The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-02-08

Continued through many, many years
: The German state OF mind IS Soch
nov that an the militarists nave TO
do s to tell the people that a tn1ns
S right and that ends it,"
Morgan, the editor OF the CleTe1ano
Press, was sent to Europe by the west
VIrgtnian and other American 1outn-
Germany today. His articles are ap-
neaTInR exclusively in FHairmont IN
The West Virginian.
Az Motor MORGAN.
EdJSor of The Cleveland Press
fcon15righ4. 1918, by the Newspaper
ISnterprise ASsociation)
esSnurlos versenkt'-to sink WIZ
out leaving a trace. =.
Tie words Of a madman, we IN
America said. when intercepted as
patches revealed TO us that the Ger
man minister to the Argentine leit
tbat spurlos versenkt would be q Ut
fate Of Argentine'S ships
we condemn this diplomatsfor nus
horrible suggestion. we tnouent Tue H
idea personal with him. 1t never &C.
CURED to any Of US that spurloS YER
.serkt might be the policy OF the Ger
man nation.
EsI1t It is exactly that-probably was
at the time the minister to the Ar
genuine used the phrase.
whenever you read, as You ire
uuentIy can nowadays, of life6oats be-
ing shelled by a submarine as they
leave a torpedoed yessei-that IS spur
los versenkt.
Sometimes the U-boat comman-
ders save ammunition. In the
North Sea after torpedoing.
T-boat captain offered to tow the
lifeboats to shore. He suggested
that the boats be made fast to one
another with ropes When all
were tied together ne attached the
rome Of the foremost boat to the
submarine life-boats with him.
an cap-sized. That was spurlos
versenkt.
German newspaoe rs explained that
epurIos Versenkt was 5ustihaole pot
ic when the matter first came up IN
the empire.
Merely to sink a ship and permit
those on board to re2ch land in safety
was not productive OF the terror tie
Germans hoped to inspire by their
Submarine warfare.
It was still easy TO get crews for mu,
milton ard for ships both in neutral
and beIligerent ports. Spurlos YER
senkt would change all this.
The adoption OF the spurios veTsenkt
policy was not attended by public
promufgations and notices to foreign
nations Little is known about the
policy in America. Yet much has
been printed on the subject il Ger
many.
Il seems that the policy did not
have its origin in the navy or among
the professional mil toriStS. but among
the class that always las been regard
ed as in the lead in iuna2itaTianisIn
in every nation-the university pro-
feSsor group
Indeed, most Credit seems to go
to Professor Oswald Fl2mGn. man of
the highest standing in German edU-
cational circles. In explaining the
FIamm wrote in Berlin 'eWoche' this:
~H neutrals destroyed so that
they disappeared without leaving
any trace terror wculG soon keep
seamen and travellers away from
the danger zones"
OF course the operation OF the pol
Icy is not yet in full swing. owing to
the fact that-not all U-boats are equip
ped for retail murder. Tor2edoes are
too expensive and too precious to be
used on Iifeboats. Special guns are
needed for this work.
The newer types OF submarines.
however are properly equipped. 1t
is their operations that You see rec
orded IN the newspapers.
Doubtless the near future will see
a large increase in the U-boat bar
harity directed against the victims OF
torpedoed ships.
But the German peopIe-they are
human beings like the rest of us-Go
they acquiesce in these policies OF
horror?" This question is frequently
asked.
The German people have not been
deceived about spurioS verseakt. They
understand the policy and they APP
rove it
The fooling of the German
people is a fundamental thing.
and it has continued through
many, many years. The German
state of mind is such now that all
the nliliEariStS have to do is to
tell the people that a thing is right
and that ends it.
The kaiser said the sinking OF the |
Gusitania was right and Immediately |
It became right.
Hence, we ind a clergyman, D.
BaumgartneE, on page seven. in !
eDeutsche Reden in sohweTeT Zeit." /
saying:
Anyone who cannot bring. him
self TO approve from the bottom
OF his heart the sinking OF the
Lusitania, who cannot coT(TCer his
sense of the monstrous cruelty to
countless perfectly innocent vic
tins So and give himself I
mp to honest Joy at this victorious
exploit Of German defensive pow
er-such one we deem no true |
German.
Lincoln said that no one could fool
III the people all the time. The kai-
SER however, fools all the German
people al the time.
First he fooled them into madness
@megaIomania, to have an exaSger.1