Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-04
HUNS.

Italian soldiers on the west Oanh VI
the Pave river. facing the Germans:
Austrians. Bulgarians and Turks OF
the invading army across the stream.
hear the cries OF women and children,
victims of unnamable atrocities at the
hands of the soldiers whom the kaiser
has encouraged and urged onward IN
a career Of inhuman, bestial outrage
with his blasphemous command, For
ward. with God"
Italy is undergoing the same sort
of treatment at the hands OF the
Huns which made Belgium a sham
bles and the abode of misery and
shame unspeakable. The world was
unable to believe the stories OF the
Belgian horrors until such unquestion'
able confirmation was given to them
that even Germany came TO admit
they were true. The twisted German
mind has come to accept them and to
describe them as part OF war. And
they are. indeed. part OF Germany
war. a part Of Germany's kultur. per-
hans. with which her savants and her
war lord hoped to fill the world.
II is indicative of the depravity
which the kaiser has ingrained in the
German nation as in his own nature,
that the same atrocities which, IN the
case of Belgium. have made OF the
proud name of Germany thing OF
shame, should be repeated deliberate
" in Italy at the very moment when
the new German chancellor was
standing before the reichstag and the
representatives Of neutral nations,
proclaiming Germany nation OPP
pressed. a nation Of peace. nation OF
humanity and even democracy.
1t is indicative of the unnatural
state of the German brain that such
an address could be heard in Ger
many neutrality-suspicious., indeed. be
received with applause and COM
mendation.
And vet. Lord Lansdowne. Senator
I.afolIette and other pacifists say the
world should make peace with the
kaiser, restore him to his former
place in the congress Of nations, for.
get and forgive the inhuman excuses
OF his barbaric armies, strengthen
his blood-stained hands for further
strangling of democracy. right and
human liberty in the future.
Lord Lansdowne has urged his
peace plan on the ground that con-
tinuation of the war will so weaken
the nations opposed to Germany that
even in the event of final victory they
will be unable to enjoy the fruits OF
their sacrifices. He forgets. appar-
emily, that there is future which
will see the comings and soings or
other generations than this. He has
not the same reason to remember
this, perhaps. that we have here IN
America, where only few genera
lions ago our forefathers laid down
their lives so we might enjoy the
freedom and the rights which are
threatened now by Germany.
But we can face this fact. Ameri-
ca please God. shall not forget that
this is war for postsrity. war
which has chosen the present genera
ton to be a generation Of heroes.
America. please God. shall not prove
unworthy of the trust reposed in the
present generation by Providence and
by those heroes of the past whose
examples are our inspiration now.
The experience Of Italy will be the
experience of America if the hun
hordes sweep Europe as they swept
Belgium. To make that Impossible
we are sending our ablest fighters
over there to impose a barrier OF steel
against the invaders. Back here at
home we have the opportunity and the
duty of helping the fighting men. Our
sacrifices. whatever they may be,
cannot equal the sacrifice our soldiers
will make before the survivors OF our
brave army come back to US. Our
sacrifices will serve to tighten theirs
and to shorten the time OF their for
eign service.
Shall we be less patriotic than our
neighbors who have offered their
lives for us?