The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1918-05-24
FROM A GERMAN
TO THE GERMANS

:
/ Following we publish letter from
P. F. Wilkie of Elwood. Prof. Wilkis
was professor of the Milford. Ind,
schools for two terms and is a schol-
ar. He is now one Of the leading at
torney of Elwood. He was born IN
Germany and writes forceful letter.
The same letter appeared in the En-
wood Herald and should be reproduced
in every local paper. The title of his
article is "A German to Germans. i"
and we produce it as written by Mr..
. Wilkie. He says:
i Il know Germany. | was born
there. / went to school in the Father
land, and let me til you, my good
German friends, that you do not know
what you are talking about when you
support German autocracy. If you are
honest about it you will say that you
and your fathers fled from Germany
just as mine did, to escape military
tyranny.
II know Prussianism. You may
have been born elsewhere in the en-
pire, but the brutal heel of the gov
eminent that has drenched this entire
world in its war for power, was the
same power that made every German
who had little cottage or mud hui,
no matter how poor he was, to board
a German soldier free of charge. Thar
soldier was the autocrat in that home.
His word was law.
"To resent the action of the brutal
guest who must have the best of every
thing in the house, was to bring dire
punishment upon the head of that. fam
| lily. There was the filled knapsaclS
hanging upon the wall and a loaded
gun in the corner and when call of
war did come that soldier with $50
others, knew where to run in order 70
form company ready for immediate
service. That is the type of the Ger
man organization for you. What /
have said cannot be denied.
LET me tell you something else.
! have been asked so many times, how
can the German people. who are gem
orally so peaceful, have changed into
such murderers. tell you that foi
years and years there has not been
minister standing in the pulpits OF
Germany but has been selected by the
government. Approved by the pow
rs he has never p cached to the peo-
J pie without combining the name OF
Kaiser Wilhelm with God Almighty.
"The people have heard it preached
to them. 1t became a part of their re-
ligion. God gave them the kaiser.
1t is part of their very training, as
well, for not a school teacher or in
structor in the schools Of the father
land but is subject to the approval Of
the Imperial German government ana
not session is held but that the chill
dren are taught that Germany must
lead the world, that the kaier and their
God are inseparably connected. i ten
Iyou that the people have had solmuch
of this doctrine soaked into them by
this constant effort that they really
believe what has been taught and
cannot escape from the virus.
my mother carried me IN her arms.
She knew what military tyranny was,
for she suffered until we came to the
land of the free to live under the Cod
given Stars and Stripes. Often have
| heard her say in her heartbroken an.
guish over the safety Of her brothers
who fought in the German legions, oh
why is it necessary for a people to
fight and keep great armies when we
could all be so happy?
Her brothers were killed in battle
but her love went out to this great
country of freedom which has blessed
the. world, and which is ours today.
How happy she would be were she only
here to know, three sturdy grandsons
in the service to follow Old Glory to
a greater sphere of freedom than the
old world has ever known The have
Ns'ANNAA @ SOlCi4lAl WV " lOllOW OuI nag
until it floats in triumph over Dres-
den, if need be. And their march, my
friends,won't be the march of Germans
through Belgium with its crimes and
its blood and its tears for they will say
to the German people:
Come, my brothers, into the en-
joyment of the fruits of great free
dom Of world Of democracy that
knows no divine right Of kings, and
that shall mean for all peace andhap-
piness. We come not to rob you of
your land or your money, or to enslave
you, but to bring you in larger meas
ure that message which the angels
sang on the night the dear Jesus was
born in old Judea: peace on earth.
good will to men. Milford Gnd.)
Mail.