davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19
DELICATE POSITION or POPE AND KAISER

The present premier of Germany isl
a Catholic, and if the Centrists unite
with the social democrats it would
spell the end Of the Hohenzollerns.
It may be that the Turk will en-
deavor to recapture Jerusalem. It Is
hardly probable that Germany will
help. The final disposition Of the
Holy Land must be made after the
war. For the present we are con-
tent with the belief that Germany
would rather offend the Porte than
defy the vatican" :
There you have it; Though it may
breed trouble between Germany and
Turkey" the Irish-American is not
anticipating that the kaiser will care
to fly in the face of the vatican's de-
sire. Then again "the city of Jeru-
salem is of little military impor-
tance" which may likewise have been
taken into account by both the pope
and kaiser.
If Germany doesn't honor this pa
pal decree then the Centrists, or
Catholic party, to which the Imperial
Chancellor of Germany belongs,
might unite with the social demo-
Gratis and work ruin to the Hohenzol-
lerns. Of course the kaiser is not
going to do any such indiscreet
thing as ignore the pope's request
and the writer of the Irish-Ameri-
can article knows it for it has only
been a few weeks since all the Ro-
man Catholic bishops in Germany
read pastoral letter from their epis-
copal thrones ordering the laity ia
uphold the kaiser and, conditions
have not arisen, in so short time
\ to impair that complete understand.
ing which was back Of the hierarchal
ukase.
The whole case is one showing Q
complete working understanding be
tween the pope and the kaiser. Deny
that and you put the kaiser in tn,
position Of taking his orders from
the pope, and if that is the case anC
the pope is really anxious to stoJ
the war it would seem that the means
of doing so are entirely in his hands
The pope is merely an ally with tn,
kaiser, each doing what is necessar!
to gain certain benefits from tn
other. Under any other condition
the pope is wholly, instead of onl,
partly, responsible for the continua
! tion Of Germany's ruthless mode o
warfare.
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19
Cardinal Gibbons Shameful Declaration That We Should FavOraby
Consider Any Peace the Atocats Of Central Europe May Offer Con-
trased With Presidents Declaration That Nothing Shall Turn us
Aside From Our Purpose to Make the World Safe for Democracy

a powerful hierarchy shall mould
opinion in the United States and in
fiuence hundreds of thousands against
further prosecution Of the war; is it
aimed to nullify and render nugatory
the tremendous sacrifices in blood
and money which the nations Of de.
mocracy have given for nearly four
years against the most potent forces
of evil that the world has ever seen?
Is this, finally, the reply, in a round-
about way, to President Wilson's
great message, in which the latter
declared that nothing shall turn US
aside from the task Of winning the
warp We do not know, but we warn
all our readers and all true Ameri-
cans, whether Catholics or Profess
tants, Gentle or Jew, to beware
against the insidious suggestions
that lie latent behind this appeal.
Nothing shall turn us aside from
the task Of winning the war, said
President Wilson, and we pray to the
God of justice, and of right, and Of
mercy, that nothing shall turn US
aside. The civilized world, which
means an enlightened world, knows
what the issue is today, and know
ing the issue, shall not be turned
aside from it by any power, no mat
ter how high it may be, nor how
powerful it may consider itself.
"The war will 60 on, and must go
on, until the author and authors Of il
shall have been defeated beyond
I question; until autocracy shall be
downed, and the flag Of freedom, Of
justice, of right, and of equality shall
again float over the whole world.
And this war shall 60 on whether it
disrupts families or disrupts religious
sects. 1t shall 70 on to the bitter
end, for it is impossible now to re-
treat one step. Right must prevail,
and Christ's teachings will rule. Else
Prussian Kultur will sway not only
over Europe, but over the world; /;
over the Roman Catholic church,
the pope included.
Neither pope, nor cardinal, nor
potentate can or will turn us aside
from the task of winning the war,
and Of making the world safe for all
! people"
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

