TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1915-01-26
AMERICANS!

pulled the wires 10 this fearful catastrophe that shakes the world Eneano'
which safe on is island did not reeol from a northumberland ~ o'ae
70 annhnate a commercial ryal-Engand accuses Germany Of being nc
cause Of the outbreak Of the warl II the matter we're not 50 d"adiuhy
serious, one would be tempted 10 Taught
Americana Can your clear brains really believe that a man would
build a house for forty years with neyerfagging diligence, in order 70 Sc
fire To IL nthessly IN the foty-frst? Such a man would be nadi Can
your clear brains really believe that a nation that has done the work OF
civilization and culture for forty years with untdng Industry should
voluntarily tear down It's own work, destroy It's commerce, PROSTATE It's
arts and sciences and send the entire flower. OF its youth into death? Do
you really believe that a highly cultured nation, with excellent education
even in the lowest classes, with a mighty, wel-organized, peaeeloving
democracy, with a strong women's movement, would without protest permit
any individual whatsoeyer-Emperor o Grown Prince, to drag 1t into such
an adventurous policy and plunge it into a sea Of blood? Do you really
believe that the entire German nation composed Of sxty-sx million human
beings, had suddenly become mad from the Emperor down to the most
convinced sociatdemOcrat?
No one in Germany, mind you, not one person desired this war! We
have been forced into it in the most teaeherOus manner.
Up to the last moment the Emperor, yes the Imperial Government,
conducted peace negotiations. Russia notwithstanding modified against
us, contrary to the imperial word of the Gar contrary to the word OF
honor of the chief of the Russian general staff. Englands feet lay
completely modified before our very nose. France hurried troops to our
border and refused an explanation as to her intentions. Belgium, neutral
Belgium, permitted French aeopanes to ny over Belgium into the Rhine
province, permitted French troops, without protest, TO enter her neutral,
TERRITORY. She had long ago made Der agreements with England and
France. Germany sat in between like a mouse in a trap. II the Imperial
Government had allowed itself to be put of any longer by England yes
liz the Imperial Government had hestated any longer 10 mobilize the Ger
man nation would have had to accuse its Emperor and its government Of
Ihgh-ueason
This position Of ours may explain to those abroad the stand taken by
our social democracy, namely that today the most peaceloving party
leaders are standing at the front in battle . volunteers. Inc social
demOcraHy desired peace, demonstrated for peace to the last But when
suddenly the mist cleared and every child saw the terrible danger in which
the fatherand was, then indeed the entire German people rose at one man.
Then indeed the whole nation from the Emperor to the most convinced
social democrat rose in a solid line against the threefold attempt to throttle
lit Then indeed in one day all political parties in our country ceased to
exist Germans went to the front to fight for a beloved fatherand' Tor
Germanic culture.
We in this country have no hatred towards France; not wen along the
Rhine in u most exposed province The thought of revenge, dangerous as
lit is for the peace Of nations, has at the base a noble and chiyalrous motive
We respect a chvarous nation. Nor do we hate the Russian people We
sympathize with this piiable nation which is forcibly kept by an in
competent, retrograde, rigid, bloody government in the most deplorable
condition in which any nation can be kept-the condition Of Ignorance, Of
poverty and Of superstition. But the entire Indignation Of this country is
directed against the unworthy hyprocrty Of England, related to Is by
common desent-aganst the cOwardice of a great and free nation in
falling upon a country which is already fighting against two fronts
against its baseness in filling the world with les-aganst its contempt for
1.-THE most primitive demands Of civilization in setting upon our at present
defenseless model colonies the yellow race in Asia and the black race in
Africa.
Do you Americans seriously believe this fairy tale Of the neutrality Of
Belgium, that England wished to protect? Even in England no one is SC
supplemented. In England it is openly admitted that the real issue is
commercial war against Germany-Respect for neutrality Is that
rcsnect for neutrality If England derives a neutral state. Turkey, of two
new battleships? If in neutral Spanish waters it sinks a German ship
And this was the same ship which just before-as We learn from English
sources. released two ALREADY CAPTURED English sbips unscathed to England
for the sake Of the women and children o board! Is it neutrality wher
Belgium makes appeal to its neutrality towards Germany and acts as ally
to France and England believe me: if instead of the Germans, the French
had been the first in Liege, not a voice would have been raised in England
and France on behalf of Belgian neutrality THE reason the French were
not the first was due to the efficiency Of n derman railroad system Wmci
allowed such a rapid unfolding Of the mobilization and to the efficiency o
the German mobilization itself, but certainly not due to respecting o.
Belgian neutrality by the French.
But if we in the Rhneland read of the cudies which Germans ar
said to have committed in Belgium, we ask ourselves i tho world is standing
on its head.
You abroad, you receive English and French news only. We in tn
borderland, we see and hear with our " eyes and ears. Certainly atrod
ties were committed in Belgium, beshal atrocities, which the Belgian govern
Thirty-Years War and the most atrocious Indian tales. But these tocIoe
were committed before any German soldier had a chance to harm a Belgian
town in the least. They were committed upon the helpless women am
children Of expelled Germans. In Antwerp and Brussels there were man.
thousands Of Germans. They had been settled there for decades. The
were not given time to look after their belongings, in many cases they wer
even deprived Of the opportunity Of leaving by rail- Hundreds and thou
sands of these unfortunates were delivered up to the brutality of the mol
without protection and without defense. Their houses were pinaged befor
one German soldier reached a Belgian town; tattered, abused, robbet
bLeedng-many children in a dying condhion-that is how they crossed tn
frontier.
Have we Of the Rhineiand no eyes? Have we no ears7 Have we no
been reading for weeks the long, long lists of the missed that were lost il
this shameful pursuit Of the mOb7 Did not the relatives, peaceful citizens
for weeks seek in despair their wives, sisters and children that had bee
chased and abused in the most horrible manner and all this before Germa
soldiers ever came into touch with Belgians Where was the voice o
civilization then? Is it silent where German women and children ar
Il concerned? And our wounded? Do we not see them in our hospitals
defnseess wounded, their eyes gouged out by the Belgian mob! VIII
have been treated with atrodous cruelty? And our German surgeons
whose threats were cut in treacherous attack from behind while bendin
over the wounded? God knows we respect the bravery of the Belgian army
but these horrible atrocities of the mob against defenseless women an
children, the wounded and the dying, these are sorry acts Of bravery
Ihayeread an article Of moral indignation over the burning Of Louvar
Il The Belgian mob can certainly not deplore half as much as we German
what IL did when ii forced nr brave. discfphned troona to this extem