Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-08-15
Another Anniversary
BY FRANK III. SIMONDS
. in the
New York Tribune.
New York Tribune.

-
Three wears ago today Germany declar-
cd war upon Russia and by This declara
ton unclaimed the whirlwind which has
ever since, with steadily growing fury
beaten upon the world.
And now a. the fourth year Of the
struggle opens, despite all the changes
certain things remain n they were. The
issue was joined on that day between the
German people and mankind remains ex-
actly what ii was in that hour.
In the three wears hat have passed the
whole depth and breadth of the German
spirit has been disclosed. The nation that
affirmed there was no law bat lis own law
no right but that which was established
by il own arms and founded upon ii,
selfish interests. has marched from crime
man has become a term of reproach all
over the world and those of German ma
tionality are described and regarded a.
Huns and a. Boches.
\ gulf has opened between the Ger
man people and the resi- of the world that
we ourselves are only beginning To be con
scious of; a gulf which will remain for
years, bringing the weight Of shame, Of
loathing, of detestation long after The
guilty nave passed from the scene.
And today the Indictment j. worth re-
viewing for those who would answer the
question of why the United States = al.
war with the German people and why il
must continue nj war until all that the
German people today represent l. cru he'd
utterly and Enthusiastically.
Wher German troops invaded Belgium
they attacked the whole body of interAa-
tipnal law, which was the safeguard OF
the weak against the strong-the slow
gam IL civilization IN centuries of strife
II this German act could stand, then aG.I
end would have been made Ia all law ex-
ctpt that which recognizes only strength
ana crowns the brute master of all.
Bdr the invasion of Belgium was only
an impersonal act. When To the invasion
OF the frontiers there was added 10 the
horror OF the German march-when wom-
en- were raped, children murdered, inno
cent old men slaughtered-not for deeds
committed in defense of home or honor
but solely that the agony of tn, few might.
terrify the many and fear conquer whcr,
the sword could not reach-there waS
added a supreme crime 10 the list of those
few terrible deeds which live n land
marks in human infamy. And after thi
invasion of Belgium. after the shamble>
of Louvain. there were added the crimes
in Northern France. Nothing that the
wild Indian had done in a forest. nothing
that the savage Of the African jungle had
done as the expression of his innate bar
barism, was left undone by German at
ficers and soldiers: and there were ether
deeds which hitherto were only believed
possible for the beasts themselves.
But this was only a beginning. There
after We had the German aiiship mas-a-
creing the women and children IN remote
and undefended English towns. We had
the poison gas launched by the troops who
had failed TO conquer with legalized wta-
pons of war.
And then came the Lusitania, with lis
Huuufeu> Oh WJHlel ana chliurtn OF hcu-
trial and belligeren, acknowledgements
women and children among thom-.ent to
their graves by German officers and sail
orr. No crime of which modern history
gives n a record compares with this in
essential brutality, yet II was but Il logi-
cal extension Of the German idea, ap.
piauded by Germans of every rank, ste
ton. sex.
Since that time we have had 4 full,
measure of horrors. The Belgian people
who had survived the tcrror~ Of the in
va>ion were driven into bondage a. African
slave raiders once drove their caravans
of untortunates. For neither sex, condi-
ton, age was there pity in the German
nature.
And, at last, we. too, IN America are
al war with this German peril which men
aces cur institutions, our lives, the homo,
of our women, the safety of our civiliza-
ton. We are at war with il because not
TO tight II j. TO he killed by it-not to
resist II J. 10 permit To extend it foul
and fatal dominion ever all the world and