Elsewhere we publish deeply sig
nificant article from one of the most
influential financial journals in Amer
lea which not only exposes in a GER
tain way the guilty silence Of Pope
Benedict but also the astounding and
shameful demand of Cardinal Glib
bons that we consider any offer made
by the autocratic incarnation of in
human and barbarous despotism and
autocracy, thus utterly brushing
aside or ignoring the position taken
by President Wilson and the United
States in defining the issue involved
and the, justification for the United
States entering the war; that Of
overthrowing ruthless and irrespon-
sible militaristic autocracy and max
ing the world safe for democracy.
This utterance on the part Of In
vestntent NetUs is one Of a number of
bold, brave and fundamentally sound
expressions that have appeared in
representative American journals
during recent weeks, which we be-
lieve to be the most encouraging sign
of the times.
In letter written since the open
ing of the year by one Of the most
brilliant journalists, magazine writ
ers and novelists of New York, the
writer says: II notice that the great
fdailies are saying things about Rome
and the World War that you were
saying almost year ago. This Ii
notably true Of the Christian Science
Daily MJhitor, but other dailies ar
also speaking out at last"
THE MENACE was the pioneer pa
per to lay before the American mil
lions facts about the great papa
Austro-G German conspiracy, heade'
by the pope's private chamberlain, II
, which intrigue, sabotage and con
spiracy in the interest of the mill
taristic autocrats constituted one o
, the most amazing chapters of tn
present World War. This conspirac
! though exposed by Paris and Londo
dailies was passed over in silence b
our own great daily press, so ou
people we're in ignorance of the fac
until THE MENACE told the story !
the most circumstantial manner I
} millions scattered over the whole ms
B ton. Later the success Of the Italia
government in seizing the document
giving all details of this stupendor
conspiracy, the arrest or attcmptc
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

the year before that, your prayers,
then to the babe of Bethlehem would
have come too soon, would have been
inopportune and unanswered. But
this Christmas-tide, with the Hun
near a victor, now, now is the time
to pray for peace.
eve wonder if these little children
of Belgium, and Of France and else
where, who may have survived the
blasting and withering whirlwind
and hurricane of fire and lead, and
torturing thirst and hunger-we
wonder, if in their prayers now they
ask themselves why their pleas for
mercy-for they prayed then-were
not answered, by the little babe Of
Bethlehem. And we wonder if any
one doubts that their plaintive cry
for mercy was met with different
answer than that which Herod gave
two thousand years ago when thou
sands Of other little babies were
massacred in the same way that these
little children have been massacred
, by the Hun.
"Has the pope finally decided in
his mind who is right and who is
wrong in this war? For one side i.
right and the other wrong, and botf
pray to the same God for victory
And if. he has isn't it time that HI
should show himself to the world, no
as he would want the world to SCI
him, but as he is?
"Does anyone, even Benedict a
Rome, really expect that prayer alon'
is going to bring peace to this world
If so, what sort a prayer? And i
peace comes will it be in answer Il
the prayer of the children of Ger
many, or to the prayer for reestab
lishment of justice, following vim
dication of right and rcenthrone
ment of a trampled civilization?
: "Observe this, Simultaneously wit
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19
FOR THIS YOU ARE FINED

to all the other burdens and tGres imposed on all
business as q result of the ,oGr.
Congress did not impose the new rate as
war tax. 1t said the Post Office Department was
not self-supporting.
AS though to give the lie to this assertion. the
Post Office Department, within few days after
the passage Of the law, turned into the treasury
of the United States $9,OOO,O00l
That $s,0O0,000 ,0aS the Post Office Depart
7nentS profit for the fiscal gear 1917.
The 1916 profit was $5,00000O.
In 1914 it was $3,00O00O.
A growing concern, and fairly profitable,
don't you think?
Congressman who supported the new law
say the magazines do not pay their just part of
the postal expense. Even these congressman ad-
nit they are guessing about that. Scientific in
vestigators have been unable to determine that
the cost Of handling second-class mail is greater
than Is now charged.
Magazines are second-cldss mail That means
they are handled after the frst-class mail is out
Of the way. They are the by-products of the post
Office. Immense private concerns are now finding
their surest profits in by-products; products that
were once considered waste and expense
Unfriendly congressman also say the rnaga-
zines are unpatrotic in opposing this increase in
war time.
The publishers of the United States made a
bona fde offer to turn all their profits over to the
government for the. duration Of the t0ar II the
other industries of the country toottd do the same.
Does that shoW lack of patriotism?
The law as passed does not become fully eff
fective for two years. All Of US hope the war will
be over by that time. Wherein then, lies the pa
triotism Of submitting to such an unjust law with
out protest?
The Peoples Home Journal does not wish to
impugn the motives of Congress. But If design
inc politicians desired to stife free thought and
discussion IN this country how better could they
do it than by putting paddock on the printing
press?
The Peoples Home Journal believes you haze
as vital on interest IN this matter as haze the
magazines. If yoM believe such lato is unjust,
the lUay to make your protest felt Is to Write TO
your congressman and your senators demanding a
thorough inUestigGtioH Of the postal situation be-
fore tie ne,V rate is put into effect.
The magazines do not fear the result of such
an investigation.
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19
Benedcts Guilty Silence in Presence Of Horrible Atrocities and While
Huns Were Tumphaty Sweeping Toward Paris Discussed in
Light Of His Plea for Peace and His COndonaton Of Faessess and
nhman BarbarN so Soon as AuoCrats Were Hard Pressed

