Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-06-22
THE OTHER HALF.

quit fighting and end the war;" ),
n This Ia what one Ottumwa man said
8 Yesterday to, the man sitting with MIN
n the street car, and the second man
agreed. ...o,;
They are men Of affairs and inteill'
sence. and it would seem that, WIN
their country and their future welfare
AT stake in the present war with Presl'
dent wilson's Flag day address only a
few hours old, and with every oppor'
tunity open for informing themselves
an the issues and the facts. they couio
not display 30 little knowledge OF their
nations aims and the reasons why
America is at war.
Ant the fact remains that they are
two out Of many millions who do not
\ sense the very facts which the presl'
7 dent set forth in his address at Wash
! ington a few days ago, when ne gave
the offcial answer to the persistent
question, "Why are we In this war;!
and it's COMPANION query, "Why Is not
raace possible when all the allies
n agree?"
n We are in the war because Germany
Ehas set out to turn the world into an
iron.r1,led monarchy with the kaiser as
It's dictator. a
peace Is not possible, from the stand.
II noint OF America and her allies, until
lGarmany is crushed, because Ger
kTnany's aims and Germany's require
tments AZ a basis of peace negotiations
ne entirely the opposite OF the aims
Jand the requirements OF Germany
enemies. 49, .,,
These are the answers to the TWO
Souestions. reduced to as few words as
t{nossible. It should not be necessary
M, restate them now. Every American
E'y}ould be as familiar with them as
4 IN the name of his states capltal
1.-THE fact that 1t is necessary IS
6ue to the persistent apathy which not
Heven the national registration and the
campaign for the Liberty Loan nave
been able to dispel. !.
True. America has declared she is
MT IN the war for indemnity nor Tor
territory. but she also has declared
that she is in the war to establish DEM
ocracy as the worlds standard OF gov
\, ernment, and to throttle the insane
force Of militaristic autocracy "hlcn IS
y personified IN the kaiser and Tor "nlch
1.-THE German government stands TO-DAY.
Germany would be glad to conclude
u peace il the fighting could stop today
Teaying the kaiser in control OF the
s1ulk Of central Europe, with grasp
4hn the far east and on Africa. Germany
y t,ould be glad to stop fighting for
|! lhile. 80 its shattered armies might be
u M,oreanized, its internal fabric patched
NJ Ind its hands left free to resume the
careful, deliberate preparations Wnicn
went on through generations up TO the
very day when this war began i,
These preparations, which included
everything from the perfection OF
death dealing weapons to the elabora-
! tion Of plots for sedition in dozen cor
| ners OF the world. were preparations
for a war of conquest, Of butchery, OF
lavlessness, of greed and hate and loot
and arson The people Of Germany be-
\ lieve the sophistries with which tne
kaiser is filing their minds now IN his
n campaign to hold them in his power
because they have been taught since
babyhood-as a part of this prepara-
- for war-that Germany's destiny
Vas world domination. They were
taught, too, that Germany's ruler was
infallible, that the deity existed for
Germany alone. that all the world be.
side was inferior and, therefore. fated
10 come under Germany's sway.
Peace now would mean continual
ton OF the teachings that have made
Germany a military power which men
4 aces the rest Of the universe. After
Ia few decades the war would be re-
lnewed at the point 1t has reached now,
land Germany would win
Americans must get this straight:
/ Their government is not waging a
A var OF conquest, but it's declaration is
only half completed when this fact is
! stated. The other half, which was
I overlooked by the man quoted in the
opening paragraph above, Is that this
war must, shall not. cannot stop until
the German autocracy Is crushed. Only
then can the peace terms America has
stated be realized.
The war cannot stop until the world
Ncan be certain that no such war ever
Ian be started again. The war cannot
stop. therefore, until the kaiser is fore
Ia to abandon for all time his dreams
G,f world wide power.
III This means that the German throne
gJmust be overturned that autocracy
must give way to democracy. that the
deluded subjects of the kaiser must be
N awakened and must throw off their de-
Illusion and their shackles.
H II means that the war will continue,
IN all probability, until it's battles are
N being waged on German soil. Only then
will It be possible to convince the Ger
man public that for ages it has been
deceived and victimized in crafty prep
aration for this war.
While he can continue his campaign
Of deception within Germany. the
kaiser will fight on. For he is fighting
now for his throne and his life. No