DR.. Dernburg devoting most
of his argument to the free sea propo-
! sition. He said that unfortunately this
country has been misled by designing
group Of men in England who do not
truly represent that nation but who being
/ in control are able to set forth what they
desire of the situation and to suppress
! the rest. The free sea proposition Is no
new thing. The United States has stood
for it from the very first and has been
opposed by England at every turn.
The speaker then gave from documents
In his possession many statements to
! show that the war was forced upon Ger
many, that English officers on leave In
this country were recalled to duty in for
eign service as early as mid July. that
British and Belgians were in close con-
sultation as early as mid July, that the
war news service was CARRIED to fit the
purposes Of the British war office and
also that the foreign Office misquoted and
changed matter in order to carry their
point
/ George Sylvester Vieriek
The second speaker was Mr.. Vierick.
| who began his address by declaring that
the interests Of the United States were
| identical with those of Germany, not
those Of England, but that there was
even before the war started strong anti
German feeling in this country. He de-
clared that this was fostered by garbled
news sent from British sources and that
even now this country is suffering from
the Vaccinations of England. The Eng
! lish blockade Of New York is more effec-
tive than that of Hamburg, he said. and
every section Of the country has come
to feel the hand of British oppression
Mr.. Vierick then charged that Eng
land has broken up all Of our plans for
South American trade, our proposed
| China trade and our merchant marine.