brother fight brother; and father,
son; and last, but not least, it is
shattering the egg shell covering of
religious sects as nothing ever seen
before. --
"0f all the powerful and infuen-
tial religious organizations suffering
from this upheaval and likely to suf-
fer more in coming days, the Roman
Catholic church gives every evidence.
There is hardly a country in the
civilized world today where Roman
Catholics do not predominant.
1.-THE above statement is an error.
In the United States only about one
sixth of the population is Roman
Catholic, while England with Wales
and Scotland, Holland, Denmark,
Norway and Sweden, Canada, New
Zealand and Australia are over
whelmingly Protestant.-Ed. Of THE
MENAcE.1
"These Roman Catholics by the
millions are. not only disappointed
and discouraged, but distraught be.
cause of the attitude of the head oi
the church, Benedict XIV, Represen
tative of the Prince of Peace, [al
legged to be"-Ed. of THE MENACE.
IN direct line the descendant of Peter
the beloved Disciple, Defender of th'
Faith, Pope Benedict, while eloquent
ly discoursing on peace, has liftet
neither his powerful voice nor hi
finger, to check or denounce the bar
barous atrocities perpetrated in al
invaded countries by the Hun. Not
withstanding the outrageous humilia
tions visited upon his eminent col
league, Cardinal Mercier; notwith
standing the wholesale murders
rapine, executions, tortures and cru
cifixions visited upon noncombatant
in Belgium; notwithstanding Ca,
) dinal Mercier's first hand reports Q
3 barbarisms perpetrated by the Hun
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

Recently the pope notified the bish-
obs in various nations that any ef1
fort on the part of their government
to help the Turk retake Jerusalem
would be frowned upon by the vati-
can, and we pointed out at that time
that the pope must have special ref
erence to the kaiser as he was the
only ruler interested in having a
Moslem in Jerusalem.
We also pointed out that the kaiser
might already have determined to de-
sert his ally, the sultan, and this was
an opportunity for ''his holiness" to
endeavor to make an impression on
the allies. Such convenience would
serve German and papal aims at one
and the same time and would look
like a magnanimous move on the
part of the vatican.
We are not far from right as is
shown in an editorial that appeared
in the Kentucky Irish-AmteTican, is
sue for January 9Th, which follows
NATURAL PROTECTION"
"On the surface one may not read,
ily read the importance Of the an
nouncement that the vatican will
condemn any effort on the part of
great nation to assist the Moslem tt
recapture Jerusalem. Though it may
breed trouble between Germany ant
Turkey, it will have salutary effec'
on the Christian nations of thu
world. The city Of Jerusalem is o.
little military importance. Its asso
Citations are more to the Christian
heart than its military or industria
value. In speaking to the world il
promised condemnation Of any natiol
that would take the Holy City out o
Christian hands, the Holy Fathe
speaks as the rightful guardian o
the places that were made sacred b,
the earthly presence of the Saviour
Il Is not likely that any Power vii
DEFY the pope and align itself wit
the Moslem in an effort to recaptur
Palestine. If Germany should max
such an effort it would certainly es
TRANCE the strong Catholic party
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

