The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-29
SECOND INSTALMENT


German view of ethics or the German
scheme of society was incredible. That
any American could possibly believe that
the American people could by any means
be made to accept the German point II
view and see the great war through Ger
maa eyes was unbelievable. That any
American would be willing to undertake
to pervert the minds of the American
people until they saw the world, not as
Americans but as Germans. was impos-
sible. The man who would attempt it
/ by so doing branded himself not an Amer
lean but a German.
| l feel that way now, T felt that way
then, in August, 1914. You can perhaps
Judge of my amazement when, only few
weeks after Germany began the war, my
friend, DR.. Rumely. came to me with the
proposal to establish nationwide propa-
ganda to convince the American people
that Germany was fighting a just and
righteous war!
The European war had been raging for
| II UOul SiA VEGAS "ACh Ouc dltCAh oph
cannot fix the date any more closely than
| that it was some time in September, 1914
the telephone in my Chicago office
iingled.
| Hello! Hello! This is Rumely speak
ling. from Laporte. There's a matter /
want your advice on. I'm coming in to
Chicago. Dine with me at the Union
League Club at thirty"
| This was the message over the telephone
and promised to meet him. DR.. Rumely
ordered the dinncr-it was more like a
banquet. Had he been entertaining the
German Ambassador he could not have
given more care to the selection of the
menu or the volume and quality of the
food. He ordered a bottle of wine and
too, if had cared for them. Ont of cour-
tesy to my host ate rather more than was
| my won't
| Over the dinner table he talked rap
idly, Interestingly and cteerfully about
commonplace topics, telling me of things
that he was doing at the Interlaken
School with an occasional excursion into
the realms CT philosophy and science. AT
| ter he had dined he invited me to his
! room on an upper floor.
! What do you think of the war;" he
demanded, abruptly, as we seated our
selves.
| / had been doing great deal of think
ing about the war, and my answer was as
abrupt as his inquiry.
Il think this country has got to get into
| it sooner or later, and the sooner the bet
lter," replied
| My positiveness seemed to take him
aback for a moment why do you think
! that?" he demanded
Because it's our war, and we can't hold
up our heads after it's over If we let
England and France and Russia fight our
battles for us. As it stands now, we get
all the benefit and take none of the risk.
sink to the position of second class
Power if we do not take a hand in the
destruction of Germany"
| DR. Rumely drew long breath. Then
he leaned forward, pointed his forefinger
at me, and with the most impressive en-
phasis exclaimed -
Germany is going to win this
warp
| Then God help America !" I calculated.
IF that is true, we shall have to begin
preparing now to fight for all we have
and are"
DR. Rumely smiled indulgently, as
though 1 were one of his pupils in need Of
instruction.
| II see you don't understand the war
any better than most Americans do" he
said soothingly.
81 understand that it is war between
two opposing civilizations that cannot
both exist on one planet!' I retorted, with
considerable heat. 1T is not war Of
governments-it is a war of gods. 1t is
war between the god of brass and iron
that the Germans worship and the spir-
| itual God who rules the hearts and the
Inspirations of free men. 1t must be set
tied here and now whether the material
istic conception of life or the spiritual
shall triumph. That is why 1 say it is
our war"
DR.. Rumely smiled, patroniz-
ingly. Germany will VIM" he
repeated, uttering the words
slowly and with JUNCTION, as
though the thought were pleasing
to him. Nothing can defeat her.
She has been preparing for this
war for forty years. Germany has
been cramped and crowded in and
kept from expanding by jealous
enemies. Now Germany is greater
| than her enemies and she will ex-
| pand and take her place as the
great Power Of Europe. Nothing
can stop her"
! He drew a mass of papers from his in
side pocket. There were letters with Ger
man postage stamps upon them and other
dotments in the German language
II have many friends on the other side. ~
! he said. Some of them are men in high