The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-08-23
AMERICAN PEOPLE
NOT YET awake
Fail to Grasp Magnitude and
Importance of War With
Germany.

Although the United States is en-.
gagged as one of the chief participants
in the greatest war of all history, be-
cause we insist that equal rights and
equal opportunities for all men and all
nations shall be preserved, the PEOPLE
of the United States are not yet awake
to the gravity of the situation.
Ambassador James w. Gerard, who
spent nearly four years in Germany as
the representative of the United
States, has written book with the
sole purpose of bringing home to our
people the gravity of the present war
with Germany.
Mr. Gerard has uttered these pro-
phetic words:
81 want to bring home to our peo-
pie the gravity of the situation; be-
cause I want to tell them that the
military and naval power of the Ger
man empire is unbroken; that of the
twelve million men whom the kaiser
has called to the colors, one and one
half millions have been killed, five
hundred thousand permanently dis
abled, not more than five hundred
thousand are prisoners of war, and
about five hundred thousand constitute
the wounded and sick list each day,
leaving in all about nine million in
arms
81 state these figures because Amer
leans do not grasp the magnitude OF
the Importance of this war. Perhaps a
statement that more than five million
prisoners of war are held in the vari
Gus countries will bring home to the
American people the enormous mass OF
men engaged.
"Nor should anyone believe that Ger
many will break under starvation MOI
make peace because of revolution. The
German nation is not one that makes
revolutions. There will be scattered
riots in Germany, but no simultaneous
rising of the whole people.
There is far greater danger of the
starvation of our allies than of the
starvation of Germany. Every avail
able inch of ground in Germany is
cultivated and cultivated by the aid OF
the old men, the boys and women and
the two million prisoners of war. The
arabic land of northern France and
Roumania is being cultivated by the
Germans with an efficiency never be.
fore known in these countries and
most of that food will be added to the
food supply of Germany. The people
suffer, but still this war will not be
ended because of the starvation OF
Germany.
1.-THE Germans realize that if they do
not win the war the financial day OF
reckoning will come. Nevertheless, ow
ing to the clever financial handling OF
the country by the governors and the
great banks, there is not yet any
financial distress in Germany, and the
knowledge that unless indemnities are
obtained from other countries, the
weight of the great war debts will fall
on the people, perhaps makes them
reader to risk all in the final attempt
to win the war and impose indemnities
not only upon the nations of Europe
but upon the United States of Amer
ica"
Ambassador Gerard, having been in
a splendid position to observe the wal
and its effects, and conditions as they
exist, his statement should mean q
great deal to the American people. 1t
should teach them that the United
States up to this time has never been
engaged in real war until the present
one with Germany. The people OF
this country must awaken to realiza
ton of the fact that we must fight
Prussianism in France or fight it in
New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wash
ington and every other state of the
union. We can only avoid fighting
Prussianism here by going to meet ii
on the battle lines of the free people
in Europe. This is the real situation
and deserves to receive the serious
thought of every American citizen. II
is high time the American people grasp
the magnitude and importance of the
war with Germany, the most treach
erous, vindictive and powerful military
he 1,ae, t.,