TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1915-01-08
Germany Defended by Prof. Fullerton
Great BriiaIn's Sea Power Holds Threat Over EVeU
Nation Of the Globe, and IT'S "Navalsm" Forced The
War Uuon The Peass-LOving German NatiOn.

Prof. George Stuart Fullerton Of
the Department Of Philosophy Of.
Columbia University, now Honorary
Exchange Professor IN the University
OF Vienna, has written a pamphlet
entitled why the German Nation
Has Gone 20 War IN which be at
tempts 10 make clear. as an American
20 Americans. the reasons and justice
OF Germanys entry into the war, and
to prove that the people Of this
country would have acted 10 the
same way ii the United States we're
geographically beset BY the same
dangers from abroad as was Ger
many.
Prof. Fullerton explains at the
start that he is an American without
a drop Of German blood 10 bis veins
and cannot, therefore, be suspected
OF the Partially that charaeterizes
the German-Ameriean His family
he adds, has been American as long
as there has been an American ma
ton. But he processes TO have a
thorough knowledge OF German con
ditions and sentiment, from thirty
years Of study Of Germanys science,
literature. and political and economic
development and acquaintance with
many leading persons in political and
private life there Especially he says,
was he able to judge Of the German
sentiment by personal observation in
the streets during the month Of
August, when the mobilization took
place.
81 say without hesitation that no
class, either in Germany or Austria,
desired to precipitate this terrible
war" he says. Peace was desired.
and earnestly desired, for economic
reasons. But wal was forced upon
both nations. That the war came
just when it did may be regarded as
an accident, for the war was sure
10 come in any case.
A Peace-Loving People.
"The Germans are a peace-loYing
people. We Americans know that
there is no element in u own pop
ulation orderly, industrious,
and la~w-abiding than the German
element. The German in Germany
has the same characteristics. The
land is an orderly land, and the pop
ulation is enlightened, disciplined,
and educated TO respect the law. The
rights of even the humblest are
generously guarded. The courts are
just.
yet this orderly and peace-loving
people, a people which has not only
loved peace, but has for more than
forty years kept the peace, while
other nations carried on wars, has
gone to war against what seemed at
irst to be overwhelming odds; and
the rising has been not that of a
class, but Of a nation. Neither the
Emperor nor the government nor the
officers in the army and the navy
are responsible for the public sentiment
which makes this movement in Ger
many a national uprising. In the
past three months | have not met
with a German o. any class, from the
highest TO the lowest, who has not
been heart and sou for the war. /
have heard no laments from those
who have sent their sons; / have
heard no criticism Of thei. country
from those who have been bereayed,
and l know many such"
Prof. Fullerton asks Americans
to imagine the United States for a
time differently situated geo
graphically, with peaceful Canada and
weak Mexico replaced by two strong
and martial nations, one, like Russia,
vast and powerful, with a constantly
manifested tendency to territorial
spread and growth at the expense OF
its neighbors; the other, like France,
impelled by a self-confessed spirit of
revenge and h~ankering for nearly
half a century to regain its lost prov
1nces from its neighbor. Then, he
continues, another power should be
imagined, capable OF controlling all
our outlets to the sen (taking it for
granted thai our present wide stretch
of shore on both oceans were non
existent and that instead we had but
limited access to the sea, as has
Germany
How would we Americans accept
such a situation2" he asks. Would
we humbly declare II readiness to
step out Of the race for industrial
success, or to ask permission of an