Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-11-21
aermany's Monstrous Conspir-
aey and Its Defeat by Forces
of Civilization.
WORLD DOMINATION SOUGHT
Americas Entrance the Decisive Fac.
tor in the Mighty Struggle in
Which Democracy Triumphed
Over irresponsible Auto
cratic Militarism.
pv EDWARD W. PlCkARD.

an oyerpowering greed for world
domination, started the Great War.
Democracy, inspired with d~ecency
and common sense. ended 1t.
"All wars are commercial Is a say
ting that Is true Of all modern wars.
The greatest war of all time, just end
ed. was no less so than others, for
though It was made by the military |
class of Germany, 1t was for the bene-
1t OF commercial Germany, for the
CONQUEST of the trade Of the world,
Ever since the defeat OF France In
1870 and the formation Of the German
empire the ruling classes OF Germany
had been assiduously preparing for
the mighty struggle that began IN
1914. Secretly at times, with brazen
trnnkness ut others. they laid their
plans, built up their mighty military
machine. extended their espionage syS-
tenn to oil lands with the aid OF the
business houses and the diplomats.
Though warned by more thar one stu
dent of affairs, the world In senefai
ignored all this or looked on ii as
merely boastfuiness and legitimate
trade competition.
Germany's plan WAS nothing less
Than an enormous conspiracy 10 es'
tablish what the couSpErators kue" as
"Mittel Europa" a dominion extend
Eng from the North sea TO the Persian
.gulf. AS preliminarles, German
princes were placed on thrones OF
middle Europe wherever possible, ana
financial relations were established
that gave Germany virtual control
over the coveted countries. Then the
Hun autocracy impattently awaited
The Day"
Excuse Was Ready.Made.
Merely an excuse was needed TO
p~recipltate the conflict, and this was
Afforded on June %, 1914, by the as
sassination of Archduke Ferdinand OF
Austria and his wife In Sarajevo, bos'
MIA. By q Serbian. That THIS crime
was inspired to serve as o preteSt II
evidenced by the fact that everything
VA prepared a few days In advance
for putting the German military ma
chine in motion. Austria, under or
.ders from Berlin, made demands OF
Serbia to which no se~lf-respectins ma
tion could submit, and on July - DE
.ciared war on its n%e!ghbor. Russia a
Ally of and sponsor for Serbia mo
.haIized its armies at once, despite IN
protests Of Germany, whereupoh III
Kaiser declared war on Russo
france, being in offensive and defens
I've alliance with Russia, was con
,pelled to mobilize, and the KAISER
armed forces got into action at once
The course Of events so far haa oee
-foreseen by the German high con
,mand and 1t was in accordance WI.
its prearranged plan. when was !
crush France by a swift advance Q
paris. and then to turn about Ill
make an end Of Russla's military r
distance.
On August 2 German troops enteie
rrance at Grey and began movin
NEuASC y" .-t
through Luxembourg. despite the spl
ated protests Of the grand duches
and berlin asked Belgium to perm
the passage Of troops through IN
country. This was refused. the XII
~ Belgium appealing to the powe
mat had guaranteed the neutrality
his kingdom. =.
Al This time Great Britain III
,heen striving to avert the outbreak
general war, and Germany rest
.eomplacently on the Information
vher spies that the British wou!o y
,enter into the conflict. But berl
recroned without the British spirit
ssir NAV and faithfulness to treaty.
and when the kaiser tore up I
."scrnp Of h,per" and invaded beIsl'
Great Britain jumped to the resc'
Her mighty fleet vas mobllized q
ner army, pitifully small, began m
sns across the channel. Then '
,rame with dazing rapidity. one
ter another the nations fell INTO ;
,.ga,nst the Germans and Austro-ii
,arIans. but the Teutons were RET
and the others, except France "
mot. .
The Invasion Of Belgium.
On August s began one Of the n
xhameful chapters in the history y
rho world-the rape Of Belgium. \
Albert md his heroic little army
s,.,ed to their utomst. but the sup
Sdly %impregnable forts OF Llese'
MUIR and other Belgian towns v
srcedily reduced by the Hun can
and the land and Its people were II
e,ntiye. The atrocities committed
the Germans. officers and PRIV
alike, will remain a blot on me n
e Germany to the end Of oil I
The world has been 50 well iniot
eoucsruing those brutal crimes tn
q unnecessary to recapitulate the
Having oyerrun oil but q M,
strin of Belgium, the Hun armies
~ vhat Berlin fondly believed
70 BE- q triumphal march to I
bnsisud's little regular army
thrown across their path ana ~
and died almost to a man. and SIC
Aide with them the French Po'lus
80. ~ g.. rrhov were Dv