The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-29
Our Country Would Have Suffered
Belgium's Fate But For Eng
lands Ships Is View Of
Rev. w. A. Pratt
SWISS SAVE THEMSELVES
Kaiser Saw Their Army and Took no
Chances-America's Entry
Into War In Line With
Her Ideals.

Sunday morning the pulpit Of the
First Unitarian church was occupied
by the Rev. William A. Pratt of
Cedar Rapids, former pastor Of the
church. He gave an address on the
war conditions In Europe and told OF
his experience. in passing through
the danger zone on the sea. The
Rev. Mr.. Pratt has for twenty-five
years conducted tourist parties
through Europe. His first party was
entirely made of Keokuk people and
sailed in May, 1895. Every year
since then including the year in
which the war began, he has spent
the summer months in Europe and
has been an observing traveller. He
was in Europe at the time when war
was declared and was again in
Europe about the time America de-
clared war and joined the allies.
He said in the beginning that the
world comedies that Germany IS the
aggressor in this war, with its false
idea Of state an organization OF I'M
morality plus a chemist and an engi-
neer without conscience, Yet in a
negative way England and France
and America are to blame, because
their statesmen did not see the
signs of the times and see beyond
their own borders. 1t is a false
nationalism which sees only It's own
people and which limits it's sympa-
thies to its own geographical boun-
Diary. This apathy on the part of the
peace loving nations, is due to the
fact that 1t is hard to justify the
ideals Of another nation or to under
3+o IN CT it,.ffn md tho WORK.
ing Of its laws.
"The peaceful world smiled and
said this war business Is Germany's
fad. She loved everything military
and we gave it only passing
thought and all the while she was
preparing for world conquest. AS a
result of our apathy and her diligence
we face the chaos of civilization.
Eng1and's pitiable unpreparedness is
illustrated by this one incident.
When war was declared the com
mander in chief of the British army
telegraphed to Sheffield for bayonets.
The report was flashed back, We
don't make bayonets at Sheffield;
they are made in Germany We in
America had a splendid isolation
with the wide ocean on either side
and we had national policy not to
NEEDLE with European affairs, but,
my friends, If it had not been for the
British navy our land would have
been invaded even as Belgium"
Mr.. Pratt told then Of the Swiss
army of the people and explained
why that little republic had main
tanned it's neutrality and defended it's
borders against invasion. He said
that he was in Berne, Switzerland,
the summer before war was declared
and he was told at the hotel that the
next week they were to have the
honor of entertaining royal visitor
In the person of Kaiser William who
was coming to enjoy the annual mill
tary maneuvers of the Swiss army
and to see the contests in rifle shoot
Ing. The Swiss are world famed for
their rifle shooting and had won
seventeen out Of eighteen interna-
tiona1 contests. What the kaiser
saw perhaps saved Switzerland from
being on the line Of march Of the
German army into France. They
detoured away from the
Swiss rifle shots