Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-07
Thursday June 7, 1917.
Now, "Go to TEL"

German papers are doing their oestd
10 extract oil of comfort from reports
of opposition To the CONSUMPTION law in
thi. country. The Frankfurter Zeitung
thinks this a SERIOUS symptom and
.nterprets It's rumors Of rioting as ev-
idcnce that the American people 90 not
want war. that it is the President
war: that he played his cards for cleo
ton by claiming to have kept the coun-
try out of war, and then plunged the
nation into war to please the elements
Of greed that are to profit by 1t.
What. then, must be the disappoint-
ment In German official circles when
the news reaches Berlin that ten mil
lion ami more of Americas manifest
men of best fighting age. at least one
half o. them born fighters. have in
one day enrolled for national service,
subject to instant call from the gov
eminent?
also. &c the imperial German govern
ment. that $4,000. 000.O0O in government
bonds are being picked up by the
people. as a THRIFT measure as an
Investment and are to be paid for al
most wholly out of the ready money
and present day SAVINGS Of the COM
mon people?
The Kaiser should know that the
bank accounts of the American people
have not been disturbed to absorb this
first great bond issue.
The Kaiser and his minions Of hate
should know that the few disturbances,
fevered by his sneaks and snakes, sunk
out of sight in few hours before the
on-rush OF patriotism and an American
citizenship awakened to the source of
the stencil.
The German people OUGHT to know
:hese things but the hand Of Prussan-
ism Will prevent their learning the
facts. The German people are being
fed only that which the autocracy
wishes them to know. The Frankfurter
Zeitung's Interpretation OF false news
reports as revolutionary tendencies
will he spread broadcast throughout
the empire. but the facts will be sup
pressed.
The Kaiser and the German war
makers now know. and the German
people will sometime learn. that when
the American forces actually enter the
war they will enter as only Germany
and Austria have entered, ready and
equipped. with all the 100 million people
behind them with money, munitions
and food.
We have been three years watchfully
waiting TO be driven into the war.
Providence has been not only kind to
us but patient with our folly. For two
and half years We did nothing. In
the last three months we have done
Httle Just now we are getting ready
10 get ready. We are to do it deliber-
ately, not as England and France pre-
pared for war. after the enemy was
sWNNBillt IL.
While we are training men, we are
making arms and munitions and rails
ing crops. We have the men den mil
lions OF them now wating) to train
and we have the money to do the Job.
We also have hundreds OF millions of
dollars to loan to our allies. who have
expended so many billions in the last
three years to make up for the neglect
Of years
TIE Encyclopedia Britannica regard
ing the Franco Prussian War of 1870
II. says that Germany during the entire
war lost in dead $4,000. and France
$4,000 tnorc than ave to one). Why?
The German soldiers were highly
trained, ably officered and skifully led;
while the French troops were poorly
trained and badly handled. The French
war department at that time was sat
urated with politics and jealousy; CO.
operation and team-w work were lacking.
80 FRANCE PAID THE PRICE. She
surrendered two splendid provinces to
her eonqueror, paid an indemnity of a
billion dollars, and suffered "a crush
ing national humiliation.
England depended upon her grand
fleet for protection. so she was unpre-
pared for the crisis AS 1T WAS PRE-
sENTED; she was Not ready. and she
has been and is now paying the price.