Der Nordstern. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1874-1931, 1915-07-15

know that France, forever gnaWed by
the devouring ulcer of revenge" had
poured milliards C francs into the bot
tomless treasury of Russia, that at the
given moment the huge Cossack hordes
might sweep resistlessly through Ger
many and Austria, while troops from
envious England and complaisant Bel
GUM should, with the millions sent by
France, march equally VIGOROUSLY to
the Rhine. We know that many ideas
which you have formed at England's
instigation, such as the notion that
the German people have been forced
into this war by an ambitious Emper-
erroneous. You must, yourselves, to-
day, perceive this. The English fables
that Hungary desires to make a sepa-
rate peace with Russia, that an es-
arrangement exists between Bavarians
and Prussians, and that the Germans,
Austrians and Hungarians wish to dis
solve their forms of government and
found republics, are ridiculous. Such
nonsence, when presented to a we'll
informed paper, ought to be thrown
into the waste basket. This is the
second time in the space of fifty years
that the brotherhood Of north and
south Germany has been sealed with
blood. Even Austria, which, it was
thought, would crumble into it's COM
ponent parts at the first shock of
war, displays a splendid solidarity;
while the United States of Germany
we're never SO united as today. Both
love and loyalty to the aged Emperor
Franz Joseph and to William II. in
their respective countries never were
so strong. But still we see you drug
ged by the Knockout drops of British
lies, and seemingly immovable in the
opinions formed by you in those first
fatal days, when your bewildered
minds were wax to receive and mar
BILE to retain"
How We Are Situated.
You ask why we should feel ag-
grieved because you hold these views.
I will try to tell you. During this
long and terrible winter we have been
living in a state of mental tension, of
which you can form no idea. Upon
the wind-swept, snow-heaped crests
of the Carpathians the troops of Ger
many, Austria and Hungary-shoulder
to shoulder = have maintained for
months amid ~unspeakable hardships
a wonderful resistance to the Russian
masses, pushed against them with an
utter disregard of human life. men
are the cheapest thing we have" said
recently a Russian general. In fact,
day after day and night after night
hundreds of thousands of the soldiers
of the pitiless Grand Duke were driv-
en- forward in successive lines, like
pillows of the sea, so that the last, at
least, might scale the corpses of its
predecessors, force a passage at all
costs, and pour triumphantly through
v%anquished Hungary. The prize-the
actual object of the Wharf.-The form
ing of a vassal Balkan State and the
possession of the Bosphorus, appar-
emily justified in the mind of the Rus
sian commander any massacre. But,
thank God, we have finally-yet at
what a cost!-repelled these number
less invaders. The human dyke, which
could alone preserve us from d%estruc-
ton, has not given way. But, now
when our brave lei who have sur
vived, stand painting, bleeding, but
on the eastern slopes of
the C%arpathians, and we a deem
ourselves secure, why do we hear
from you no word of JOY, or message
of congratulation? Does not your
master let you know the news?
Perhaps that a explain your silence.
l fear, however, that, having cast In
your lot with the Allies, you must re-
greet that the appalling Slavic inroad
has been checked, and would have
actually ~rejoiced, had it succeeded. \
Yet you are perfectly aware of Rus
sia's history. You have read Ken
mans revelations, Kropotkin's horrify-
ing statements, and the recent stories
Of the Pograms. You cannot serious
ly believe that because this semibru-
tai nation has become temporarily the
ally of England 1t is today essentially
different from what it was before. Up
my table lies a letter from q Ger
nan naval officer, written in Memel.
With It he sent me several newspa-
pers published there Immediately after
the expulsion Of the Cossacks. I have
also the description Of the explorer,
Sven Hedin, who arrived in Memel the