The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-27

Otto H. Kahn, before Harrisburg,
Pa, Chamber of Commerce.
speak as one who mas seen the spirit
OF the Prussian governing class al
work from close by, having at its
disposal and using 10 the full prac'
ticalIy every agency for moulding
the public mind.
| have watched it proceed with
relentless persistency and profound
cunning to instiIl into the nation the
Gemoniacal obsession OF power-wor-
ship and world-dominion, 10 modify
and pervert the mentality, indeed
the very fibre and moral substance
OF the German people-a people which
until nisled, corrupted and SYSTEM
aticaIly poisoned by the Prussian
ruling caste, was, and deserved to
be an honored, valued and welcome
member OF the family OF nations.
have hated and loathed that
spirit ever since it came within my
ken many years ago, hated 1t all the
more as l saw it ruthlessly pulling
down a thing which was dear to me,
the old Germany TO which | was link
ed by ties of blood, by fond memories
and cherished sentiments.
The difference in the degree OF
guilt as between the German people
and their Prussian or Prussianized
rulers and leaders for the monstrous
crime of this war and the atrocious
barbarism of its conduct, is the dif-
ference between the man who, acting
under the influence Of a poisonous
drug, runs amuck in mad frenzy and
the unspeakable maiefactor who ad-
ministered that drug, well knowing
and fully intending the CHASTITY con-
sequences which were bound to fol-
low.
The world fervently longs for
peace. But there can be no peace
answering to the true meaning of the
word, no peace permitting the ma,
tons Of the earth, great and small.
to walk unarmed and unafraid, until
the teaching and the leadership Of
the apostles Of an outlaw creed shall
have become discredited and hateful
in the sight of the German people,
until that people shall have awaken
ed to a consciousness Of the IN
fashionable guilt OF, those whom they
have followed into calamity and
shame, until mood of penitence and
of decent respect for the opinions of
mankind shall have su2planted the
sway of what President Wilson has
so trenchantly termed turbulence
and treachery."
God grant that the German people
may before long work out their own
salvation and find the only road
which will give to the world an early
peace and lead Germany back into
the family OF nations from which 1t
Is now an oItcast.
From each of my visits to Germany
for twenty-five years, l came away
more appalled, by the sinister trans
mutation Prussianism had wrought
amongst the people and by the por-
tentous menace / recognized in 1t
for the entire world.
It had given to Germany unpar-
alleled prosperity, beneficent and
advanced social legislation and not
a few other things of value, but it
had taken in payment the soul of the
race. 1t had made q devils bar
gain"
And when this war broke out In
Europe, l knew that the issue had
been Joined between the powers OF
brutal might and insenate ambition
on the one side and the forces of
humanity and liberty on the other,
between darkness and light.
Many there were at that time-and
amongst them men for whose char
acter l had high respect and whose
motives were beyond any possible
suspicion-who saw their own and
Am erica's duty in strict neutrality,
mentally and actually, but personal
" / believed from the beginning Of
the war, whether we liked all the
elements of the allies combination or
not-and I certainly did not like the
Russia Of the cZars-that the cause
of the allies was Americas cause.
l believed that this was no ordin-
airy war between peoples for a ques-
ton OF national interest or even ma
tional honor, but conflict between
fundamental principles and Ideas;
and so believing, l was bound TO feel
that the natural lines Of race, blood
and kinshfp could not be the determ-
ing lines for ones attitude and align
ment but that each man, whatever
his origin, had to decide according
to his Judgment and conscience on
which side was the right and on
which was the wrong and take his
stand accordingly, whatever the
wrench and anguish Of the decision.
And thus l took my stand three
years ago