The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-03-25
EFFICIENCY OF GERMANS REALLY
 IS DEFICIENCY

Since the war started in Europe we have heard a great many people in speaking of Germany. in one way or another end their remarks with But when it comes to efficiency you'll have to hand 1t to Germany" Efficiency in what? In what does Germany excel? On what does she base her claim of efficiency? Germany has not in any line of endeavor shown herself to be more efficient than the nations against which she is contending. She has directed her energies for the last forty years towards building and maintaining an army that is sup posed to be the last word in eff ciency. and yet France and England have in three years accomplished as much if not more in this line. Germany has not contributed her share towards the advancement of civilization. She has precipitated a war that has brought more misery and bloodshed to the world than all of the barbarian hordes that ever lived. She has proven herself eff cient in deceit. She has proven her self efficient in murder. She has proven herself efficient in all that is savage and degenerating. AS civilization stands today, to what can we point and say this is Germany's contribution? Civilization began to make rapid strides when man learned to convey his thoughts to his fellow men by speech. There has been no greater agency since that time in the spread ing of civilization than the ability of man to convey his thoughts to his fellow men by writing.
 When the printing press was in vented another epoch making agency was introduced to civilization. Ger many can certainly lay no claim to any of these three as her inventions. Germany did not discover that steam could be used as a source ot great power She did not invent the steam engine. The first loco motives were built in the United States and England. The steam boat was Robert Fuiton's work The sub marine was the invention of an Am erican.
 It was not a German that invented the telephone. the electric light O. wireless telegraphy. The Wright brothers invented and perfected the airplane and Count Zeppelin got hi: idea for the dirigible balloon from the Union army during our Civil war.
 Practically every form of exrlo- sive that Germany has today has been the result of discoveries mad by other peore than Germans. Germany did not make the first magnifying glasses nor microscope with which invaluable discoveries in science have been made.
 Germany did not invent the inter- nal combustion engine which has made the automobile possible. Shc did not invent the sewing machine, the cotton gin, the photograph oI the moving picture machine. Germany did not invent the now | ing machine or the harvester She did not invent the threshing machine or innumerable other farming i'm plements which we find so valuable today.
 Germany's bacteriological discov- cries have not exceeded those of other countries.
 If we should eliminate all i'm portant discoveries and inventions from the world save those that Ger many has contributed and without which civilization would be set back thousands of years, what would we have left? Would 1t be German "kultur"?
 Has Germany taught the world how to live happier or better? Has she promulgated any doctrines O. great importance save those of war and destruction?
 Can Germany lay any claim to be- ing civilized in any way whatsoever? The fact that she has followed in the footsteps of other nations and adopted every outward form of eli lization does not make her civilized We can take monkey and put him in human clothes and teach him how to initiate a human to an as. tonishing degree, but that fact does not make him civilized
 Germany has produced some great musicians. some great singers and German scientists. but if they over. look the more eloquent teachings of music and song. what value can they attach to those arts?
 The mind of German militarism Is the same as the German hordes that destroyed and plundered me,