The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-09-19
OVER THE TOP
WITH UNCLE SAM

The four wears Of war have taken Us
from ignorance to knowledge; from
uncertainty 10 certainty: from onlook-
ers to allies. Germany has been Un-
masked before the world We now
see her real intentions. Before We
entered the war, the average Ameri-
can was not largely interested in the
war. What he knew of German history
seemed honorable lie knew that she
had brought 10 an end the Roman En-
pire, and a thousand years later. she
had hepled to make the Reformation.
Three hundred years later when Napo-
leon was threatening Europe it was
her strong hand that helped England
TO win the victory against autocracy.
The people of Germany have been
thrifty, industrious. religious scholas-
tic and good citizens. Ii has been the
land of Kant, Goethe. Beethoven, Lu-
ther, MendelsS0hn and many other
men of great renown. Her schools
have been a great drawing center for
the scholarship Of the world. When
the war came We saw these things and
not the deeper meaning, her ambition
to rule the world. We considered that
the war was rivalry between England
and Germany. This was evidently the
thought of President Wilson in his
speech of May. 1916. when he said :
We want peace for two reasons-we
love 1t, and because we have nothing
to do with the present quarrel.
In fact, at the opening of the war
We had no prejudice against Germany
we were predisposed toward her, while
hostile sentiments were expressed to.
ward England, and our histories
showed and taught such resentments.
and Bunker Hill and other memorials
had fostered such sentiments. In the
early part of the war the conduct of
Great Britain gave us more concern
than that of Germany She disregard
ed international law by searching our
vessels, and her methods of searching
our citizens were not satisfactory to
our people.
Then came the sinking of our ships.
the drowning of our citizens. the
breaking of treaties. The awful eX-
cesses became known, and the true
designs of Germany through intrigue
we're seen by our government. Even
after Bernstorff was dismissed, Presi-
lent Wilson was exceedingly careful
and did all that he could to avert war.
So true was this. that he was reelected
On the plea He has kept us out of
the war; But in April, 1917, national
honor and rights demanded that the
world be made safe for democracy.
Not for our own rights. nor for our
own honor alone, did we declare wal
but for the safety of the world.
There were two great reasons why
we should fight Germany. What are
they? First, our own freedom was al
stake, as well as the democracy of the
world. The same spirit that would
nave crushed our infant colonies in
l776 was at work once more to crush
lur liberty in 1917.
Second, we found that we were or
the kaiser visiting list and we beat
lim to it by going over and calling or
nm before he has a chance to call up
on u.s. World power or downfall, =
was the cry of the German Bernhard,
and we choose to have it a German
| downfall. rather than our own.
Now since the war began. horrible
realities have come to US, and we have
discovered that Germany has become
| Prussianized that is, that the ruler:
| nave dream of world autocracy with
Germany in control. If one will reaC
'Egotism, " by Professor Santayana
Harvard college, he W Il lis over that
the concentrated thought OF Germany
$ superman. This has been tn teach
ing of Nietchske Germany mas beer
taught to believe that under God she is
to teach ''kultur" to the world she is
the elect nation and to her is commit
led the destiny of the world. titche
said one hundle ears ago.
Races yet unborn implore you, the
stranger in far-oU lands entreat you
all the ages of humanity throuhgout
the future have faith in you, and i'm
plore you to guard any possibility that
IN the great federation of a new hu.
manity the member which is the most
essential of all to it's existence shoulc
| disappear they must not search fol
you in vain when they need your cOun.
sells, yor example. your help, :.
you it is to whom among all modern
lations the seeds of human perfection
nave been entrusted, and to whom il
mas given the first place in developing
them. If you succumb, humanity sue
| tumbs with you, and all hope of any
future renovation will be lost.
Now read what the German emperor
said in 1907 In this spirit let ole
and new districts, citizens, farmers
and laborers hold together and united
y work together through loyalty anC
love for the Fatherland Then the
German people will be the rock OF
granite upon which our Lord can builo
and complete his work of culture II
the world. Then will the words of the
poet be fulfilled when he said in con
tact with German life the sick viii
grow well again.
We know now why Germany must be
fought and defeated. Certain import
ant discoveries have come to us.
First, there is German egotism for
world expansion, which ii carried out
would bring injustice to the world. II
is admitted that the British and Amer
leans have self-esteem and a good dea
of conceit. But Germany has become
intoxicated obsessed with worc
dreams self-hypnotised with religious
dehrium Of its election by God to rule
the world. Wherever there has beer
any land, she has seized it if she coulC
on one preteXt or another. There be,
came German East Africa, a German
| Southwest Africa. She annexed Shan.
tung Penninsular from China on the
pretextsof Furnishing her for the mur
der of two Catholic missionaries. She
would have taken Venezuela but fol
the prompt and energetic work OF
President Roosevelt who sent Admira
Dewey to fight, if necessary, to enforce
the Monroe Doctrine And we al
know her insulting position at Manila
Bay when Dewey was about to attack
the land fortresses, and complete his
work against the Spanish forces. AnC
when Gladstone offended the Sultan OF
Turkey, and the Armenian blood wa.
flowing in the streets of Constantin.
ople, the kaiser sent his photograph
to the Sultan with his compliments
initiating himself into the good grace.
! of this wicked ruler and murderer nj