Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-08-30

war burst upon the world. Since that
time what opportunities have the Am.
erican people had to form an intelli.
gent opinion as to who was wrong
and who was right? What sources
OF Information have been open TO US,
what means Of getting at the facts?
Have We been drowned in English lies,
as several OF your professors have
written me is the case? Have we
relied on one corrupt party news
paper. as you intimate is our habit?
Have We been dependent on a press
bought up with English gold, as is
continually asserted by the German
press?
In the first place. We have relied in
part upon our previous knowledge Of
the German government and the Ger
man people. The hundreds of Amer
leans who have studied in your uni.
versities, the thousands who have
visited your country, and the millions
who have come into close contact with
Germans in this country, all have a
pretty good idea of the German type
Of mind, German standards Of ma.
tional morality, German virtues and
defects. Americans have. OF course.
used this information in reaching a
conclusion as to the truth or falsehOOd
OF charges against Germany. talked
with some OF our American profes.
sors just as they landed on the pier
in New York fresh from a summer
in Germany which was cut short by
the outbreak OF the war. They came
direct from your country and were
as fully informed of the German points
war as were any OF your citizens.
Many Americans who have spent
months and even years on German
soil. and who know the country and
the people intimately. have made us
well acquainted with German stand.
ards and German methods OF think.
ing.
Ii Is true that since the war began
much of our news has come through
cables controlled by the allies; but
| Americans have too much common
sense to accept such reports as final
accepted with reservation. and no
fully believed unless confirmed from
independent sources. Furthermore
Americans have never lacked for first
hand information from Germany. Di
rect wireless reports from your coun
try to several stations in America hav,
given us valuable check on cabl,
reports. German papers come to VI
regularly, and are continually and eX
tensiyely quoted. Germany has sen
special agents to this country to rCr
resent her side OF every issue. Th
speeches and writings OF these agent
have been published repeatedly an
at length in almost every paper in on
country from the Atlantic TO the II
cific. American correspondents In Ge1
many and in the war.Zone have tol
as much as your censors would PEI
mt concerning what they saw Of Get
many and Germany's army. Man
Americans have returned from Gei
many during the war. and have put
lIsbed their experiences and impres
sIons. Some OF them have seen you
army at work., suffered from its iT
humanity, and been subjected to out
RACES and indignities by the civil of
cials OF your government Other
were dined and honored as notabl
guests and given unusual opportun
ties for seeing as much as your of
cials wanted them to see. Both haN
offered valuable firsthand testlmon
as to the behavior OF the German NJ
tion at war. Your university profe
Z sors .and other prominent citizens
your country have written us circult
, and private letters without numbe
presenting Germany's arguments
every conceivable form, Your amba
sador and other officials OF your go
ernmeDt have been most active
Keeping flrsthand Information befot
the American public. Thousands
your rescrvists, unable to cross Il
yea in safety, remain in this countr
Il to talk and write In behalf of the
y fatherland.
I. In addition to Nil this, Germany
cause has been most vigorously char
/. ploned by many Germans and Germa
Americans long resident in Americ
Munsterberg and others have publis
l. ed numerous articles and books