The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-12-13
Germany Must Bear
The Awful Responsibility.

The Journal has not at any time
desired to be the least bit unfair to
my one Of the nations at war in
Europe, but we have well-nigh lost
,ur patience at the continual gibes
which Germany has sought to give all
oeace-loving people.
Some of the claims and assertions
IF the leading Germans regarding the
present war have been very exasper-
ating. They have been hard to recon-
Tile. We confess to having been
somewhat puzzled all the time about
the real cause of the war.
In the face of conditions which have
existed since the very day that war
was declared by Germany we fail to
gather anything more than mere
idle claim from the assertions so often
made by leading German diplomats
regarding Germany's part in the pres
emit cruel and causeless war.
Chancellor Won Bethman-Hollweg
said last week in his speech before
the German reichstag:
1--WE do not fight in order to subju-
gate other nations. We fight for the
protection of our life and liberty. For
the German government the war has
always been what it was at the be-
ginning war of defense Of the Ger
man nation and for her future"
Such assertions as this coming from
one so high in the diplomatic circles
Of his country as is Chancellor Won
Hollweg can only have bad effect
upon the public mind.
In the first place the concensus Of
opinion throughout most of the civil
ICED world is that II Germany had
not been over-anxious to start trouble
the present heartless war could easily
have been avoided.
However, one only has to take a
glance into the conditions that have
existed in Belgium since the war was
started to see that what Chancellor
Won Bethman- Hollweg says is nothing
more than the pickering Of bigot.
Maybe Germany didn't start the
present war, but if she didn't, who
did?
Maybe she didn't trample out the
very life blood Of poor little plundered
Belgium, but If she didn't do it, who
did?
Maybe Germany didn't have Miss
Cavell, the Red Cross nurse, shot to
death on a mere pretext, but if not,
who was it that had the awful crime
commitedi
Maybe Germany has carried on the
war on her own territory as "a war
Of Defense" but if SO the news
agencies have done her great in
Justice.
Il Is not sufficient for Germany to
answer that she was fighting for the
protection Of life and liberty" Facts
must be faced as they are. They
stand to refute every such assertion
az that made by the venerable ane
distinguished chancellor.
Germany is tired Of the war. She
ought to be tired Of it. She ought tx
be made 50 very tired Of it that she
win never place her iron heel upor
the necks Of a peaceable and God
loving people and crush them as she
crushed the Belgians.
Pharoah IN his day showed mors
confederation for . pleading people
than Germany showed to the Belgians
Nero IN his palniest days never per
secuted Christians with greater yea
nor with more fiendish delight thar
the Turks have prosecuted the Ar
menians during the past severa
months.
Germany, in making her own de
Tense before the world, must also o.
necessity make the defense of hel
allies, the Turks. If the pill is bit
ter one for her to swallow she viii a
least have the consciousness that sh,
alone provoked the disease which ha,
made the pin necessary.
No, the European war is not ye
over. The time Of peace is not yet
even though Germany would try t,
shift the responsibility for its futur,
continuance.
There are wrongs to be righted ant
prayers Of defenseless women ant
r6sIIrov, - Ia a~er~~cI Hof~~- A.