The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-12

great war. the two great English
, speaking, liberty loving nations ceie-
DRAFTED the anniversary of the signing
Treaty of Client that marked the be-
ginning OF one hundred years of real
lzed peace between them. Moreover
we recalled in the words of Nicholas
Murray Butler, that, with the ex-
ception OF the short contest of 1895
with Spain, which contest had its
origin in purely American conditions
the United States has been not only
at peace, but usually in the friend
llent possible relations with Germany
France, Russia Italy. and the other
nations Of continental Europe
: Writing the preface TO the book
The British Empire and the United
States" DR.. Butler declared: There
nave been more exacting occasions
Tor misunderstanding and armed con-
met between the British empire and
the United States than between the
United States and all other nations
OIL the earth combined If disputes
such as are here traced and re-
counted can be adjusted without war:
II differences of temperament of am
! bltion, and of interest, such as are
here described can be settled with
out armed conflict: if points of honor
and of national pride like those here
prevented can be satisfactorily met
without the shedding of innocent
blood, then surely there is no limit
ITO what may we hoped for in the
century that is to come" And he
closed with these words:
! friendship, close intercourse, and
peace between the English speaking
peoples involve no antagonism to the
! interests or influence Of other nations.
On the contrary, they are but the be-
ginning of new world order when
neither differences of speecb. nor of
! race, nor of creed shall longer be
! permitted to sow disession among
ciVlllzed men, Or to arouse human pas
sion to an extent where human rea-
son cannot control it and direct lit to-
ward the goal Of justice, of human
sympathy and of a peace which is
lasting because it rests upon q Sc
cure economic and ethical founda-
ten"
Those sentiments undoubtedly
voiced the beliefs and ideals Of tba
nest thought and life of the English
speaking peoplcs-and indeed Of
most, if not all peoples. But the type
mad hardly cooled and few people
mad read these words before tbe
world war was at it's height.
we sought peace and pursued If
we found war and faced it; it had
| been craven had we failed to do 50
FOR while the militarist is wrong that
does not prove the pacifist right. #
must be remembered that the war
came, not as an accident, the casual
! ufopplng OF spark that was acct
dentaiiy famed into fame This the
DRY, too, must take its place on the
scrap. heap of discarded. notions.
The war was definitely planned and
accurately timed. 1t has not been
generally known that Bernhard. CT
nicer OF the German general STAFF
mace secret visit to the United States
IN 1913, evidently spying out condi-
lions IN this country, quietly received
by German consuls tine authorized
8o-betWeens from the war-Iords
IN Berlin to the German Americans
IN the United States, that in conf
| dence he warned them OF the plan of
campaign laid down by the German
general staff for the oDeninc and
prosecuting of the war, which he told
| them the year before it broXe was
| poth certain and imminent"
| Dr. David Starr Jordan, for long
one OF the ultra pacifists, heard Bern
hardi in San Francisco at a nrivata
gathering CT German-A Americans
| me following account from DR.
in
0foDe, November 26, 1914, is of inter
est as verifying the point under con-
! Sideration:
Imet Won Bernhard in San Fran
CISCO and heard him give an address
on May 70, 1918, The invitation was
from the German consul in San Fran
! cisco. 1t was on the Official paner
OF the consuls office. The gather
ing was composed CT about thrae
hunared persons, all Germans. excen4
one other American and rnyseIf Tbc
CONSUL presided, and the meeting was
Ell-otfical but private. So far az I
| hhc" there was no renorter present
ana no report was published | would
MT nave known, that the German cav
AIRY general was in America oxcen+
loi tHlS meeting. He went to J,oe
angeles for a similar gathering tbn,,
, 70 81. Louis and eastern cnntpre oe
German population.
baFnbardrs mission was TO Cor
mans IL America His verv ov
purpose was to neutraiize the nol;oy
= good will among Che mathematics
represented in our population to
countefact the work for information
81 peace, to prepare the Germans for
Tue coming war, which he said wac
pom inevitable and near, and to con
vince them that Germany's idea
war is righteous, and that this narr,
ular war was thoroughly well planna5
ana would be carried cut to tb~
sreatness and glory OF the German
empire Very unmistakable were bia
references to the planned maror
Paris. '"hihs
He did not mfnce matters. Dues
.ions OF morals. Of international treat.
les OF national rights, no bruebo.
aside. Law" he said. lis rake
snlit' the reality is force. Law
ior Wea'llnes; force is for stror
men and strong nations" DR.. Jordan
continues.
Bernhard's address was a LITTLE
more unreseved, more brutal,
frank, than his book. His work wa,
part Oh the campaign to organize Ger |