Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-27
GERMANY NATION
OF ARMY WORMS
Have Turned From Ideals of
Domestic Peace to De-
vastating War

The Germans" their beloved Bis
marck said, ARE a nation of house
servants"
His successors seem to have made
them a nation of army worms.
All their fine qualities of loyalty
and service which Bismarck
summed up so contemporary
have been turned from ideals of
domestic peace and labor to the raw
aging of their neighors in a devas-
tating war. A nation of army worms,
led by imperial loeusts, they have
advanced upon the world in their
famous mass formations, a gray
green swarm of devoted loyalists, at
once admirable and horrifying.
World Against Huns
And the world has banded against
them. One by one a score of States
have been forced to arm and defend
themselves. Not even the peaceful
traditions of China or the determin-
ed isolation of the United States
could save them from the unprovok-
ed assaults of this submissive people
led by ambitious maniacs. The war
has become a war to rid Germany
and the world of Germany's Mad
Mullah. And just as there could be
no peace a hundred years ago in
Europe, and no freedom in France
until Napoleon had been Gagged, so
now there can be security for any
nation and no liberty for the Ger
mans until their Hohenzollern has
been crushed and his loyal victims
awakened from their national hyp-
Eosls. The free peoples of the earth
are battling against the last serfs of
military autocraCy not only TO pro-
tect themselves, but to liberate their
enemy. America is fighting to estab-
llsh among the nations Of Europe an
other Slnh DnAfl1l loo Of Sn1f-
SoVerntng States as our War of In
dependence founded on this conti-
nent. 1t is a war against war-againSt
international injustice, and predat-
ory Ideals of empire, and the slav-
cry OF willing slaves assaulting free
dom.
Again and again the nations made
terms of peace with Napoleon. 1t
was useless until he made his final
terms of unconditional surrender
atter Waterloo. The French of his
day We're an admirable, a wonderful
people, but led by his military am
hiuon they became the conquering
enemies of mankind. 1t was his
wars that imposed militarism on
Germany. 1t is his tradition that
now animates the Prussian Imperial
buzzard. Useless to talk of terms of
peace with this new Napoleonism.
Useless TO plead the virtues of the
German people. They have become
the outlaws Of civilization, sur
rounded by u posse of nations and
hShung desperately at the mouth of
during peace till they have deposed
their robber chieftain and renowned
their creed of blood and iron.
L. 5. Compelled to Join
The United States has been COM
PEELED TO JOHN the posse. After en-
during outraSes with patience that
eNasperated mankind, we have en-
Germany. Our Navy is lighting in
European waters to protect our own
shores Our Army is going to the
trenches in France that we may not
have to dig trenches in America. We
have organized for war because we
have been denied peace. We have |
accepted conscripdon against con-
scription. We have given our Gov |
ernment the powers of a military |
dictator to save ourselves from the !
military dictatorship of the Most !
High of Potsdam. We have surren- !
dered all our peaceful liberties in |
order to organize our country for |
purposes of war, because war can be |
efficiently waged in no other way. |
save ourselves rom the devotees of /
blood and iron. When death comes
into dispute there is no answer
to II but death.
Another Argument
Now that the German war lord !
sees the sword at his throat, he is |
willing to use another argument. |
He offers to talk of peace without |
He is willing to for |
set our dead, to forgive our wounds, !
TO overlook our injuries, to bow US I
out of his fortress and repair his |
defenses. and fit a new blade to his !
old hilt- His agents assure us that |
our Allies are not our friends; that |
this war is not our war; that we !
should never have thrust ourselves
into it so unexpected. They observe |
with sorrow that we have re-
nounced on the battlefield, and un- |
der fire. our inalienable right to life, |
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They express a pious fear that in |
for a war to make the |
world safe for democracy we may
have surrendered ourselves to a mil
itary autocracy no better than their