We invite the attention of every
MENACE reader to the following ar
ticle published in that prominent and
influential financial journal, Invest
n,ent NeiVs, of Chicago, Illinois, issue
of December goth, 1917. The NeUS,
now in. its eighth year, is published
at five dollars per annum and is one
of the leading papers of its class in
the land.
Nothing THE MENACE has said or
could say as to the guilty silence of
Pope Benedict when Cardinal Mercier
brought to his attention the horrible
atrocities and almost inconceivable in
humanities which the militaristic
autocrats practiced on little children
and helpless women of Belgium, IS
stronger than this arraignment. And,
our readers will notice also how keen
ly the able writer deals with the
shameful proposal Of Cardinal Glib
bons that this great world leader OF
democracy, our own republic, should
favorably consider any peace that
the Central autocracies may suggest.
1t is amazing almost beyond belief
that, in the presence of President
Wilson's great message and his
magnificent reply to the pope's con-
donation message with its word Jug
glery and misleading presentation OF
historical facts, any cardinal should
offer such bald and naked insult tc
the president who has so clearly
shown that this war is a life ant
death struggle between autocracy
and democracy--a conflict which
must, be waged until the world i!
made safe for democracy. But thi!
the American dean Of cardinals
does in this astounding proposal tina
our government favorably considel
any offer that the ruthless apostle
of frightfulness and despotism
maintained by force, may offer
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

this appeal to the Catholics of Amer
lea, another appeal, issued from Bal
timore, from a Prince of the church.
Says Cardinal Gibbons:
az believe that the best way to
end the war early in the coming year
is for the Central Powers to make a
definite proposition and one that will
embrace all their aims and demands.
l think that all Americans should
put themselves in a position to SYM
pathctically receive and consider any
offer embodying fundamental conces-
sions and to ponder over these propo-
sitions in a dispassionate and broad
minded way. On the part of the
United States / believe that the best
governmental action would be for the
officials to put themselves in recep-
tive mood for the generous consid'
GRAFTON Of any peace that might come
from the Central Powers.'
"Amy peace offer (mark the words)
1t would seem that comment upor
such an extraordinary statement
should be superfuous, and yet we car
not resist the impulse Of saying ;
few words. Has Cardinal Gibbons
received instructions from Rome
Has all pretense Of a unique neu
trality finally been cast aside? Wha
does any peace mean? Does it mea
the prostration of nations at tn
feet of the kaiser? Does it mean
Germanic peace? Does it mean
peace in which Wrong hencefort
shall rule; and Might dethron
Right? Has the Christ teaching bee
misunderstood for two thousan
years? Let Catholics consider.
"For Americans this latest declare
ton deserves also serious though
and reflection. Is this statement, il
tended as the first step in a new can
1, paign Of Teuton propaganda j
! which the entire powerful weight {
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

Surely the pressure from Rome in
behalf of the hard-pressed kaiser and
the Austrian autocracy must have
been very great to have led the
smooth, wiley and diplomatic car
dinal to commit, such an affront, not
only to the president but, to every
loyal American who is generously
risking life and giving worldly pos
sessions in this mighty effort to make
the world safe for democracy and to
permanently remove the menace of
future war.
Here is the article as it appeared
in the Investment Ne1Us:
"PoPE BENEDICT, THE HUN, .
AND PEACE PROPAGANDA
"a new propaganda, doubtless in
tended to further the interests OF
Germany and the Central Powers,
with peace, of course, as its object,
has been launched apparently by the
vatican authorities. While this new
peace movement has not, so far, the
official stamp Of Pope Benedict, it
has undoubtedly his sanction, and for
that reason must be considered as the
most dangerous move in favor of
Germany yet inaugurated.
"This world enveloping war, calm
ly and calculatingly precipitated by
Germany in 1914, has rent the world
in twain. There is no longer; liter
ally speaking, a single neutral ma
ton left on earth, and it is equally
hcertain that there is not a single neu-
tral individual left. The conflict has
made ones course Of duty so plain;
it has outlined so clearly the issues
that it is inconceivable that anyone
man, woman or child, capable of un'
derstanding, and with the slightest
intelligence, can be ignorant of then
now. This war has not only ar
raigned nation against nation, it ha'
broken up families; it has made
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19
GIANT OF DEMOCRACY IS RAPIDLY AWAKENING

