The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-14

tanned in a form for children to
understand, the Junior is beginning
series Of articles on the causes Of
the war, following the outline CIV
en- in Pamphlet 16, of the War In
formation Series, as nearly as pos
sible like the courses of lectures
given by Mr.. Bentley, principal af
the high school, during the Chau-
tauqua.
Information which has been gain
ed from other sources will be quot
ed, so that all the statements made
in the articles will be thoroughly
authorized.
The real cause of the war, as
every boy and girl vaguely knows,
is the Kaiser, but why he is the
cause-of the war may not be fully
understood
In Germany the law says that the
Kaiser may declare war without
asking anyone's consent except
the members of the Bundesrat,
(which is a senate made up of
men appointed by the rulers of
the little German states, who are
entirely in sympathy with the
Kaiser) and that If the war is one
to defend the country, the Emperor
may declare war without even ask
ing them.
The Reichstag, which rather cor
responds to our House of Repre-
sentatives, where members are
elected by the people, has no say
in the matter.
1t is interesting to note that
every war which members Of the
Kaiser's family have waged has
been made out to be defending
the country" so that they never
have asked any ones permission
And it is not surprising" says
Charles D. Hazen in THE Govern
ment of Germany that even
Bundesrat was officially informed
about the war three days after the
Emperor had declared it."
"Autocracy," the government
which Germany now has, allows
one man to be supreme ruler,
who does not have to account to
any earthly power for anything he
does. The Kaiser of Germany is
above the law, and he himself says,
Looking upon myself as the in
strument of the Lord, regardless
of the views and opinions of the
hour, 60 on my way" And again,
only one is master in this coun-
try. That Is I. Who opposes me
shall crush to pieces. All Of you
have only one will, and that is my
will; there is only one law, and
that is my law"
From the War Cyclopedia
While the Kaiser is enjoying his
right to do everything he wills, the
common people have only one right
to obey.
But for many years, states Carl
Alderman in his book, Germany,
the Next Republic?" greater and
greater tendency has been grow
ing up among the people to desire
more rights, especially the right
to vote for representatives who
will have real power in the gov
eminent.
After the Lusitania was sunk and
President Wilson began writing
notes to the German government
against the terrible ways of fight
ing which the submarines were
using, his messages were publish
ed in the newspapers of Germany,
and although war leaders tried to
make the people see only the Ger
man side of the war, part of the
people began thinking for them
selves.
This went on for two years, and
even though the war leaders earri-
ed on a hate campaign to make the
Germans despise the Americans,
still our principles of democracy
of every man having an equal right
to think for himself and to vote
for the laws he thinks best, had
made such a deep impression on
the German people, according to
Carl Alderman, that when Presi-
dent Wilson asked Congress to de-
clare war not against the German
people, but against the German
government, and fight that govern