The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-09
A TRUTH-SPEAKING GERMAN.


Rochester Democrat ana Chronicle:
British publishers have issued in pam.
phlet form IA remarkable open letter"
addressed To the German people by DR.
Herman Rosemeier, who until the au-
tumn of 1914 was political editor of the
Berlin Morgenpost Early in 1916 Rose
| meier made his way into Switzerland
He established his residence there with
his family, and in the month of April he
wrote his famous open letter. The Ger.
man censors tried to bar this message
from Germany, but in spite of their eff.
forts several copies of il We're distrib-
uted in the army and among the civil
ians.
The first part of the letter is devoted
to exposing the falsity of the German
official warSreports. The Germans are
told the truth about the fearful losses
OF their armies and about the gigantic
financial burdens that the war has fas-
tened upon them. The latter part is de-
voted TO a discussion of the causes of
the war. The German editors remarks
altogether convincing.
Have the German people, then. so
short a memory" asks Or. Rosemeier.
Before the war. indeed, up to its out.
break. we used to be told that in Ger.
many there were ambitious ill-bal-
anced, self-seeking persons who owing
to their overbearingness. lust of gain.
racial arrogance. fanaticism or stupid.
ity, would like nothing better than TO
embroil Germany with all her neigh
bors" He notes that such charges
Were made in Social Democratic, Lib
eral and Roman Catholic journals. Bis
marck had warned the nation against
these dangerous persons. But they con-
tinued TO flourish. They formed asso-
Citations. such as the Pan-Germanist
association. the Defense League, the
Navy League and the Ostmarken
League; and ragged and stormed about
the slackness of the government. never
missed an opportunity of demanding
that Germany should bang with her
fist upon the table or still better, draw
her sword"
The German people. however at last
did begin to tree of these war enthusi-
asts who were chiefly of the Junker
class, or landed nobility. The increasing
political power of the Social Democrats
alarmed the Junkers, who seized the
Austro-Serbian dispute as an excuse for
bringing matters TO head-.that is. for
declaring war upon Russia ana France
Such, according to DIR. Rosemeier. were
the causes of the great conflict The
war-mad aristocracy, led by the crown
prince. swept away all efforts TO main
tain peace. The kaiser is not men
toned as being either for or against the
war. He did not, apparently. try very
hard TO avert It,
DIR. Rosemeier's assertions are made
with calmneSs and authority. Few who
are familiar with European politics and
free from pro-German prejudices will be
inclined TO doubt them The Junkers
wanted war because they thought that
Germany could vanquish all her foes
within a year. and gain indemnities and
large territorial acquisitions For simi-
lar reasons the German people. easily
infected by the war spirit, at first sup
ported the war eagerly. They thought
that their enemies were the aggressors
and they believed that the German
amy "oo anu seilttN Nllt wal
would amount TO little more than a vic
torious campaign.
Germans and pro-Germans have as
serted. and in some cases with unques-
tionable sincerity. that the German ma
tion was unjustly attacked. and was
therefore entitled to use any form OF
''frightfulness" against her persecu-
tors. Throughout the war these con-
tentions have steadily lost weight. All
new evidence that has come to light
has shown that the Germans made no
effort to avert war. and that they vio-
lated Belgium for no other reason than