Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
GERMANY's DOUBLE COURSE

Only the twisted Teuton mind can
square German promise with German
performance, and we doubt that even
tur' can regard the continued seizure
OF lands and the exploitation of PEG.
pies as part and parcel Of war pol.
fey which is heralded to the world as
defensive and devoid Of desire for ex.
|pansion of power or territory or for
pecuniary tribute.
The devastation of Belgium and
northern France was explained by
Germany as war necessity. To de-
gree this explanation was justfiable,
IL anything Germany has done since
1914 can be called justifiable. OF
course the wanton destruction of prop
erty, the terrible atrocities of which
|non-comb atants we're the victims, the
looting Of conquered territory and the
brutishness of German military gov.
eminent can be explained only by the
obvious fact that the Teutons have re-
verted to the methods and the morals
of the Huns, thrown off the veneer of
civilization and erudition and turned
back the scroll of the centuries to the
udyS Wucu luhOc us OWA loWSy
and forthwith broke them.
The seizure of territory to the east
of Germany, under one pretext or an.
other, the exploitation of the country
and the peoples unfortunate enough to
have fallen into Teutonic hands, the
Liberation" of Ukraine and the par
ceiling of Russia among three Of the
central powers have been recorded al
q time when Chancellor Won Hertline
had barely finished a solemn declara
ton to the world that the kaiser and
his allies crave a peace which will
leave their frontiers intact and pro
tect the interests Of the small nations
The treatment Of Rumania is elo
quently indicative Of the insincerity
which lays behind Won Hertling's
polite phrases and Czernin's studied
efforts to wheedle America into dis
cussion of separate peace.
Rumania, having been surrounded
by the Germans and their conscience
less allies, is informed by Count Ger
min, Austrian lackey for the Potsdan
monster, that unless Dobrujda is sur
rendered and other frontier ''rectifi
cations" are approved, there shall bs
no Rumania and no Rumanian ruling
house.
The hapless bolsheviki are forced tc
accept a peace which gives Germany
Austria and Turkey portions Of Rus
STA, opens the way for occupation o.
Finland and absolutely guarantees un
questioned Prussian rule in Russia sc
far as the bolshevik1 themselves ar
able to furnish that guarantee.
Even at the moment when Won Hert
ling and Czernin were prattling o
peace, Germany's war lords were plan
ming a great grab which goes far to
ward realizing the old Prussian dream
of a Mittel Europa. ProteStations an,
promises from the government at Ber
lin carry little weight in the face o
the German army's constituencies
course in the field.
But the willy explainers who assign
ed war necessity as the reason TO
each new Belgian outrage were eQua
to the occasion when their attention
was drawn to Russia. There, they an
'nounce, the invaders are assuming re
sponsibility for this and that piece o
former Russian territory and its pee
Die. with the ultimate intention OF pei
uniting the latter to decide their ow,
political futures. The case Of Polan
shows how insincere is this claim, bu
lit is made in apparent seriousness an
with entire faith in its efficacy I
iauiet the radicals in Germany.
The rest of the world, of course, /
10. decekyed Tho utter falelky q @