The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-07-09
WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR
AND AGAINST.

ANU A0AtNSl.
What will make man fight? Love
of life, you will say. That is mans
first instinct, we are taught. Then
love OF home, meaning ones flesh and
blood. Then there is love of country
and with it personal honor, self-re-
spect For liberty of speech. for hu-
man Justice. men have bled to death
on the fields of battle and died in
the flames at the stake.
For all Of these things, the most
vital and precious given to mankind,
we are fighting.
Is 1t not strange then that among
us are men and women who
urge that we disarm and trust
our fate to the hands Of the most
ruthless and cruel group of men since
Attilas hordcs swept Europe? What
would these deludcd people expect in
that event? DO they who call this a
war of capital believe that the tyranny
called the kaiSers government would
be more kind to us than to the Bel
gians?
Why not use sense and agree that
we may only judge the future by the
past?
There is but one thing which can
establish the methods employed In the
war by Germany. That one thing is
for Germany to win the war. II the
kaiser should be victorious. all the
things which Germany has done in the
last four years would be justified in
his sight.
One of the policies which the Ger
mans have followed with slight inter-
ruption from the fourteenth day Of
August, 1914. has been that of fright
fulness. All the chapters Of terrorism
which Germany can be blamed for
have not yet been recorded. They will
is whipped and driven from the face
Of the earth.
There came from the press not long
since a little book by Arnold J. Toyn-
bee, entitled The German Terror in
Belgium" In it Mr.. Toynbee has care
fully compiled into narrative form the
reports of various commissions on the
attitude of the Germans toward the
civilian population Of Belgium in the
first three months OF the war.
The book resolves itself into a cata-
logue Of authenticated horror. There
is no commcnt--therc is only fact
From eye Witnesses, both Belgian and
German, from horribly mistreatcd
women, from MANNED priests of the
church. from diaries taken from cap
tive German soldiers, come these ter
riblc indictments of the German mill
tary system.
The book follows with the armies Of
Won kluck, Won Bulow and the crown
prince OF Germany along the high
roads nf Belgium and tells with terri
BILE simplicity the story of violated
nation.
The devastation was systematized
When no excuse could be found by
Germans for wrecking II town and
Strengthening its inhabitants, an excuse
is made, Note the case of the entry
into Louvain. Before the Germans
entered the city, the local authorities
had fakcn Of rir IN
guard against possible firing on the
invaders. All arms and ammunition
were ordered surrendered at the hote
de vile.
Tn pursuance with the Order" says
the writer, quoting THE Reply to the
German White Book of May 10. 1915
antiquarian pieces, flint-locks, and
even zors were brought in
The Germans entered the city unre
sisted on August 10. 1914. On Angus
20 a German officer told Belgia,
woman in whose house he was quar-
tered: Il hope you will be spared
for now it Is going to begin" Thre
hours later firing began in the cit!
BY absolutely uncontroyertible proc
the author then shows how high mill
tary officials OF the German army ha
mis,ed two German squads into firm
at one another. That was the tore
which resulted in the slaughter {
hundreds, and the destruction of thou
sands OF dollars worth of property.
II saw one civilian with a bayont
wound behind his ear" declared a
eye witness who escaped. "A boy 9
fifteen had bayonet wound in hi
throat IN front. The priests Mer