Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-10-31
WHAT We Are
FIGHTING AGAINST
Rev. Newell Dwight Hills Says Roots
of War Go Back to Year
1860.
GERMANY WAS THEN
AN AGRICULTURAL NATION
She Had 100000 of People,
$50, OOO, 100000 of Property
and SecOnd-rate Position
in Europe.

hC lOOto VI thio val 81 DdCh W
1860. At that time, Bismarck was
the outstanding figure in Berlin.
Germany was then an agricultural
nation, having little manufacturing
life. She had 100000 of people,
$40. 900 100000 of property, and
a second-rate position in Europe In
1860 England led Germany in the
production of pig-iron, steel, cotton
goods, WOODEN goods, the building of
ships. Germany lacked good coking
coal and hematite iron ore that are
necessary to good steel, and without
steel there was no industrial future
for Germany.
Two courses were open to Bis
marck; one was to accept an inferior
sphere of influence for the little Ger
man states, and the other was to To-
meat two wars and wrest away ty
military force, coal treasures from
Austria and later the iron mines of
France found in Alsace and Lorraine.
Spreading out his plan before the
Prussian King, Bismarck organized
Germany into standing army, and
told his officers that for the time be-
ing "Germany's chief national indus
try must be war"
No one ever accused Bismarck,
the statesman and diplomat, of hav-
ing muddy mind. He made the adj
vantages of war to be seen, lying out
in the sunshine. His argun emf ran
thus: Farming pays six per cent?
manufacturing eight per cent, bank
ing ten per cent. but, viewed as an
investment, war should pay thous-
and per cent. The war with Dem
mark made possible the Kiel Canal
and access to the North Sea, and it
paid far more than Bismarck's thous-
and per cent. The war in 1856 with
Austria paid five thousand per cent,
through conquered coal resources
Then Bismarck planned his great
move-to steal the iron mines Of
France He tells in his Memoirs
that he forged one sentence in the
French Emperor's telegram and titus
threw the burden of the declaration
of war upon France; and. returning
from his victorious campaign he
brought back to Berlin a billion dol
lars in gold, and also, what was far
richer, the title-deeds to Alsace and
Lorraine. In that hour, it became
possible for Germany TO produce The
high-grade steel out of the newly
conquered coal and iron. Grea, steel
plants were established plates were
rolled for the North German Lloyd
and Hamburg American Lines ald
for the AZ centimeter guns. Within
80 years, Germany passed England.
first in the production of pig-iror.
second, of steel, third in chemical. in
dustries, fourth in toys and fifth IN
Industrial efficiency. Plainly, the
Franco Prussian War paid Germany
ten thousand per cent. on her invest
ment.
Germany's military success went,
like wood-alcohol, to the head OF
her people. The German officer be-
came the hero of men AID women.
The army took control of the Father
land. In the social world, the Off
Ger was the leader. At banquet,
who took precedence and walked at
the head of the company to the sea-
of honor at the guest-table? Not the
statesman, not the university profess
sor, not the artist or author, not tina
banker or manufacturer, bat the sol
der. / have, myself, in Cologne,
seen banquet held up for an hour
because the colonel had not arrived,
Finally private was found to repre-
sent the army and walk in with the
chairman, to the guests table.
Obsessed with the notion c. Mill
tary superiority, Germany became
one vast military camp. The motto
became: Let Belgium produce
wealth, we will grab it.. LET France
paint pictures. carve marbles, weave
silks, and produce jewels, Germany
can steal them" Let England pile
up treasures, we will hoist black
flag on the submarine and spoil her
of her goods" "Alytki1g that Ger
manv does is right. = last, all the
weapons were ready and Germany's
soldiers stood like burglar with his
pistol, his bomb-shell and his fire.
brand. before the treasure-house OF
- -. -. -. - nrnxro that N.uar is