Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1918-02-08
BIG CROWD HEARS FR. JAEGER
PRIEST DELIVERS INTERESTING
LECTURE ON WAR AT
HIGH SCHOOL.

trayed by FIR. Francis Jaeger of Min
neapolis in lecture at the high school
auditorium Tuesday evening. It IS es-
timated that approximately eight hun
dred people heard his talk,as nearly
all the seats in the auditorium were
each occupied by two persons, extra
chairs were placed in the aisles am
people were standing all along the wall
and even in the adjoining hall. The
meeting opened with the singing of
"America' by the audience. Mayor
Bergheim introduced the speaker.
Fr. Jaeger in his talk brought out
with special emphasis, facts concern
ing the German ideals of organization
and order, not only from the military
standpoint, but in every department,
and he compared it with the demo-
cratic ideas of the United States, the
policy of liberty and freedom.
Fr. Jaeger lectured on the same sub
ject at Pierz Wednesday and at Bow
lus yesterday. He is sent out by the
state safety commission and is making
a tour of the state.
In his opening remarks FIR. Jaeger
told of how the citizens Of this coun-
try, in 1776, objected to the tyranny
Of Great Britain and demanded more
political freedom. Their demands not
being granted they went to war and
obtained the desired ends. Again in
1861 this country was plunged into q
civil war in order that its policy Of
freedom might be upheld, slavery this
time being the direct cause. FIR. Jae.
ger said that if the people Of the Unit
ed States could obtain liberty and pro-
tect it in these two wars, they can
and will do it now.
"Germany stands for order and or
ganization,' the speaker said, "and
this organization works like a clock:
This means that every man is drilled
not to think but to listen and to act
at the signal, at the touch of the but
ton, as Fr. Jaeger termed it. This sys-
tenn of Germany's is extended to every
branch Of its government. In the
schools throughout all Of Germany ev-
cry pupil in school in the various
classes studies exactly the same lesson
at the same time. The same policy
of order and organization is found
even in the insurance line and every
thing else. In Germany every man is
Ia wheel in the machinery. Taking it
th" speaker said. y
The sneaker went on to say that in
tho United States we have the prin'
ciplc cf individuality. In this country
we can work if we WANT to and we
have the privilege of going to the poor
house if we so desire. He asked his
hearers to compare the two systems.
"Here we go as we wish, and there
the system is all organization. How
precious this liberty is cannot be de-
scribed in words,' he said, and he add
ed that blood is the only thing that
can get this liberty. "Now we have
come to the time when the whole
worlds liberty is at stake" he said,
"and who will dare to talk Of this
without due reverence"
Fr. Jaeger told of how Germany was
prepared for this war, saying that
equipment for the soldiers was all ready
and each man knew where to find his
outfit. Big warehouses a quarter Of a
mile long contained trains completely
equipped and loaded with necessary
war material, ready to start forth on a
moments notice. The people in this
country do not want any Of this organ
ization, he said, and he added that
the future is one of peace and liberty,
not of war and bloodshed.
Next the speaker told of his trip to
Serbia with commission sent there
by this country to investigate condi-
tions. He said that because of the
many rumors the government sent five
men over there to see what was going
on. They Travelled for 600 miles in
the Balkans, within about thirty miles
Of the trenches. their destination be-
ing Monastir, LOCATED about 200 miles
from Saloniki, Turkey. This country
F; recently became free from Turkish
domination and adopted the name Ser
bia. When Archduke Ferdinand, heir
to the Austro-H Hungarian throne, was
murdered in Austria, nothing was done
to the murderer. He attempted the
murder of Ferdinand twice before sue
cessful, each time before the eyes of
the police. After the murder he was
arrested, but instead of being court
martialed, he was adjudged insane, the
speaker said. Austria then sent on
ultimatum to Serbia, demanding thar
the wrong be redressed. Serbia was
not prepared for war then and re&iz.
ing this, replied that anything that
Austria asked would be granted. But
Austria did not wait. She assembled
her army and went forth to enforce
her demands.
Fir. Jaeger then went on to describe
the conditions which were brought
about by Germany and AUSTRIA g &C.
tion. The Serbs fought valiantly but
they were not prepared and their am
munition gave out and it was then up
to the women and children to flee to
safety. In this flight thousands Of
women and children died of exposure
exhaustion and starvation. They had
mo way of travelling except to walk
and bad weather caused illness and
suffering. On one little island alone
over $4,000 died from exhaustion and
were buried there. Those who surviv'
ed, $4,000 in number, are now at Mon
astir. For three years those people
have had only black gritty bread tc
eat, which the French have furnished
them. They have had no coffee, sugar
meat. There were no drug stores OF
hospitals there and they could not OBJ
! tain anv medicines r. Jseoe- said