Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-05-16
force peace favorable to Germany.


you as well as everyone else who hap
pens to see this letter OF the unfailing,
neverending effort the French have
put in this world struggle. Earlier in
the war she could have made sep
arate peace which would have been
highly favorable to her, but she would
not forsake her allies. France has
stopped every enemy Onrush. France
has borne the brunt Of the enemy at
lacks and Offensives for nearly four
years, the Marine, Verdun, the Cham
payne and other such OffenSives. When
the English carried on their Somme
offensive was it not the French who
first reached their detectives? When
it was Italy in trouble, was it not
France VITO sent her reserves to with
stand the onslaughts of Austria and
Germany and now when the English
bend before the new wave Of army aft
er army is it not the French again who
hove reinforced their struggling ally
with every reserve she can spare and
possibly more? Already she has start
ed her counter offensive before the
English have been able to realize they
are not wholly beaten. | am not try
ing to detract from the hOnOrs already
taken by the English, but I merely
want to emphasize the part that
France has taken, for it is France who
has saved the allied cause from defeat,
and after there has been a favorble
ending Of the struggle it must be
France who receives the honors, for
the French. people partly in decay.
have come back and won the greatest
of wars.
Judged French Too Hastily
I can easily remember my first i'm
pressiOns upon arriving at the front.
I could not see the greatness Of this
people for I was an American and too
near sighted to realize their worth. I
was somewhat disguised with some Of
the habits SO prevalent here, but I
soon realized that I was too hasty in
judging them. They are an old people
with a great civilization behind them,
while we are still suffering from a too
hasty development. We have not Civ
en- ourselves time to pick out the best
in life but have taken everything and
in some cases the mixture has not
proven good one. 7 can also remem-
Der when I thought that one American
soldier would be equally as valuable
as four French soldiers, but now when
| think how foolish | was | become dis
gusted. The opposite proportion would
be far more true. When we see what
these soldiers of France have gone
through for four years, when we see
what the civilians have given up for
the same time, when we see what the
whole of France has sacrificed, it is
then we should appreciate the full
value of the nation. They are certain
ly the most thoughtful the most I'M
selfish people l have ever met.
A Leading Nation
1t seems to me that there is no one
who could not profit from a more thor
Ough knowledge of France, it's people,
it's language. and its customs. In art
it is the leading nation now and has
been since the Renaissance; in science
its leaders have shown the world new
ways; England alone rivals her in lit
erature, while she stands alone in
philosophy.
German Method of HoodWinkinq
After this war our educational sys-
tenn should follow the French system
more closely. Instead of encouraging
the German language, its grosser Gus
toms and methods, we should follow
the more refined ideals of the French
1t has taken this war to bring out the
real character of the German race as
a whole, its delight in murders and de-
struction, but | believe the world has
now begun to understand Germany's
idea and will watch out for it in the
future. When one reads of the Ger
man system Of training children, the
teaching of hymns of hate in Sunday
schools, the covering over of truths
about other nations in books, one cas-
lily sees the possibility for the base re
suits which have been brought about.
American schools have been more or
less hoodwinked into a similar system
of Germany to extend German customs
throughout the world. Now that we
can see the results Of our foolish
choice we should profit by our mistake
and either develop a system of our
own or follow the more desirable
French system, a system which deve1-
ops men and women of a higher scale.
Can Huns Last Another Winter? !
AS far as | can see the allies have
nothing to fear as to the outcome of
the war, although | can't believe it is
over as yet. 1t seems to me that Amer !
lea will have to take an active MART in |
the coming offensive before Germany
will finally realize that she can't posi- |
bly, win. Whether or not Germany can |
last through another winter is doubt |
full, nevertheless it seems very posi- !
HE now that TTkrainia will send hnr