The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-20

kind-provided we act in full coop
|eration with all other democratic ma
tions. Though the development of
the world as whole and the ad-
vance of mankind is not yet the i'm
mediate goal Of America or of any
ether nation, we know that dem
ocratic nations, as they evolve, work
in that direction.
The present war IS not war to
impose democratic government on
any nation Except in limited form
AS to foreign affairs). 1t is not a
war to impose democratic civilization |
OH any nation, but 1t is a war to
make democratic government and
civilization predominant in the !
world. Our free civilization, as we
know by actual observation, can be
relied upon to propagate itself. It
does not need to be imposed, it re-
quires no force except when threat
ened by force. Our chief motive pow
er comes from the profound belief
that democratic civilization will au-
dramatically drive out "Kultur" if
the power of 'Kultur" to spread it.
self by force and fraud (intrigue and
propaganda) is taken away.
Our motives then are in no way
Negative. We are not and shall not
, be driven by hate or fear, that is
not by hate or fear directed against
the individuals or aggregates of in
diFiduals. 1t was not fear of what
the Germans Sould do to us that led
us into war with them, but fear OF
what they could do to us if we let
them. And now that we are at war
1t is not fear in any form. 1t is not
hatred of the Germans or of any
people that drives us on Knowing 50
many recent emigrants from Ger.
many and liking them personally
such hatred would be a psycholo.
gical impossibility But we are
moved yb hatred of the crimes which
the Germans have allowed thei- gov.
ernment to commit and which they
and their sympathizers everywhere
approve. We are moved by hatred OF
the ideas, the feelings, and the ma
tiCna, aims which the German gov-
ernment has temporarily planted m
the minds of the German people. We
We know that the German govern.
ment has accomplished this work Of
poisoning, perverting, and degrading
the great mass of it's own people
through the systematic indoctrina-
ton of falsehoods in it's schools and
Physical brutality and terrorizatior
in its barracks. We know that near
ly all Of us, if brought up from child
hood under the same system would
equally the tools of the ruling class
we know moreover that there was in
Germany a spontaneous reaction
against this mental and physical
slavery, as well as tendency and q
desire to initiate the democratic in.
stitutions and civilizations of other
countries. We know finally that even
the most intelligent, courageous and
revolutionary of German democrats
were in the position of helpless hoss,
ages at the outbreak of the war and
are still in that position today.
While it is evident that these mill
tant German DEMOCRATS were pow
erless minority at the beginning Of
the war and have remained a power
less minority up to the present time.
we shall always be on the sharpes.
lookout for any growth in their men,
bers or any other power. But we can
not be expected to wait for this de-
veiopment, which is by no means
certain. We are obliged to deal with
the German government and the Ger
man nation as we have known them
In the recent past ana up to the pre-
ent moment. And we know that
the foundation of the whole Prussian
structure is based on the success OF
its aggressive nationalistic designs
and che popular faith in the invin-
cioility of the German armies and IN
the power of the German propaganda
to divide the democratic nations.
There is little if any question that
we are gradually taking all neces-
sa,y measures to defeat the German
army. 1t is necessary for us to pro-
coed in all haste to take all possible
measures also to defeat the German
peace propaganda
POLK NOW IN LEAD