The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-06-13

tsnsig the rape Of Belgium. the shoot
lng o. nomsn. children and non-oom-
batanis. and the commission Of deeds
nAlch The rsst of the world shudder-
inely regards as atrocities. This paper
was written and signed by ninety
thres German theoioglans. phll0s0-
rasrs, and university professors
The torpeaoing o. the Lusitania and
f the drowning of unwarnsd and inno-
esat woneB and children was hailed
b. the Pan-Germanists a. q deed of
bravery. ana commsmurzted By the
striking and distribution 81 q medal
The German chancellor. a cultivated.
accomplished gentleman. excused The
invasion q Belgium on the ground
that military necessity knows no
law and that international treaty IS
really nothing Pat q scrap Of paper
When at the end Of July. 1914. the
peace q TIE world was threatened By
the controversy o. austria and seryia
over the assassination o. the Austrian
arehduhe. The British government
through Sir Edward Grey. lmpiored
The kaiser 10 81 at a round table con
ference and see il the dispute could
not b settled by International agree-
ment Instead * by war.
No said Inc kaiser @IAat would
. be beneath the dignity of my ally. Aus
tr.A and be deliberately chose
war
Nov the intellectual German Is inex
CRADLE ID b.s logic Given certain
premise be viii follow il 70 the bitter
est end 10 matter what il may be. And
L the German premise IN this war Is
right then every one Of their deeds IN
the war IS right
Il war Is biological necessity. Il
the will to power" is The great manly
virtue. # the strong are blessed Ior
they SHAH inherit the earth. il the
weak are to be wiped out OF existence
Tor they are a menace to civilization.
Il military necessity knows no Law"
II military organization is the highest
form Of social efficiency. then all the
acts Of the German army are virtuous
and splendid: tho rape Of Belgium was
patriotic. not traitorous. the sinking
ot the Lusiiania was heroic. not das-
taFdly: the Zeppelin bombardment OF
women and babies in unfortiiied towns
was iustifiable; the shooting of Nurse
caveH was reasonable; the ruthless
devastation oi northern France was
civilized not barbaric; and il Is Grim
inal as the Germans assert. for amer
leans 70 interfere.
what then are we fighting forg
We are fighting because vie hold
that the Pan-German premise Is false
and that the Pan-German doctrine OF
life which they are trying TO impose b.
force On the rest OF the world is de-
struetivs Of an than Is Blost dear to Us
in ciVilizauore because We hold that
international neighboriiness and not
war is a biological necessity. that the
streng are not 70 destroy but to pro
tsct the weak; that military organlza-
ton IS not the master but the servant
Of the civil power; that military neces-
sity must be made to observe some
laNs; that it is not merely the super.
man but the plain. everyday supine
man also who has an inalienable right 4
to life. liberty and the pursuit Of hap
plness; and thar true government Is 4
based not or the divine right" OF
kings bnt upon the axiom that 81 Is 4
trne government only when ID Is gov
ernment Of the people. hy the people. \
for the people
We are fighting not because we hate
the German people Or wish them li.
not for reprisal or revenge not merely
even for seltprotectiou. but because.
if the German military ah.ocracy wins.
the fundamental principles and insti-
tations Of the American people and. as
We believe, the very body and soul Of
civilization itself. viii be destroyed.