The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-11-01
WHAT WE ARE
FIGHTING AGAINST
Roots of This War Go Back TO 1860
When Bismark Was the Outstand-
ING Eiyure in RerIin

1860 Al that time, Bismark was th'
outstanding figure in Berlin. Germ
any was then an agricultural nation
having little manufacturing life. Sh,
had 100000 Of people, $50, 600,
600 Of property and second-rate pc.
sition in Europe In 1860 England led
/ Germany in the production Of pig-iron
steel, cotton goods, wooden goods, the
I building of ships. Germany lacked
good coking coal and hematite iron orc
that are necessary to good steel, and
without steel there was no industrial
I future for Germany.
Two courses were open to Bismark
one was to accept an inferior sphere OF
influence for the little German states,
and the other was to foment two wars
and wrest away, by military force,
coal treasures from Austria and later
the iron mines of France found in
Alsace and Lorraine. Spreading out
his plan before the Prussian king, Bis
mark organized Germany into stand
ing army, and told his officer that for
the time being Germanys chief ma
tional industry must be war.
No one ever accused Bismark, the
statesman and diplomat, of having n
muddy mind He made the advantage
es of war to be seen, lying out in the
sunshine. His argument ran thus:
Farming pays six per cent, manufac-
turing eight per cent, banking ten
per cent, but, viewed as an investment,
war should pay a thousand per cent.
The war with Denmark made possible
the kiel canal and access TO the North
sea, and it paid far more than Bis
marks thousand per cent. The war
in 1866 with Austria paid five thous-
and per cent, through conquered coal
resources.
Then Bismark planned his great
move-to steal the iron mines of
France. He tells us in his Memoirs
that he forged one sentence in the
French emperor's telegram, and thus
threw the burden Of the declaration Of
war upon France; and returning from
his victorious campaign, he brought
back to Berlin billion dollars in gold
and also, what was far richer, the
title-deeds to Alsace and Lorraine. In
that hour, it became possible for Ger
many to produce the high grade steel
out of the newly-eonquered coal and
iron. Great steel plants were estab-
lished, plates were rolled for the
North German Lloyd and the Ham
burg American lines and for the AZ
centimetre guns. Within 30 years,
Germany passed England, first in the
production of pig-iron, second, of
STEEL third in chemical industries,
fourth in toys and fifth in industrial
efficiency. Plainly, the Franco-Prus-
sian war paid Germany ten thousand
per cent on her investment.
Germany's military success went,
like wood alcohol, to the head of her
people. The German officer became
the hero Of men and women. The army
took control Of the Fatherland In the
social world, the officer was the lead
er. At banquet, who took prece-
dence and walked at the head Of the
company TO the seat Of honor at the
guest table? Not the statesman, not
the university professor, not the ar
fist, or author, not the banker or man
ufaeturer, but the soldier. have. my
self, in Cologne, seen banquet held
up for an hour because the colonel had
not arrived. Finally private was
found to represent the army and walk
In with the chairman, TO the guests
.able.
0bsessed with the notion Of military
Germany became one vast
camp. The motto became:
Let Belgium produce wealth, we will
grab it." "Let France paint pictures,
,arve marbles, weave silks, and pro-
luce jewels, Germany can steal them"
Let England pile up treasures, we
will hoist black flag on the submar-
ne and spoil her Of her goods" ANY
hing that Germany does is right"
II last, all the weapons were ready
md Germany's soldiers stood like a
burglar. with his pistol, his bombshell
md his frebrand, before the treasure
louse Of Europe, ready to prove tina,
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