Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-09-10
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL
Ia te uIv newspaper in Salem whose circulation is guaranteed by the
Audit Bureau of Calculations.
AN OUTLAW NATION

The treachery of the kaiser's governments again
illustrated in it's dealings with Argentine. Dealing with
a friendly nation it resorted to deceit, lying and promises
made to accomplish its purpose, and which 1t had no lnten-
ton of fulfilling. It's representative at Buenos Aires
while protesting friendship to Argentine was advising his
superiors in Berlin to "sink the Argentine ships and leave
no trace In other words to sink the ships of a friendly
nation and do it in such a manner that none of the crews
should escape.
At the same time this same accredited representative
of the Prussian government advised that it would do lit
tie harm to permit Argentines ships to pass safely
through the danger zone, "because they were very small"
1t was this last suggestion that was acted upon by the
powers in Berlin, and the promise was made to Argentine
that her ships would not be fired on so long as they car
ried only ~foodstuffs. This action shows conclusively, if
any proof were needed, as to the genuinenesS OF the dis
patches made public by the department OF state, that the
dispatches as published were genuine. By her acts
Germany has made herself an outlaw among nations. She
has openly declared that her most solemn promise IS
worthless, and her acts show neither honor, chivalry nor
even common decency are among her attributes. Her
treatment of Argentine is but a duplicate Of that she gave
the United States, a treatment consisting of hypocrisy,
deceit, ~falsehood, trickery. While protesting friendship
for this country she was plotting against it and this even
while that arch traitor and all around scrub, Bernstorf,
was shedding tears because he was compelled to leave the
country for which he had such profound love.
The German press grew indignant because the preSl-
dent made a distinction between the German people and,
the German government. Yet there is a broad and deep
distinction between them. Here in America the word of
most German people would be taken at par in any bust
ness transaction. No American would be afraid to invite
his German friends to his house for fear they would take
advantage of his friendship and hospitality to plot against
him and his. Can the same be said Of the German govern
ment? While we were looking after the interests of the
Germans in those countries with which she was at war,
she was plotting against us and against the liberties of
the world. Germany tried to get Mexico arrayed against
us, and attempted the same thing with Japan, persuaded
Bulgaria and Turkey to join the central powers on
promises which cannot be redeemed because it pledges an
neXation of conquered territory--conditionS that no
treaty of peace will ever ratify, and the Prussian rulers
know it. Prussian dealings with Russia, with England,
with France, by which it was undertaken to get them or
some of them on her side, was another piece of the same
kind of diplomacy. If the kaiser had succeeded his intent
was to use those she deceived into helping him for their
own undoing. Once he was in the saddle there would be
no place for any, but Germany to ride. Austria was
duped into an alliance of similar character and Austria
has virtually disappeared, swallowed up by Prussianism.
If she wins there will be no Austria, only an enlarged Ger
many. Germany has played a deep game and a dishonest
one with all, even her allies. And this is the government
the pope would have the world meet as an equal and make
treaties with. The result of even a cursory examination
of GermanyS course is convincing that no peace can be
made with PruSsianism, and none with Germany unless it
is with the German people themselves. Their word is
good. Any peace made with the present German govern
ent means that this war is only the first chapter and
mat it will all have to be fought over again when Germany
has recuperated and hoodwinked some other foolish ma
ton into accepting its word as worth anything more than
a "scrap of paper"