The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-07-13
GERMANS AND GERMANS

| 1S'CuAHS L OSI lOI JUNE oV, appear .
under the above title.
The author is Edward G. Lowry. He
tells us that we are just beginning to
find out the German and see him as
he is. That he is an anachronism.
That his political ideas and theories
of government have no more place
in the modern world than raw oys-
ter in a cup Of tea.
We can we'll believe it.
| When the war first started AMI the
German army was making its hasty
bolt through Belgium, we distinctly
remember hearing one of our German
fellow citizens say that the German
army was under such strict and Sc
we're military discipline that we would
not hear of single article of private
property being disturbed, much less
destroyed; that not so much as a
chicken would be appropriated by a
single soldier, and if it were done the
perpetrator would suffer quick and
condign punishment.
1t may be taken for granted that
this German citizen had been away
from Germany for many years and
had become thoroughly inoculated
with the political principles running
through the warp and wool of our in.
situations and theories of government
and was forgetful of what was going
on in the German mind in it's grasp
for power and dominion.
Contrary to his statement the
world stands aghast and appalled, not
only on account of the ruthless de.
struction of private property but by
the awful barbarities inflicted upon
non-combatants, the cruelty to chill
dren and the outrages upon women.
The like of which was never known
in the world before at least not since
the invention of printing.
Well does Mr.. Lowry say that the
German political idea and theory Of
government nave no place in the mod
ern world That the Germ an is bound
hand All foot by the tyranny of the
German government. Germany is not
q self-governing country. The gov
ermnent does as it pleases and tells
the people nothing The German is
taught o believe that war is Ger
many's national industry" That
"war and courage have accomplished
greater things than love for ones fel
low man"
Mr. Lowry tells that the German
war book boldly proclaims that "once
war is declared, frightfulness is the
trucst humanity because not only
does it help to demoralize the enemy
more quickly, but it makes the van
pushed more reluctant to renew their
bid for freedom" More than that
The war book warns the German Off.
Ger against being misled by any hu
manitarian considerations. by steep.
ing himself in military history" it
says, "the officer will be able to guard
himself against excessive humanita-
rian notions; it will teach him that
certain seventies are indispensable to
war; nay, more. that the more true
humanity very often lies in ruthless
application of them"
We are told that Immediately upon
his accession the German emperor in
a public speech declared the essence
of German rule: Only one is master
within the empire, and / will tolerate
no other" He then defined his for.
eign policy: Nothing more hence.
forth may be settled in the world
without the intervention of Germany
and the German emperor" An inspir-
ed German writer said that this meant
that ''henceforth no decision, what.
ever and whenever it might be, should
be taken without Germany's directing
and determining voice"
| To its cost, the civilized world did
not take these teachings and the roy.
al assertions seriously. That was a
great mistake. For on them the Ger.
man state was erected Those primi-
tive and barbarous and wrong headed
beliefs govern seventy million indus.
trious, robust. virile and otherwise in.
telligent people. Not only was the
German taught to believe these things
but it was drilled into him that it was
his duty, under he German war god,
to impose these beliefs on all the
world by force
There is no morality in all this 1t
used to be estimated in Germany be
fore this war that one million casual
ties would establish German military
supremacy in the world and put an
end to competition of ornaments. The
Germans were willing to pay this