The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-29
PROF. MAX F. MEYER
DELIVERS ADDRESS
ON AMERICAN DUTY

eff this great world war should end
the freedom of the United States we
would be compelled to keep a stand
ing army of 100000 men on our At
lantic coast. If you haven't any re-
5pect for your liberty and freedom,
any love for those Germans who came
over in '48 you must help defeat the
German armies for the sake of your
children. We must give the lives of
many of our boys and those who are
unable to go to the front must lend
their money to their government. If
hey are successful and there comes a
zine when they come over here you
will have to pay for the entire war in
Europe out of your own pocket" said
Prof, Max F. Meyer, MISSOURI educat-
or, who spoke in the gymnasium OF
the new high school Friday evening
to an audience of about 800 people.
After the speech the sum OF $1450
vas subscribed by those present to
The second Liberty loan. The Water
town quartette rendered the "Star
5pangled Banner" and America" the
audience joining in the latter.
VIM. F. Voss opened the meeting and
introduced the speaker by saying:
Although born in Germany he is a
oval citizen of the United States and
as such his words may find and make
l deep impression upon his audience"
Prof. Meyers speech, of which
parts are published, found favor with
ais audience who applauded many of
the remarks he made.
Few Germans who live in this
n Germany, know what the real Ger
many isl said the speaker.
WAR is not the condition of life
that appeals to reason. War appeals
% emotion. But because it appeals to
emotion we must use reason to check
It. To see the country of which he be-
came a citizen in later life at war with
The nation of ones birth is particular
ly distressing" said the speaker '"To
hose of German birth and students
The war of 1914 was not surprising be-
cause books of German viewpoint
said that if ever war was waged
again it would be between France and
Germany and the battlefield would be
Belgium. There are two reasons for
this,-frstly, it was the natural road
20 take; secondly, peculiar existing
circumstances contributed. 1t was the
natural road to Paris. Belgium was the
natural port through which Germany
vas to reach the ocean," said the
speaker.
The speaker then told of how Bel
GUM was invaded, the rights of her
people violated, and atrocities COM
nittcd. TIE told of atrocities commit
ed, some of which were believabIe
and others not, of how they antagon-
.zed the German-Americans here
We are at war. We are fighting the
German government and not the peo-
pie. If you get the idea that you are
lighting the kaiser, you are wrong.
You are fighting the 100000 known
as the governing class and not the
100000 who are governed One may
think it would be simple for the mil
ion to be overthrown, but such is not
The case. To be a public officer of any
Kind university degree is essential,
Ind those Of the governed class who
have such degree cannot become
public officers unless they bellows in
militarism. The sword duels heard of
here are merely large student polit-
ical bodies to find out whether the
student belives in blood letting. If he
does he is a candidate for the govern
ing class. If not, he goes to the mass
es,' said the speaker. "The ideals of
the million are to spread German kul-
ture (civilization) over the world.
They believe it to be such a blessing
that they are willing to spread it by
military force. The suffering incurred
will be made up through the blessing
conferred The next ideal is the Ger
man form of government OF two groups,
one that governs and the other that is
governed. To force any one to use the
German language against his will is
|inexcusable, for the German language