The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-11-14
GERMAN TOYS NOT WANTED
From Literary Digest

iOui hiSSioiy bASSSb
A storm of scorn and Indignation
strong enough to remind many edit
ors of our long-past Boston Tea Party
has been reused by the Dutch ship
which landed cargo of German toys
in New York. Toys "made in Ger
many" for American children-such
a delicate ideal, cries the New York
Globe. Among the toys properly to
be found in the cargo, suggests the
New York Herald, would be one ode
signed to educate as we'll as please,
called little Bertha. consisting of a
cannon together with wooden figures
of hospital nurses, hostages, and
babies to serve as targets. Several
children may play at this game, each
shooting in turn and scoring one for
hitting hostage, two for nurse
and one for an infant. A great deal
of innocent fun is provived by toy
chopper with real blade which lops
off the hands of wax figures resemb-
ling Belgian children" A writer in
the New York Times recalls the Lusi-
tania and the Zeppelin raids over
London and Paris with their toll of
child vistims, and the Norfolk Virgin
ia-Pilot passionately declares:
"To imagine the Hun in the role of
maker of playthings which delight
the hearts of children is as incongru-
Gus as it would be to think of rat
tlesnake splitting altar of roses from
its fangs."
Several authorities suspect, in the
appearance of this cargo under a
gracious guarantee of safety by the
German government" a German
"test case" to sound American feeling
about merchandise bearing the made
in Germany" stamp. The 1000 cases
of toys, valued at $250,000, were
purchased and paid for by seven
American dealers, most of them
with Old-world Names" as one COM
menter points out, in 1914, and have
been held in Rotterdam ever since,
pending the consent of the United
States Department for their impor-
tation, and a guarantee of the Ger
man Government that the Dutch ship
which brought them wouldn't be tor
pedoed. If it was in the German
reckoning to release this cargo as
the opening wedge of an economic
INVASION" not only have they utterly
failed of their purpose, as the Balti-
more Sun points out, but their at
tempt has furnished another spec
tacle of Teutonic brutality and stu
pidity in dealing with other nations.
"The news demonstrates anew the
fact" comments the Hartford Cour-
ant, "that the mental processes OF
the Teutons are wholly beyond the
comprehension of other people.
They may be surprised at the military
Iels9I5 ana 's9HIV qua 10 sess9oons
surprise is coming when they once
more attempt to resume trade rela-
tons with the world
One of the seven consignees of the
cargo promptly refused to accept de-
livery. "Long ago." announced
the head of this firm, 1--WE eliminated
these goods from our catalog, charg-
ed them off our books, accepted our
loss, and forgot all about them. We
feel that American children should
have American-made toys, and We
are therefore willing to accept and
loss which may be occasioned by the
refusal of this shipment" The Bos.
ton Globe and the Manufacturers
Record (Baltimore) offer congratu-
lations on this stand. Declares the
Record:
at is none too soon to begin cam
paign against the importation of Ger
man made goods. Imagine for one
moment any American mother giving
to her baby toys made by Germany
while she thinks of the thousands OF
babies murdered by Germany in this
war. Every toy made in Germany
and every other piece of goods of
every kind will for generations bear
a bloody stain which all the waters
of the oceans can never wash out. y
+%++ +44+ 80 + 4 + =