Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-10-18
GERMANY TRYING
BREST-LITOVSK
TRICK ON AMERICA
BY WILLIAM G. sEEPHERD

WASHINGTON. d. c., Oct. 16.-Th's
looks like Germany's Brest-LitoVsS
trick, all over again.
The German answer that Prince Max
imilian represents the German people
is exactly similar to an answer that
was given to the Russians before they
went to Brest-Litovsk.
l was III Russia at the time, and in
the new German note to Wilson l see
all the earmarks of the Russian trick
The Russians asked Germany the
same question that Wilson asked. the
Russian question was:
If we go to Brest-Litovsk to talk
peace will we meet there the real rep
resentatiVes of the German people!'
The answer was exactly the same
answer that has been given to Pres4-
dent Wilson. The Germnas said:
At Brest-Litovsk the representatives
of the Russian people will meet, race
to face, at the peace table. the repre-
sentatives of the German people.
Some Press Yarns
This message was taken to the Rus
sian government BY different messen-
gers. The Russian newspapers, just
like the American newspapers of to-
day, were flooded with stories of the
democratiZing changes going on in Ger
many. Interviews with Scheidemann,
the German socialist, and with other
German so-called liberals, were sent
past the German censors into Russia.
The Russian newspapers, one year
ago, were just as full of Germany 5
characterization as the American papers
are today.
and discovered that the kaiser was still
in full power and that the military lead
ers still ruled over the lives and des-
TIMES of the German people. L was as
toniShed
Every American who was in Russia
at that time had the same experience.
We all thought then, from reading the
Russian papers and from listening to
common people in Germany had won
their fight against autocracy.
The talk l hear in America today, and
the newspaper reports l read, even the
official statements from Germany that
no longer mention the kaiser, but thai
purport to come from men who repre-
sent the German masses, bring back
to my mind all those days in Russia
day of peace and fair play had come
again.
The Russian government sent dele
gates to Brest-LitovSk. These dele
gates expected TO meet socialists and
democrats and men who could speak
Tor the German people. Instead, they
met men who represented NOBODY but
the German kaiser. Between the Ger
man people and the Russian people the
German kaiser had erected steel wall
were at brest-Litovsk, naughty, insult
ing, cruel, just as we shall lind them
at the peace table. ii we sit down with
them now.
those days ana who followed the Ger
man knaVery through to its finish, can
not be fooIed twice. We heard this
German peace song sung once; it was
death to listen to it. We are hearing
the same strains again, here in our own
u United states; the same 1000 OF news
paper cables about demOcratiZin5
changes IN Germany, the same talk b.
MACMILLAN Harden, and Scheidemann
rand the German socialists, the same ST.
lence from the kaiser and Eindenburg
and Ludendortf and the other masters
OF slaughter. We saw it all in Rus
STA; ana here were seeing it again.
1t is more subtle here, because the Ger
man, having played IL once in Russia,
finds IL POSSIBLE 10 play it even more
SuDtIy the second time.
Men representing the German people
will come to the peace table," Ger
many tells US.
1t looks like the same lie that was
told Russia.
Russia Is Example
If we go to the peace table no "
there is every chance mat we Will tInd
the German mlntarlstS there; a steel
wall between US and the German peo-
pie, whom We are trying to reach, with
our peace-foreVer plan.
The kaiser and mis- six sons, Luden-
dortt and HindenburS, and a whole flock
OF those German professors VINO rea-
Soned Gefmany into the war, must be
placed in cells, and the allies must nave
the keys to the cells, and American,
French, British, Italian, Serbian, Bel
gian and other allied soldiers must
guard these cells, to see that no word
goes from them to the peace table, be-
fore we even dare say that we will sit
down at peace table.
Russia tried to blaze the trail for US
in peace talk with Germany.
She has shown US what not to believe;
what not to do.
If we sit at a peace table with Ger
many now we may be following Rus
sia's route to defeat, by deceit and in
trigue-
The biggest thing I learned in Rus
STA, then, is this:
Don't let anybody talk peace in your
hearing. Don't let anybody even de
bate peace. Germany expects her
friends here in the United States to
do as they did in Russia; to spread the
peace hope. The new note gives them
their cue. They'll come out of their
help of the Fatherland. Nail them
President Wilson in his note was
talking to the German people, not to
the American people. He couldn't talk
to both peoples at the same time in the
same note. He raised the hope of peace
in the mind of the German people; he
didn't intend or wish to raise the hope
Of peace in our minds.
It's our job to fight on; to buy on.
Fined and Jailed for
u Ut G