The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-11
Why We Are At
War With Germany.

Hazelden Farm, Brook, Ind.-lf
you had approached the average citi-
zen of the United States in June.
1914, and had asked how his sympa-
thies lay as to the commercial war
fare going on between Great Britain
and Germany, the chances are that
he would have shown a cold indiffer-
ence and an utter lack Of partisanship
AS between Great Britain. recorded in
all school books as our hereditary foe
and Germany. a country that sent us
many of our most amiable, industrious
and useful citizens, the chances are
that he might have expressed a good
natured desire to have Germany get
the upper hand in the markets of the
world.
Only five years ago the prosperous
Americans who made frequent voyages
to Europe or the West Indies showed
a marked preference for the Ham
burg American or the North German
Lloyd. You would find on one OF
those German boats an almost fra
ternal relationship between the off,
was on big German ship in the West
Indies few years ago and l recall,
with some shame. that we celebrated
the Kaiser's birthday and sent him a
long cablegram of congratulations and
good wishes.
Our students of music and art,
our families seeking the placidity of
an old-world atmosphere, our young
doctors and surgeons. have fiocked to
Berlin and Vienna and Munich and
Dresden, have adjusted themselves
easily and comfortably to the Ger
man manner Of living and have come
home with a sincere affection for Ger
man friends.
or all languages other than English,
German has been favored in our pub
lie schools. The accepted governess
for child of wealth has been a
fraulein.
When England subjugated the
Beers, our sympathies ran with the
Beers. although the war was between
an English-speaking people and race
related to the Continental Teutons
and We got all of our war news from
British sources.
We have had two great waves o.
from Germany. Great
Britain sent to us only the Irish and
they came to increase our distrust
and dislike of the socalled English
speaking cousins.
We have fraternized with the Ger
mans emulating their glorious exam
pies as to foaming beverages and
Frankfurter sausages, but we have
always SHE'D at an Englishman fresh
from hi own shores.
What 1 am trying to lead up to is
this rational conclusion that in the
closing days of July. 1914. there was
In this country no deep-seated racial
prejudice in favor Of the Anglo Saxon
as against resident of the German
empire.
To begin with. we are not an Anglo
Saxon people. We are composite
a m elting-pot mixture. We do not
even speak the English language.
can prove that by the literary reviews
of Great Britain.
Only few alarmists and extremists
ever suggested that we were in danger
of a German invasion and the man
who wanted to talk about the coming
European war couldn't find any one
to talk to. Why. David Starr Jordan
had demonstrated, by higher mathe-
mates and biological research that
such calamity as general Euro
pean war was an absolute impossible
ity and that it was criminal folly for
US to build up an army and navy with
money that might be devoted to the
strengthening of each congressman in
his own district. Dr.. Jordan is still
running around, trying to collect the
fragments of his busted theories. He
Is our best authority on fishes and he
proves it every time he talks about
war.
All the soothing assurances of the
pcace-lovers have come to naught
This time the cry of Wolf" was not
a false alarm. The unbelievable
thing has happened. We are at war
with our friends Of yesterday. We
have marked as an enemy every man
who gives undivided allegiance to the
Kaiser because we know that the
Kaiser would. if he could. do to us ten
timCS over what he 1iI tn nnOfcaDuip o.