The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-01

1.-THE German people have been
| carefully taught to despise, to loathe,
! to hate the American people and all
things American" says A. Curtis
/ Roth, former American vice-consul at
Plauen, Saxony. Our good will, our
i forbearance, even our submission. he
says, could not have averted war with
Germany.
Because Germany has long been
accustomed to regard the United
States as legitimate German inner
ftance, 1.-The emperor encouraged pam
German activities among US, promoted
the idea Of exchange professorships,
and sought in othr ways to. tie this
country to the tail of the German kite.
When Berlin discovered that all these
! efforts had gone for naught, then it
was that Bismarck's warning was re-
called and a measurable hatred
against the United States was assid-
fously cultivated" Mr.Roth referred to
the warning of the German premier,
that Germany would one day contest
the supremacy of the world with the
United States
1.-The average German hates this
country he continues, with a
hatred far more venomous, far more
implacable, far more easoning
than the hatred that has ben visited
upon any other belligerent. I shall
give examples of this hatred. 1t was
in the winter of 1915 that the
change in the state of the Germans
feelings toward us became more ap-
parent. Lengthy reports from
America had been digested in Berlin.
The officials realized that American
public opinion was awake to the great
German intrigue, and that it con-
demned them. After the first shock
of angry surprise, officers of the army
and navy stats and representatives
from the foreign office met to con-
slider the American problem
ST gathered from the staff officer
who long afterward told me of this
conference that its primary business
had been the consideration of the
best means for presenting the Ger
man case to the American people.
knowing the German people as do,
however, I believe that, at this con.
ference, the campaign was planned
and the work assigned for the contest
of Bismarcks prophecy,
"Capt Mueller of the 134th Saxon
Regiment, a close friend of mine, who
knew the United States thoroughly,
was called to Berlin in February,
1915, to make exhaustive studies
dealing with the American problem
In the autumn of 1915. his detail in
Berlin ended Capt. Mueller, on his
way to the front, called upon me.
You Americans have a lot to answer
for he said. Tt will cost you dearly
some day.
SIT was in the winter Of 1915 that
reports of the havoc caused by
American ammunition began to circu-
late among the people. The Ameri-
cans were held up to- scorn as an
avaricious, eowardly, effeminate race,
intent only upon dollar chasing and
commercial exploitation and utterly
devoid of the ideals of manhood. Pres
ident Wilson was continually carica'
tured as a British viceroy, while Uncle
Sam was invariably depicted as
puffy, hooknosed shopkeeper.
I'm April, 1915, was with a party
of [4erma officers at Bad Elster, in
Southeastern Saxony. Major Leibster,
an acquaintance of mine, stationed at
Plauen with the reserves of the 134tn
Saxon regiment, joined our party.
Major Lobster was bitterly anti
American, and never missed an OPP
portunity to let me feel this. We
are keeping books on you Americans
he said. It's long account and we
haven't missed any details. Rest as
sured that this account will be pre-
sented to you some day for a settle
ment'"
Nearly a year later a friend Of the
vice consul, before the war a frequent
visitor at the consulate, ultimately
Joining a field hospital unit, sought
him out while on Through. 1--WE
should have won this war long ago."