Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-12-20
CAUSES Of WAR
At CLUB MEET
Who caused the war?

VINO caused the war!
That is something that everybody
should thoroughly understand.
The question was presented in a
most able address given before the
members of the Fortnightly club. at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. r. B. Griggs
on Friday night. The speaker was Pro
fessor Barry Cert of the department of
romance languages at the University
of Wisconsin and the ground was so
completely covered that it was evident
he had made a thorough and exhaust
i've study Of the subject.
He said the real cause of the war
was the Prussianization Of Germany
the unificatiOn of Germany under the
Prussian ideas and influences. This
was the idea of previous rulers and OF
Bismark The outline as presented by
Professor Serf is as follows:
1. The "blood and iron" policy of
Bismark This means the army must
be above all other branches of the gov
eminent.
9. Prosperity begets oblivion of
servitude. 1t was the policy Of Ger
many to make the country prosperous
and the people would then be content,
even though there was great demand
for money to build up an army and
navy.
3. The Prussian and German con-
stitutiOn. AS to the diet the first class
had from three to five per cent of the
votes, the second class from ten to
twelve per cent and the third class
eighty-five per cent. This means that
the first class controlled the diet. The
same system prevailed in the reich
stag All legislation was in favor of
the army and navy and other parties
could not get control.
4. The country was an absolute
monarchy, kaiser who believed in di-
vine right and an army that controlled
the government.
5. The preaching of the glOrifca-
ton of war, that war was the only way
a nation could become great and that
war was a real necessity. This idea
was taught in schools, supported by
the universities and preached by the
theologians.
6. Conceit The Prussians are i'm
bued with the idea they are the
chosen people to rule the earth and
that other nations should yield to
them.
7. They believed in the right Of con-
quest.
8. They said they needed to ex-
pand The speaker said this was not
the truth, for the year previous to the
war no more left Germany than left
France.
r Professor Cert went back into his
tory to trace the steps that lead up to
the Prussian control Of Germany. He
said the Prussians were not Germans,
but that the Germans had come under
their control and influence. After the
revolution in France, the influence was
felt in Germany, the growth of the
Prussian idea going back to 1848. The
wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870 aided in
building up the empire and the pres
ent war is but a continuation of the
previous wars. He spoke of their /
philosophy, how they believe it was
right to kill in order to rule and how
it was the best policy to resort to
tricks and deception in order to win.
This was practiced by Bismark and by
others since his time. Instances were
related in connection with the present
war.
Rev. and Mrs. L. c. Ferguson, Mr.. |
and Mrs. A. Reinking and Mrs. Agnes
Eisman became members.
The next meeting will be of a social
nature at the home of Mr.. and Mrs. |
V. S. Pease on the evening of Deem ,
Der 81.