The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-06-22

ns we had desired peace, II was de
aicd rs. aud not Of our own choice
This flag under which We serve woul(
have been dlshun0red had we with
held our hand.
Hut this IL only part Of the story
We know now as clearly a. we knew
before we were ourselves engaged that
We are not the enemies of the Ger.
man people and that they are not our
enemies. They did not originate or de-
sire this hideous var or wish that We
should be drawn into Il: and We are
vaguely conscious that we are fighting
their cause, as they will some duy
see IL, as well as our own They are
themselves in the grip of the same sin.
lister power that has now at last
stretched its ugly talons out and
drawn blood from us The whole world
Is at war because the whole world Is
In the grip Of that power and is try.
ing out the great battle which shall
Determine whether Ii is 10 he brought
under Its mastery or fling Itself free.
The war was begun by the military
masters OF Germany. who proved to be
also tire masters Of Austrin- Hungary,
These men have never regarded ma.
tons as peoples, men, women and chill
dren OF like blood and frame as them
selves, from whom governments had
their life, They have regarded them
merely as seFviccable organizations.
| which they could by force or intrigue
| bend or corrupt to their own purpose.
They have regarded the smaller states.
IN particular and the peoples who
'uid be overwhelmed by force, as their
natural tools and Instruments of dom.
nation. Their purpose has long been
Hyowed The statesmen of other ma
lions, to whom that purpose was In
credible, paid little attention regarded
what German professors exp0unded I'm
their classrooms and German writer's
set forth 20 the world as the goal of
German policy as rather the dream of
minds detached from practical affairs
as preposterous private conceptions of
German destiny, than as the actual
plans Of responsible rulers. but the
rulers OF Germany themselves knew all
the while what concrete plans. what
well advanced intrigues lay back of
what the professors and the writer's
were saying, and were glad to go for
ward unmolested, filling the thrones of
me balkans with German princes. nut
ting German Officers NJ the service Of |
Turkey 10 drill her ARMIES and make |
interest with her government. develop |
ing plans ut sediti0n and rebellion In |
lndta and Egypt, settling their fires In |
frrsia. The demands made by Aus |
trla upon Serbia were n mere single |
step In plan which compassed Eu- |
rope and Asia, from Berlin to Bagdad. |
Ihey hoped those demands might not |
arouse Europe, but they meant 10 press |
them whether they did or not, for they |
thought themselves ready for the final |
issue of arms.
Into Asia.
Their plan was To throw broad |
belt of German military power and DO. |
lltlcal control across the very center /
of Europe and beyond the Mediterra- |
mean into the heart of Asia and Aus |
tria Hungary wns to be as much their /
tool and pawn as Serbia or Bulgaria
or Turkey 6r the punderaus states of /
tho east Austria Hungary, indeed, |
was to become part of the central Ger.
man empire, absorbed and dominated
by the same forces and influences that
had originally cemented the German
states themselves. The dream had its
heart at Berlin. II could hnye had a
heart nowhere else IL rejected the
Idea of solidarity of race entirely. The
choice of peoples played no part In II
at all. II contemplated binding to-
gether racial and political units which
could be kept together only by force
t1echs. Magyars, Greats, Serbs, Ron.
mauians, Turks. Armentans the proud
states nf Bohemia and Hungary. the
stout little conmonweulths OF the Bal.
kans. the ihdomltahle Turks, the sub
tie peoples of the east, These peonleS
did not wish 90 he united. They ard
entity desired To direct their own af,
fairs, would lee satisfied only by undiS.
puted independence. They could be-
kept quiet only by the presence of the
threat OF armed men. They
would live under common power antv
by sheer compulSinh aud await the tlaN
of revolution. HUT the German mill |
tary statesmen had recknned with NH /
that and were ready 60 deal With IL
IN their oaa way
And they have actually carried the
greater part Of that amazing plan into
execution Look how things stand |
Austria Is az their mercy II has act
ed. not upon It's own initiative or unon
the choice II Its own people, but Mt
BeTlip's diCtation ever slnce the war
began, It's people now desire peace
bat eau not have II until leave l.
granted from Berltn. The sO-caIled
central powers are, in fact. hut sin
ste power Seryia Is ut It's mercy.
should it, hands be but for moment
freed. bulgaria has consented Ia It's
viii. and Roumania Is oVerrun. The
Turkish armies which Germans
trained are serving Germany. certain.
u not themselves, and the guns of Ger.
man warShipS lying In the harhor at
conStantinopie remtnd Turkish states
men every day TINT they have no
choice but 60 take their orders from
lieriin. Frun Hamburg 20 the Persian
Eulf. the net Is spread
Is IL not easy Ia understand tho
Tor peacr that bH~ h,,S mar.
ifestCd from Berlin ever since rnr
snare WIS sat aud sprung r.rr.
peaCe. pygea. hes hcyu ttc rrE OF r.-
foreign office Lur now . rr .