The Ocala evening star., 1915-07-08
IT'S GERMANY'S FAULT

Admiral Oscar Won Truppel, at one
time governor of Kiao Chow, warns
other Germans in an article in Der
Tag of Berlin, not to underestimate
the danger of breach with the Unit
ed States. He asks careful consid-
Grafton whether the value of Ger
many's submarine warfare is great
enough to justify it's continuance at
the expense of such a rupture. Ad-
miral Won Truppel writes: "a German
American war or even rupture of
relations the effect of
which would be virtually as great,
would injure Germany's prospects
more than any one believes. Although
America would contribute little to the
military strength of the allies except
for the munitions and supplies, it
could in time cooperate with land and
sea forces and with first class sub
marines and aeroplanes in the COM
plete isolation of Germany. 1t also
could put such pressure on remaining
neutral nations that they probably
would be arrayed actively or passive
ly in the ranks of our enemies. 1t is
undeniable, in spite of President Will
sons unquestionable desire to reach a
peaceful solution of problems that the
sympathies of a majority of Ameri-
cans are on the side of England and
that only a spark might be necessary
under certain conditions to kindle this
feeling into hostile outbreak"
If the sympathy of Americans is on
the side of England, it is Germany's
fault. A year ago, Germany had
more personal friends in America
than any other nation, and it is not
love for England that has impaired
that feeling.
America has had two wars with
England, in each of which that coun-
try gave Americans great reason for
bitter feeling, and in spite of a hun
dred years of peace with that country
good deal of that feeling exists to-
day. It's a rather unreasonable feel
ing-English people of today are not
in the least responsible for what their
ancestors of hundred years ago did,
and in that hundred years England
has treated US as fairly as any other
nation, and more fairly than some
nevertheless, prejudice is strong
against England in the United States,
and had there been a straightout war
between Germany and Great Britain,
Germany would have had the most
friends, ten to one, in America.
The reason why American senti-
ment is against Germany is much
more on account of Belgium and
France than on account of England.
We can't help feeling that France is
imposed upon and that the invasion
of Belgium is inexcusable. This feel
ing is added to by the undeniable fact
that Americans last winter kept alive
several hundred thousand Belgians,
whom the Germans, after taking
away their means of support, left to
starve. We sympathize with France,
of course. The average American
will sympathize with France against
any other nation. How can we help it
when we have a Lafayette county in
every state in the Union?
Sinking the Lusitania greatly added
to the feeling against Germany. Let
any fair-minded German reflect how
he would feel if America and Britain
were at war, and if an American sub
marine had sunk a British ship, with
1900 non-combatants, among them a
hundred Germans, on board. He
knows he would not excuse or for
give such an action, and he knows
his government would obtain repara-
tion or go to war about it. No other
nation has been so patient as Ameri-
ca over such a great wrong. Sinking
the Lusitania brought America and
England closer together than they
have ever been. It's easier to forget
the wars of over a century ago than
1t is that British seamen strove to
save American lives, that British
hands have reverently laid American
bodies to rest in British soil, and that
British women have dropped tears
and laid flowers upon the graves of
American dead. Germany may be very
sure that it wouldn't take many Lus-
itania incidents to cause Americans
and British TO fight side by side.