The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-26

joined between brutal might and in
sensate ambition on the one side and
the forces of humanity and liberty on
the other"
Mr. Kahn spoke as follows:
1 speak as one who has seen the
spirit of the PruSSian governing class
at work from close by, having at its
disposal and using to the full prac-
tically every energy for moulding the
public mind.
1 have watched it proceed with re-
lentless persistency and profound
cunning to instill into the nation the
demoniacal obsession of power-wor-
ship and world-dominion, to modify
and pervert the mentality, indeed the
very fibre and moral substance of the
German people, people which until
misled, corrupted and systematically
poisoned by the Prussian ruling caste,
was, and deserved to be an honored.
valued and welcome member of the
family of nations
1 have hated and loathed that spirit
ever since it came within my Ken
many years ago, hated it all the more
as L saw it ruthlessly pulling down a
thing which was dear to me, the old
Germany to which I was linked by
ties of blood, by fond memories and
cherished sentiments.
Dominated by Mad Ruler"
The difference in the degree of guilt
as between the German people and
their Prussian or PruSsianized rulers
and leaders for the monstrous crime
OF this war and the atrocious barbar-
ism of it's conduct, is the difference
between the man who, acting under
the influence of a poisonous drug,
runs amuck in mad frenzy and the
unspeakable malefactor who admins
tered that drug, well knowing and
fully intending the CHASTITY conse-
quences which were bound to follow.
The world fervently longs for peace.
But there can be no peace answering
to the true meaning of the word, no
peace permitting the nations of the
earth, great and small, to walk I'M
armed and unafraid, until the teach
ing and the leadership of the apostles
of an outlaw creed shall have become
discredited and hateful in the sight of
the German people, until that people
shall have awakened to a conscious
ness of the unfathomable guilt of
those whom they have followed into
calamity and shame, until a mood of
penitence and of a decent respect for
the opinions of mankind shall have
supplanted the sway of what President
Wilson has SO trenchantly termed
turbulence and treachery."
God grant that the German people
may before long work out their own
salvation and find the only road which
will give to the world an early peace
and lead Germany back into the
family of nations from which it is now
an outcast.
Frequently Visited Germany.
From each of my visits to Germany
for twenty-five years, I came away
more appalled, by the sinister trans
mutation Prussianism had wrought
amongst the people and by the por-
tentouS menace L recognized in it for
the entire world.
It had given GerD1anV lInnaral-
leled prosperity, beneficent and adj
vanced social legislation and not a few
other things of value, but it had
taken in payment the soul of the race.
1t had made a devils bargain
And when this war broke out in
| Europe, L knew that the issue had
been Joined between the powers of
brutal might and insensate ambition
| on the one side and the forces of
humanity and liberty on the other,
between darkness and light.
| Many there were at that time-and
| amongst them men for whose charac-
ter had high respect and whose mo-
tives were beyond any possible sus-
picion-who saw their own and Amer
| ica's duty in strict neutrality, men
tally and actually, but personally 1
believed from the beginning of the
war. whether we liked all the ele-
ments of the allies combination or
|
Russia of the czars-that the cause of
the allies was Americas cause.
Race Not a Factor.
I believed that this was no ordinary
| war between peoples for a question of
national interest or even national
honor, but a conflict between funda-
mental principles and ideas; and so
| believing, l was bound to feel thai the
natural lines of race, blood and kim
Ct1 in hA Il
lines for ones attitude and alignment,
but that each man, whatever his
origin, had to decide according to his
judgment and conscience on which
side was the right and on which was
| the wrong and take his stand accord
ingly, whatever the wrench and an
guish of the decision. And thus took
my stand three years ago
But whatever ones views and feel
ings, whatever the country of Cne's
birth or kin, only one course was left
for all those claiming the privilege of
American citizenship when by action
of the president and congress the
cause and the fight of the Allies was
formally made our cause and our
fight.
The duty of loyal allegiance and
faithful service to his country, ever
unto death, rests, of course, dpor
every American.
But, if it be possible to speak of q
comparative degree concerning wha
is the highest as it is the most ele.
mentary attribute of citizenship, thai
duty may almost be said to rest with
an even more solemn and compellins
obligation upon Americans of foreign
origin than upon native Americans
For, we Americans of foreign an
tecedents, are here not by the acct
dental right of birth, but by our owl
free choice for better or for worse.
We are your fellow citizens becaus
you accepted our oath of allegianc,
as given in good faith, and becaus
you nave opened to us in generou
tunity and freedom, and have ad
mltted us to membership in the fam
lily OF Americans, giving US aequa
rights in the great inheritance which
mas been created by the blood and tn
toll OF your ancestors, asking moth
ing from US in return but decent cit
! izenship and adherence 70 thnsa idsa