Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-13
BY Lawrence F. Abbott of the
VNlantes.


For hatred Of the German people
NO. we have too many friends and
relatives In Germany and too many
9ooo neishhors and companions OF
German stock In this country.
For Jealousy Of the achievements OF
German science and scholarship? No
TOO many Americans owe perhaps the
best part Of their education to the
German university system.
For the destruction of German mu.
sic and poetry? No, too many Of u,
az children were thrilled by the in.
comparable Kinderlieder, chorales
and carols Of the nation that save
birth to Bach, Beethoven, Brahms
Heinz an the brothers Grimm.
For the expulsion of the German,
us remember Joyous voyages acrosl
the Atlantic through the Mediterran.
can or among the islands Of the Car.
ribean under stalwart and kindly cap.
tains who were as careful Of the ef.
ncfency Of their crews and the safety
and comfort Of their passengers q.
Papa" Joffre is Of the skill and vel.
fare of his poilus.
What, then, are we ighting for?
Why is practically the entire civilized
world arrayed in arms or antipathy
against Germany?
For fifty years Germany has been
the greatest military power in Europe
army has been fostered and fashion
cd into a supreme manifestation OF
national power. The most honorable
designation Of the kaiser came to be
not king, not monarch, not emperor
but Highest War Lord" Civil au.
thority. civil rights and even civil
prosperity have been subordinated to
the growth and needs Of the army
The burden Of army taxation made
imperative. Hence Germany turned
her eyes to Bagdad. Asia Minor
Mesopotamia, China, Africa. and even
South Aiherica. She opposed the TAX
ing Of the Philippines by the United
States and showed her dislike Of our
building the Panama canal, since
these two achievements made US q
possible obstacle to her plans OF
world domination.
A party Of Pan-Germanists grew
up. They taught openly in books, in
the universities, and even in the Ger
man parliament that GermAny's des-
tiny was first to dominate Europe and
then from that position Of European
eminence, surprising even the gloriee
of the Roman empire Of the Caesers,
to influence supremely, perhaps &C.
tually to direct, the course of world
civilization.
While other nations were dreaming
OF peace n international arbitra-
ton. the Pan-Gernranists were teach
ing their young men that war IL a
biological necessity" hat "the will to
power" is the greatest of manly vir-
tues and that the Creator Of the uni
verse intended the strong to con-
quer" and the weak to die" in order
to produce a race-perhaps a German
race-of "~supermen."
The motives of the Pan-Germanists
were mixed. They were moved partly
by the love of military glory, partly
by the ambition for political power,
partly by a desire for the great ma
tural resources out Of which riches
are made. They believed hat they
could mine, manufacture. buy and
sell-in a word create wealth and
WELD power better than any other
race. To do this IN a grand scale they
yet more territory.
This meant a war of conquest. But
the Pan-German leaders had no OBJ
lection to wars Of conquest On the
contrary, like the old Israelites-see
the Book Of Esther-or like Philip II
OF Spatn-see Motley's Dutch Repub-
lic-they believed that conquest ie
manly, noble, virtuous and approved
by God.
1t seems almost incredible that
modern scientists and scholars should
argue in behalf Of bloody warfare like
medieval kings. But such is the fact in
Germany. DR.. OSWALD, a distinguished
German university professor. winner
Of one Of the great Nobel prizes. in
chemistry. said in a public interview
early in the war hat Germany was
fifty years ahead Of the rest Of the
world in culture and social organize
ton and 1t was her moral duty to
give her higher form Of civilization to
Europe. Asia, and, inferentially. to
America-by force If necessary. One
Of the strangest documents Of the wal
is a paper taking this same view of
Germany's destiny" and therefore
defending the rape Of Belgium, the
shooting Of women. children and nom
combatants. and the commission of
deeds which h rest OF the world
shudderingly. regards as atrocities.
This paper was written and signed by
ninety-three German theoloRiane,
philosophers and university profess
sorA
The t%orpedoing Of the Lusitania
and the drowning Of unwarned and
innocent women and children was