Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-06-13
Thursday, June 10, 1918.
The lncendiary.

1T is an incendiary fire. The nest
of the incendiaries lies yonder IN the
Black Forest of Germany. From that
zen Of robbers and thieves has issued
from time to time, ever since history
began. horde after horde of ruffians,
who have marched out to batter at the
gates OF civilization higher and bet
ter than their own. They have des-
troyed the beautiful things Of Rome
and Rheims, of Paris and Ypres,
London and a score more of cities
great and small. They have destroyed
the accumulated treasures of the
ages, the art, the beauty of the world,
things without price, never to be re-
placed. They have always slain
women and children Tuthlessly-or
done worse than to STAY. They were
barbarians at the first and they are
barbarians now. They were in
cendiaries at the first and they are
incendiaries now. AS they have lived
by the sword, so must they perish by
the sword. t'irebugs OF the world.
they must find their fit place on the
lamp posts of the wor,d-and they
will do so. That ancient nest of in
fanny whose center is Berlin is to be
wiped out now.
But we cannot take it out in writ
ing about it, or in talking about it.
There is no time even to think about
it. They have set our homes on
fire. What are we going to DO about
it?
Thank God, at last. the wall of the
siren is heard coming closer and
closer, and the feet of horses gallop-
ing, and of men running. Down the
street, there are smokes of other en-
gines coming. The wires are asking
help from other villages beside our
own.
THE house Of the world is on fire.
The temple of our civilization is on
fire. The store house of our aCcumu
lated savings of centuries is on fire.
The property of the world and the
life of the world are at stake. Shall
we wait? Shall we explain? Or
shall we brook explanation
In the same mail we find an indict-
ment of the German people by DIR.
Anna Howard Shaw in which she
says:
TT is unnecessary to repeat the
shocking details of the atrocities in
flicted upon women and children of
Belgium. Flanders, Poland, Armenia
to realize the debasing effect of mill
tarism on man in times of hatred
and war But we must admit that
such violation of right, such cruel
barbarism could be possible only as
the result of moral delinquencies in
times of peace.
The whole trend of militarism as
exemplified in the Prussianism of to-
day is to silence all moral and spir-
ltual aspiration in national life. The
emphasis placed upon large birth
rate for the purpose of increasing the
military power and material strength
of the Empire. without regard to
ethical laws of social life, as shown
by the vast army of illegitimate par
ents and of children bereft of home
influence and moral ideals, children
who are taught from their earliest
infancy in institutions which are
their only homes, the lessons of ma
tional pride and national glory and
strict obedience to autocratic rulers
and. in addition to that, hatred and
contempt for the people of other
lands.
There is all the evidence needed to
prove the moral and spiritual degen-
eracy of a people controlled by a sys-
tenn which finds its expression in the
frightfulness that has made a vast
part of Europe barren waste, and of
Industrious and peace loving people
slaves or refugees from their land
and homes. In no Oar ma =
ton could the Hymn OF Hate be
taught and sung in schools save in
that country whose very name has
become bvword of shame and dis
gust TO civilization.
If these crimes and indecencies
were confined to the army. or even
to the countries overrun by the army,
we might hope that civilian life had
escaped their bighting faint, but
when we realize that civil rulers are
in conquered territories, that farmers
and heads of various institutions and
ing with exiled and enslaved people
and doing in cold blood. apparently
without any remorse or conscience,
the things that fill the civilized world
with horror, we must recognize the
far reaching influence of militarism
upon a people.
IF such a system were permitted
to conquer in this struggle it would
wrest from the free people of the
world not alone their freedom and
their ideals Of democratic Justice
which through generations of priva-
ton. perseverance. and indomitable
will they have wrung from the past.
but it would crush all the achieve
ments of peaceful industry, of educa
ton. and especially of spiritual as
piration, which are the hard earned
fruits Of these generations Of world
service.
we must save our children from
the debasing spirit of militarism if
American men and women are ever
again to hope for the things they
have cherished. and from which their
ancestors sought to escape when
they def1ed the tyranny of the domi
nation Of might and gave to the
world the democratic ideals of JUS
tive and equality in the immortal
Declaration Of Independence to which
our flag and our country are dedi =