Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-08-17

up the traveller and schooled him.
the whole affair was exaggerated We simply co
German attitude of mind Accustomed as many
interpret the finer ideal life of Germany we could n
like Eucken, Harnack Hermann and Diessmanl
without reserve lend themselves to the defense of
worthy Of their words as had understood them
Against will have been dsillusioned.
into war, we have had war thrust upon us. A cha
over which we have had control has brought
home to the Americans anxious to maintain their
faith In Germany the conviction that Americas
sovereignty being outraged its people killed.
its peace deliberately attacked, and its insd
tutions founded in sacrifice and offered to the
world, not only despised but in danger Of destruc
ton.
Germany has forced America, as it has forced
almost the entire world, to defend itself by arms
Nobody but those suffering from myopic idealism
sympathies can see anything else Some Of US
have suffered when the scales have fallen-cut
away by facts. At last clearly. We have
not been drawn into the by capitalism, or by
cOmmercialism, or by national policy. For months
we have been living in a state of war, deliberately
planned by nation whose leaders for ten years
have been preparing some day to fight America
and who have counted good nature as cow
ardice unpreparedness a lack Of national
sef-respect.
Here are the facts:
We fighting this war, in the first place, be
cause Germany made upon
For years she has sought to build up In Amer
lea community more loyal to herself than to the
United States. Money has been lavishly spent in
Germanistic societies, alliances and associations
TO win the admiration and loyalty Of American
citizens. Our universities have been fattered,
our professors have been honored for this rea-
SON Praise of the kaiser has been inserted even
In the spelling books Of public school system.
Spies have been everywhere.
When the war came in 1914 German officials,
many of them in high diplomatic positions, treat
ed the United States, a neutral nation, as If it
were an enemy. Pro-German publications were
founded and subsidized. strikes were organized.
manufacturing plants were blown up, plots
against nations with whom we had treaty rela-
lions were formed within our borders, bombs
were placed ships in ports Hatred OF
America was systematically disseminated through
Germany and efforts were made to involve In
trouble with Japan and Mexico.
In reply to repeated protests against these
and other acts Of Germany, to be mentioned pres
entity, we have received promises and explana-
tons which were little less than insults The
treaty that had existed almost the entire life Of
the American republic was set at naught and
efforts were made to coerce us into favorable
notifications OF its terms.
The right of trade with belligerents, which Ger
many had always claimed, even to the benefit OF
our enemy In the war with Spain, and which at
Germany's own insstence Is universally recog-
nzed In international law, was treated the
violation of neutrality and alliance with her
enemies. And finally, the proclamation Of unre-
stricted destruction OF neutral ships upon the
high seas was notification to the United States
that 1t was longer sovereign people, but
that II 1t would sail the in safety it must
conform to conditions set by power that defed
international law, humanity, and elemental NOR
atty.
In the second place we are defending ourselves
against Germany because the German state has
entered upon program which means the destruc-
ton Of democratic Institutions
The Prussianization of Germany means that the
policy of Prussia to carry on economic and po-
litical expansion by war is to be exten0ed
throughout the entire world.
We recognize that there were once, and we
dare believe even now that there are, two Ger
manys, one liberal and the other autocracy
based on miitarisu. The struggle between these
two forces since 1915 has been steady subjuga-
ton of liberalism in Prussia and the other Ger,
man states to the will of Prussian feudal no
bility Representative and responsible govern
1nent in any true sense OF the word has been
fought by Prussian leaders relentlessly. Educa-
ton has been made creature Of autocracy and
source of international hatred.
The same fate has met every land Prussianism
has touched Austria was beaten into submission
an 1886 and all the other German states were
made practically subject to the will of the Hohen-
zollerns between that date and 1870. France was
robbed and Inundated. The Balkan states were
kept in perennial war in the interests OF German
expansion Bohemia and Poland have been treat
ed with the same disregard of popular rights
has been AlsaceL Lorraine. Turkey became vas
sal of the kaiser great mtaristc, anti
democratic state like southern Germany, sub
servient to Prussia, has been started and all bur