The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-01-25
GERMAN CALLS ON HIS
COUNTRYMEN TO GUST
THE KAISER

This article was written by Ger.
man to be read by Germans. 1t was
circulated in Germany thru the eff.
forts of German republicans in
Switzerland who are working for
the overthrow of Hohenzollernism
and the establishment of a German
republic. A copy has just been
received in this country and has
been translated for the use of the
press by the committee on Public
Information.
By Siegfried Balder
Comrades in war!
Three years have passed since the
German emperor plunged the world
and his people into this most ground
less, senseless and impious of all
wars, into sea of blood and tears.
Trained from childhood to be a
soldier, brought up amid the perver-
ted views of the junker and officer
! caste, dreaming of the laurels of the
conqueror as the highest ideal, coun-
selled by generals, befriended by war
contractors, and even with finan-
cial interest in their profiteering.
he has since 1905 systematically
paved the way for the war. He de-
sired this war, he permitted the sys-
tematic cult of war in Germany by
the n-Germanists, and he has en-
couraged it. He supported and TO-
mented the almost daily quarrels of
the other powers thru the PanGer-
man press by his inflammatory
speeches. Last of all he affixed
his signature to the various declar-
ations of war; he is fully and en-
tireIy responsible for them.
For nine years the diplomacy of
our neighbors, consistently anxious
for peace, succeeded in averting this
disaster from the world. This was
the policy which was falsely presen-
ted to your ignorance as the "isola-
ton policy" in reality, peace pol
icy in which Germany was always
most heartily invited to participate.
Germany was not isolated,but the
German Government, and its wake
the Austrian Government, deliber-
ateIy and maliciously withdrew from
the circle of civilized nations, as
criminals from human social circles.
But not only the diplomatic cir
cles of foreign states, but also Ger
) men men of insight and lofty ideals
have placed themselves firmly in OPP
position to theemperOr's senseless
and extravagant lust for war, in
spite of his wrath, and have sacri-
feed their positions rather than
their convictions. This was true in
the case of the president of the
Reichsbank, Doctor Koch, and even
of the emperor's brother, Prince
Henry of Prussia. On the 31st OF
July, 1914 he urged the emperor to
desist from the war, and when he
failed in his attempt he flung at the
emperor's feet his commission as
grand admiral and commander IN
chief of the German navy.
FACTS NOT GIVEN
TO GERMAN PEOPLE
Up to the last moment (England
even held out until noon of the 4th
of August, 1914, when the German
army had already swept like tor
rent over the boundaries of the
neighboring countries on every slde)
the rulers ministers and diplomats
of England, Russia, France and Ser
bia did all that lay within human
power. even to the utmost self-ab-
negation, in order to preserve peace
for the world This fact is clearly
manifest: the documents concerning
il set it forth in black and white tc
the blaze of the world They are
acknowledged as authentic by the
.tierman government, but they are
naturally withheld from the German
people. No one wished to attack us
either then or at any later time. Al
that Austria could ask of Serbia
with even the slightest semblanc'
of Justice was freely granted.
Thus from the very beginning o.
the war the sympathy of the entire
world belonged properly to oul
neighbors who had been so wantoni!
attached. But it did not stop a
sympathy; the scoundrels who gov
ern you and control you, by the col
ossal atrocity of their methods O
warfare, by such brutality as in 1t
self to be a menace to the who'll
neutral world, by disregard OF al
established treaties, managed stel
by step to enrage all clvillzed hu
mainly to war against us.
If bloodthirsty maniac should D
LET loose on the streets those whor
he attacked would defend themselV
es. All peace loving men would mas
ten to their rescue; only coward