The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-11
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Germany Must Be Destroyed!

To the Editor of The Age Herald.
 'Delenda est Deutschland!' Over the whole earth resounds that remorseless cry and throughout the world thought full men, hearing its strident tone high above all others, are thus hearing in be- wilderment and dread. Bewilderment, be- cause they cannot realize the necessity thereof. Dread because they do not know what possible woes it may ultimately en- tail upon themselves and others who are in no wise interested.
 Though, in this storm of disordered passions, lusts and conflicting interestes, multtudes are expiating in death agonies the crimes of comparative few, still humanity is, like great sea- under it being stirred from it's depths to it's fur therest quiet reaches and is being driven in high and yet higher tides that it may sweep from thes earth Deutschland, the morning-land of great and noble race. And against the grim Gothic walls of beleaguered Deutschland it's breakers are wildly dashing and the thunder of their Wogenprall is, "Delenda est Deutsch-
 apd.'
 Before those walls is England. Eng
 land, the sullen enemy of every man and every institution that is not subservient to her interests England-the noisome annals of whose dynasties are chronicles of child and wife murderers, of high priests of vice and defenders of depravi. ty, by the grace of God, yes. England, of opium wars and missionary societies, yes. And England in conformity to her former deeds now storm in futile rage those Deutsch ramparts and her snarl is
 Delenda est Deutschland"
 Russia is there. Cog and Agog, Sycthic Russia of wild and tragic legend. Dreary Russia of gloomy forests and dismal steppes Despotic Russia of but a few yesterdays past of ignorance and misery, of serfdom and squalor, whose law was the knout and grisly horrors of the exile camps. Has the leopard changed his spots or the Ethiopian his skin? Yet Rus sla shatters herself against those hard German lines, whose strength is that which is derived from universal educa- ton and discipline, as she hoarsely growls, 'Delenda est Deutschland!
 Also there, is France. The land of the IIdHuc 1>OIdISuc duO illS COllOSSdl cN- travagance is arrayed once more against the simple land he scorned. The land of the Dragonades against the cradle of the Protestant Reformation. The land of vain pretensions against the land whose quiet scholars used the worlds first printing press.4
 Yet France is heroic. Pallid France in rags and glory has poured out her blood and treasure in floods under the German Aro fot. hn cal of "a 1c Yet that iron line holds fast against her frenzied onslaughts. And yet she screams in galling desperation, 'Delenda est Deutschand.'
 And Italy. Forgetful of the big blonde Goths of the long ago They struck to the ground her great progenitor-old Rome-"and the kings of the earth who had lived delicately with her, and the merchants of the earth who were made rich by her, bewailed her. standing afar off for the fear of her torment and cry ing, Alas! alas, that great Babylon! fol in one hour is the judgment come.'" And they took tho standard of progress from the palsied hand of degenerate Rome tt become themselves it's more worthy bearers Italy has fallen from great inheritance and now Is merely . scav- anger in a latter day war camp. But mindful of the wrath to come her lot is cast for veal or woe and her mournfu voice rises with, "Delenda est Deutsch. | land!''
 Inobtrusive, quietly holding aloof, there l is another, a self-imposed supernumer 1 ary in that motley congeries of empires tribes and states called the entente. Pri | marily there for profit she is likewis, l learning always learning. And as witt
 uncanny efficiency she reduces to prac l tice these valuable lessons, as she see | from them now Christian civilization hal | developed irresponsible savagery int l scientific fiendishness, she doubles l doesn't suppress a covert sheer at tn ugubrious cant of that civilization. 1 Nippon, as her workshop are double
 shifting on gigantic war orders, il dreaming and her vision is of far east ern world freed of Caucasion influence 1 And Europe in the throes of intestin 1 convulsions, won't see. can't see, tha i when the next plenipotentiary table il 1 filled around there will be present cer | tain Mongol gentlemen-very shrewd very suave and polite-who must-mus { be hearkened unto. and very respectful. !, co at that.
 Now. there is the lineup. It may b.
 that America had best show the destin. 1 Of those nations. It may be possible. I
 may be that shady antcedents. dubiou | character and shifty principles constitut | desirable qualities in a friendly nation l Posbibly so But the overshadowing con l sideration is what Is in it. So the Ameri l can bank enters into partnership witl l the European battlefield and If the Amer | ican citizen doesn't choose to be a patrio | from the sentiments or the sense of dut, these partners prescribe for him he mus | be one by necessity. So it is figured fo l him. .'Delenda est Deutschland!'
 CHARLES KROLL.
 Lewisburg, Ala. March s. 1917.