arrest Of Monsignor Gerlach and the
arrest of large number of cocoon
spiratorsA together with the trial and
conviction of Gerlach, the erst-whila
private chamberlain Of the pope, be-
came news matters of such tram
scendant importance that few Of
the American dailies gave the facts
publicity. But here again THE MEM
ACE was the only journal published
in America that gave our people any
thing like the full reports which
were published in the European and
continental papers.
After the failure of this plot and
the pressure Of the iron ring became
more and more iinsistent. and the
United States began to push forward
her work with unequaled magnitude
and splendid determination, Pope
Benedict issued his famous or rather
infamous conformation message in
favor of the upholders of divine
right and autocracy. President Will
sons firm and admirable reply to the
pope made still clearer the issue be-
tween the forces Of autocracy and
world democracy and Rome answered
this in no uncertain way when every
bishop in the German empire on 3
certain Sunday read from the episce-
pal chair, papal denunciation Of
popular sovereignty accompanied by
the upholding of the principles Of
monarchy in general, and of the
kaiser, that present-day incarnation
of irresponsible and brutal autoc-
racy, in particular.
} And now Cardinal Gibbons after
all his glittering generalities and
plausible pretense Of loyalty to our
. fundamental liberal democracy, af-
fronts and insults every loyal Amer
lean, (who realizes that now, If evers
the mighty issue between frightful-
ness, militarism, divine right theory,
and autocracy on the one hand and
popular sovereignty or liberal democ-
racy as embodied in our Declaration
of Independence and Federal Consti-
4 tuition on the other, must be settled
once and for alll by his amazing
: and almost incredible plea for our
t government to favorably consider
n ANY OFFER made by the militaris-
Q tic autocracies of Central Europe
: who, next to the Roman hierarchy.
! are the chief enlbodiments Of divine
: .~,->-~>~->~-~~---~-----
= = <,t /. snN
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

From the peoples Home JownGp' fO+ JanuGry,
1918 M
F.ol UPPoSING Congress should pass a, law
lTNl decreeing that because you did not live in
M New York or Boston or Philadelphia you
TdCfsI must payfa fine each month. You would
not stand such thing, of course.
Yet that is just what majority Of Congress
is purposing to do. Congress doesn't call it o
fine. The penalty is hidden under the high sound
ing title Of magazine zone rate"
What that means is ttat If you Rve in 'Di9ie
or Kansas or Michigan or California you must
pcy more for your eastern magazine than do the
people Of the East. ,,. ~ #i H@ -,
If you live on the Pacific Coast that fine will
amount to ten cents pound on every magazine
you buy.
Stripped of obscuring arguments, that is
what all this discussion about new second-claSs
postal rates amounts to- Get that fact firmly es-
tablished in your mind, and you know as Fnueh
about the situation as the most adroit politiCisn
The magazine that comes to you each nionth
to entertain you and instruct you and your chill
dren was made possible by an act of Congress
passed thirty-two years ago. That law said the
Post Office Department should carry magazines
for one cent pound
The great magazine industry, the industry
that has made our country the best read, most
enlightened nation in the world, has resulted from
that law The far-sighted Congress of 1886 be-
leved that even though one cent might not defray
the cost Of handling the magazines, the expense
would be more than. justified by the more RAPID
uniication, development and education Of orr
great country. lf
Ask yourself whether or not that Congress II
1885 acted wisely.
Now it is proposed to tear down this greAt
educational institution The Sixty-sixth Congrgh
Just ended, passed law making the most astouipi-
Ing increases in magazine postal rates.
By that act the nations lawmakers imposSd
the death penalty on many magazines.
Financially strong and successful publications
with loyal following, like The Peoples Hone
Journal would no doubt be able to stand rea.
sonable increase in their postal rates.
There are, however, equally worthy publicR
tons that under present conditions could Iip
stand even fraction Of cent increase.
What does the increase amount to? "a
More than zoo per cent! That is in additiM
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19


WM---S h Of 81
the d@m mhH the Mnydeh hp
mtnd ddan
ht
The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-01-19

Continued on Page 2, Column y