The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-15

because our voices may reach the ear
and the conscience of the German peo-
pie when no other voices can, and be-
cause they will reach the ear of its
rulers. These, know. counted upon
the moral, II not the actual support Of
the German.born In America, to the
extent at least Of preventing our join
ing in the war, and now when we have
joined, they count upon that support
to agitate for an inconclusive and un
righteous peace.
believe that we should speak out
to convince our native born fellow cit
liens that our fundamental concep-
tons Of right and wrong are like
theirs, that the faint Of Germany is
not in the blood, but in the system Of
rulership, that we are with them and
of them intellectually. singleminded
ly and unreservedly because IL we fail
ed in conveying to them that convic-
ton In the hour OF our common coun-
try's stress and trial. there would en-
sue the calamity of spiritual, if not
an actual, breach between them and
US which 1t would take generation
to heal.
There are some of you, probably,
who will still find it hard to believe
that the Germany you knew can be
guilty Of the crimes which have made
1t an outlaw amonkst the nations.
But do you know modern Ger
many? Unless you have been there
within the last twenty-five years, not
once or twice, but at regular intervals;
unless you have looked below the
glittering surface of the marvellous ma
terial progress and achievement and
seen how the soul OF Germany was be.
ing eaten away by the virulent poison
of Prussianism; unless you have
watched and followed the appalling
Transformation of German mentality
and morality under the nefarious and
puissant influence of the priesthood Of
power worship, you do not know the
Germany Of this day and generation.
TT is not the Germany Of old, the
land of our affectionate remembrance.
It is not the Germany which men now
OF middle age or over knew In their
youth. It is not the Germany of the
first Emperor William, a modest and
God.fearing gentleman.
1T is not the Germany, even, Of Bis
marck, man Of blood and iron though
he was, who had builded a structure
which. whilst not founded on liberty.
yet was capable and gave promise Of
going down into history as one of the
greatest examples of enlightened and
even beneficient autocracy; who. In
the contemplative and mellowed wis
Nf h{c old Ntfor1 xroV oA I'll a
nation against the very spirit which,
alas, came to have sway over 1t, and
against the very war which that spirit
unclaimed.
''The Germany which brought upon
the world the, Unreasonable disaster
of this war, and at whose monstrous
deeds and doctrines the civilized ma
tons of the earth stand aghast, start
ed into definite being less than thirty
years ago. I can almost lay my finger
upon the date and circumstances of its
illomened advent.
The Path Of Error
LESS than thirty years ago new
course was flambouyantly proclaimed
by those in authority. and the term
new course became the order of the
day. With it and from 1t there came
truly marvellous quickening of the
energies and creative abilities of the
nation, period of material achieve
ment and of social progress; in short
a national forward movement almost
unequaled in history. The world look
ed on in admiration, perhaps not en-.
tirely free from a tinge of envy. Ger
many was con1uering the eaVeh by
peaceful penetration.
"And no one stood in its way. It
had free access to all the seas and all
the lands.
But with the new course and from
1t there also came a new god, false
and evil god. He exacted as sacrifices
for his affairs the time,honored ideals
of the fathers, and other high and no.
bic things and his commands were
obeyed.
There came upon the German PEG.
pie whole train of new and bane.
full influences and impulses, formid
ably stimulating as powerful drug
There came. amongst other evils, ma.
terialism and covetousness and ire
ligion: overweening arrogance, an i'm
patient contempt for the rights of the
weak. mania for world dominion. and
a veritable lunacy Of power worship
There came also a fixed and IRA.
tional distrust OF the Intentions of
other nations, for the evil which had
crept into their own souls made them
see evil in others, and that distrust
was nurtured carefully and deliberate.
ly by those In authority.
"And finally there came the day in
which the new course fatally and In
evitably, was bound to eliminate.
There came the old temptation. as old
as humanity itself.
Tempter Promises Worid.Mieht
"The Tempter took the Prussian and
Prussianized rulers up a high mount.
ain and showed them all the riched
and power Of the world. Showed them
the great countries and capitals Of the
earth teeming with peaceful labor
Brussels, Paris, Londan. aye, and New
York. and told them: Look at these
Use your power ruthlessly and they
are yours And those rulers did not
say: Get thee besind me. satan; but
they said: Go ahead, satan, and we
shall follow thee
And follow him they did, and
brought upon the green earth the red
ruin Of hell.
"And with rejoicing they greeted
sfhn dav' IN hrfn0 -.