Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-05
WHAT THEY THINK OF
AMERICA IN GERMANY TODAY
(By Victor


(By Victor Morgans)
Editor Of The Cleveland Press.
Copyright. 1918, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Assoctation.)'
Nobody except Americans and Ger
mans ever criticises Americas war
progress.
. Instead. the people Of France. Eng
terms Of wonder.
Never in the history Of the world
mas a nation accomplished so much
In so short a time, they say.
because we are in the war in the
interest of democracy and a perma-
nent peace, because President Wilson
mas made our war aims SO positive
and definite, there are many in
europe who believe that eventually
America will assume the leadership
>of. the allies in the war.
w. g. Sharp, United States ambas-
sador to France, is one of these.
While in France Ambassador Sharp
gave me a statement to this effect. 1t
appears herewith.
Germans who oppose the kaiser's
scheme of world conquest, and who
Switzerland, told me that The military
masters Of Germany also are surpris-
ed-and alarmed-at Americas
progress.
Information comes to these men
from new arrivals, persons who be-
lieve as they do. and who. like them
selves, feel safer outside their native
land.
THE sure proof that the German
mtlitarists are awake to Americas
progress" said one, "is seen in the
rapiditv with which Hindenburg got
ready for his big western drive. which
was to be the supreme effort Of the
war. the moment peace seemed likely
vim the east. OF course. their calou-
lations lave been upset by Lenine
and Trotsky. and by the opposition Of
the Austrian and Hungarian troops to
SC west.
'Hindenburg was alarmed at the
rate America was going and wanted
to land his blow before American
troops could be made ready for ac-
ton Further. he feared the strength
enins effect the presence of American
soldiers would have on the French
France nearly beaten"
The German militarists have not
permitted the facts concerning Amer
1ican Val preparations to get to the
people. The newspapers, with one
voice. continue to belittle America.
and to assure the German public that
there is no possibility Of America be
corning a factor in the a
printed tie same statement. It said
that there were 10000 American
. troops in France. that they were un-
' trained and undisciplined, that they
had no equipment. and that they were
only in the way of the French. They
said that it would be many months
before they could be brought to a con-
dition where they would be of tho
slightest use as soldiers.
At the same time they all uncorked
the same vial Of abuse and contempt
for the Individual American soldier.
This quotation from the Stuttgart
Neues Tageblatt is typical Of what ntl
German newspapers were printing III
December concerning the American
solder:
"our field erays hold him in con-
a worthy opponent"
). Papers say that German U-boats
have made impossible the transporta-
tion Of troops from. America to
Francs.
The Antilles. an American trans
port. was sunk last year on its return
trip to America The loss OF life Wa
howsvsr, pointed: the ship toward
Europe, described it as full of sol
diers,. and said that all had been lost.
They said that this Illustrated the
activity and effectiveness of the sub
marines. and at the same time the
~cravenness of America.
They said that the incident had SO
frightened America that she had
content herself with supplying the
allies with food and munitions. This
thev said, America had done before
she entered the war. so that doing II
now could not in any way change the
situation:
The German public knows nothing
about the 16 cantonments in America
that are training soldiers for h war
Nor do the German people know any
i, thing about this nations extensive
snipbuilding program.
some Of the German newspapers
did print a little about the proposal to
manufacture airplanes on a large
!. scale in America and use them ito put
= out the eyes of the enemy" The
newspapers. in commenting on this
said that by the time America had
her Airplanes in Europe the wal
would be over.
In every conceivable way the NOR
running things III Germany have un'
dertsken to keen from the German
public the real truth concerning
America. allowing only enough. truth
to $eep through to their distor-
tior~,and deceit.
There is one kind OF American
!, news. however. that the German
newspapers print in full. and usually
with Fidelity to fact. That ia news
that has to do with charges against
the administration. Investigations. Of
other items that would indicate thai
America is not unitedly in the a
\ Shortly after America entered thu
4 war a crack Drained American officer
after, a. visit to Europe. gave out ar
b interview in which he said the Hin
81 denbur~ line was unbeatable. he
n reve this interview has since beer
Al printed in every newspaper in: Ger
many i 4
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