Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-19
GERMAN MEETING
Held AT PORTLAND

han a. winch unQer the auspices OF the
German American Alliance speakers
undertook to give the German side
of the matter.
There has never been a better audi
ence in this city. 1t was not large,
there being not more than 700 people
nj the hall, but for quality ana zone
it has never been equalled and never
excelled. The people. there were the
thinking people of Portland. They were
not all on one side by any manner of
means. George Sylvester Vierick, edi-
tor of "Fatherland,' who rubbed 1t
into this country and the present i'd
ministration Of the state department,
also into Col. Theodore Roosevelt,
whom he termed an epidemic, like the
measles, was interrupted by several
men and at the end of the speech max
ing there was a sort Of heckling ses-
sion in which questions were asked
and answered by the two speakers,
after a fashion.
On the stage were Henry G. Boyer,
Jr, j. &. Mangold, Charles w. Cordes
Of this city and the two speakers of
the evening, Dr. Edmund Won Marx of
Harvard and Mr.. Vierick, editor of
the Fatherland.
Mr.. Boyer opened the meeting by
thanking the people for the good at
tendance and their evident interest in
the cause which was represented. He
said:
We welcome this mighty audience. You
are the Supreme Court of Civilization,
the listening neutrals. At the end of the
war l hope it will be part of my pride as
an American citizen to find that my
country has brought to Europe the peace
which alone can give life to civilization
We have so far not put price on oul
neutrality nor sold our honor for expec.
tation of gain. For this 1 am proud Of
my country.
But, when war broke out, this country
| turned against Germany. The case
against her was overwhelming. England
then had control of every news channel
The great German nation were bar
barians, her soldiers butchers, her rulers
Huns with Attilla himself at the head
] have asked myself a thousand times
why this Nation, with its worldwide
fame for fairness should be so biased
1t seems as though destiny itself had
saved US from the war so that we might
undertake the gigantic task of arbitra
ton. And thus I hoped that our Natior
would suspend Judgment until it hat
heard both sides. Why could we no
wait and meet our duty to civilization
not filed with malice, not with a pre-
conceived verdict of condemnation in oul
! hear lint wit hot
might meet the task before us, be equa
| to it, and not be found wanting? AND
! SO l now confess that l began to doub
our nations fitness to fulfill this destiny
or to be equal to its duty. This audienc,
| is rebuke to my fears.
You have come in the American spiri
/ of fairness. You have come to hear Ger
manys viewpoint discussed. You meal
to be equal to your duty to civilization
| l thank you.
| Reads Statement
DR.. Bernhard Dernberg, who was t.
| have been present to speak with au
thority for the German government
/ with respect to the peace terms, wa:
not able to come owing to the seriou.
which was read by Henry G.. Boyer
Jr. and Of which the portion dealing
with the peace propositions and Ger.
many aims and intentions is as fol
lows:
Ritz Carlton Hotel.
New York, April 10th, 1915
My dear Mr.. Boyer:
1t is with infinite regret that at sc
| late an hour | feel, for reasons which
have explained to you and which
| center around the precarious state OF
health of Mrs. Dernburg, that 1 shall
not be able to keep my appointment
| to talk to your friends in Maine on the
all pervading question of the presen.
troubled state of the world and its
probable solution
| You will do me a favor by express
ing my excuses to such of your coun-
| trymen, who have come to hear me
either by reading to them this letter
at your meeting or by giving it such
publicity as YOU see fit. stating at the
same time that l most sincerely hope
| to yet have the advantage during the
| Spring of personally eXcusing myself
and to enter into a discussion, which
feel cannot but be highly beneficial
| I have set out, in the paper I sent
you, what l believe to be the view
points Of the various factions at war
trying to be impartial, and so far az
my German nationality permits me t.
show, without bias, the aims and am
billions of the warning powers, which
they think justified by their position
and history reserved for my address
! to say what I believe would be ar
equitable solution. I have not done
that so far, but will do so now as 4
mark of respect to you and your
friends, who have worked so hard tc
have the people of Maine acquainted
with the salient point of the issue.
"a Whatever peace is concluded
should be of a permanent nature, nc
perfunctory patching-up should be
permitted. The horror Of all the civil
lized nations of the old world slaugh-
tering one another everyone convinced
| Of the perfect righteousness OF theii
| own cause. A recurrence If 1t coulC
not be avoided absolutely-should be
made most remote, so as to take the
weight from our minds that all this
young blood Of the best manhood Of
Europe might be spilled in vain.
~