Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-27

eloquent manner.
Doctor Lansing is noted preacher
and lecturer and IN the author OF many
addresses, among which arc The Con.
soryation Of Humanity The Basis OF
Business" The American ldolhtry"
THE Moral Equivalent Of War etc.
Ills book, THE Social Program Of the
Lords PrAyer,' Is well worth renlins
We commend the following ns
thotful, scholarly and educational ad-
dress upon the present world war.-Th0
Editor Courtesy Rotary club OF New
York;
TT HE action Of Germany in pre-.
cipitating this war greatly
surprised and startled man.
L kind. As the Teuton assault
ed Belgium and France our
wonder gave place TO amazement and
ahionishmcnt, succeeded by horror
aud eXecration, and these feelings
continually intensified. have in
creased as the Germans have deyel-
oPed and fought to execute. thru in
human saVagery, their long prepared
s'hcmo OF world domination. Such
barharic expression Of the life and
character OF the German nation was
totally unexpected by most Of us
That a people whom we regarded
with entire good will and credited
with many kindly virtues should de-
liherltely make such war. should be
50 imoral and unfeoling, 10 treacher-
Gus and cruel, so cgotistlcal and
rapacious, so religious and so pagan.
We could hardly credit and cannot
yet understand. our good will for
them has not been wholly destroyed.
We have condemned, but do not hate
them as we try to understand their
contradictions and misdecds.
conduct and to justify against them
tie almost universal antagonism of
mankind, we feel that we accomplish
little 10y merely giving way TO violent
dCnuDciation OF their actions. tho
these deserve our severost coudemna-
tion; and consistent with our former
good opinion of the German people,
we seek explanation, II any there be,
for actions which by every law of
morals and huamnity we eXecrate
and abhor. In the spirit of fairness,
not to be destroyed by our unequiV-
ocal hostility to their behavior, we
have sought TO account for their mis-
doings. May ! detail some Of the as
sumptions which we have made in
our endeavor to place in an intelli-
gent light our explanation Of the ac-
tions OF which Germany has been
guilty?
/. We at first assumed that this
brutal, bloody, inhuman, savagery IL
the work OF the purely military party.
These we disseminated from the
people at large These might have
dragged the nation unwillingly into
the war. But from the first the ma
ton has been at one with these mill
tary leaders. The state as whole is
entirely military and has never hosi-
tated to adopt and execute the policy
of its general staff, lending its full
and united strength 10 all their plans
and leeds.
Supported Their Rnic.
Then we assumed that the rulers
are responsible and that they deserve
all the condemnation, supposing that
tie people had not formulated or
agreed TO their policy; especially has
the kaiser been held responsible, as
the incarnation OF evil, the inspirer
of war. But the nation at the begin
ming and ever since, and now, has
unitedly supported its rulers. and this
support has been given by Germans
Of all classes. The political philoso-
pliers have honored and defended
their rulers; the theological faculties
have indorsed them; the most dis
tinguished niIersity professors and
scholars have commended them;
masters in science have lauded them;
the whole body OF writer's and artists
have praised their course. These va
rious leaders have issued manifestoes
to the world fully upholding their
rulers ana applauding the national ac-
ton. Spiritual leaders like Eucken,
intellectuals. a numberless host, the
Socialists, who previously denounced
war have given steady and uncom-
promising support TO their rulers
without eNcusing or apologizing for
them in any particular.
We have assumed that the people
were blndly and ignorantly follow
their eyes should be opened they
would revolt ard withdraw But we
rust remember that the German
people are the most educated In
books and by schools of any nation
of the world. They have given TO
many lands systems of learning, from
kindergarten TO postgraduate uniVer-
sites: they are not ignorant and blind
for lack of schooling. They are Il
learned. not an ignorant people.
We have assumed that when the
German people had received knowl-
edge Of American aims, OF the mo-
INts OF lHt A444tS, bl NNdN Tree bhN-
ernment really means, they would
fall away from their governing
bodies. The president OF the United
States in a long and able message
fully assumed this; SO that multitudes
OF men declared: III only this presi-
Dental message can be placed be-
fore the German people they will be
severed from an autocracy, viii re-
volt and establish free government
and 50 end the wlsr.' But now, after
three years Of war, there Ia scarcely
a trace OF such revolution, nor is
there any reliable information. how
ever much we may desire IL, showing
signs OF feremnt or revolution in po-
litical Germany. This dream of ours
Il vain dream. Germany Is not on
the verge of uprising or OF revolution
any more than britain and France
have been in their cabinet changes.
We have assumed, and sometimes
declared, that the Germans are in
sane; that they are obsessed by hal
lucinations which sanity would re-
pudiate; that they're running amuck.
fanatics among the nations; q mad
dog IN the streets OF the world. But
we know that despite their atrocious
wickedneSs. this Is not true. They
are not insane according TO any
proper definition OF insanity. 1t has
been suggestiNely said, and with some
truth, that the German scholarly
mind begins by assuming a large
premise which has no foundation,