Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-02-25
German System ReCkoned on
Starvation Of People to Pro-
mote Imperial Ends.
Won KRlES REVEALED PLOT
Country, After Population Had Been
systematically Done to Death, Was
to Be Restocked by Settlers
From Germany.

CupdtiOn wGS as great as th0t IN Bet
gium and France. The entire heart
leSSneSS which characterized the kat
ser'S high officers is weU showa in a
statement by Mr.. Vernon Kellogg
prepared for a pamphlet issued By
the committee on public infOrma-
tiOn, which we copy.
The systematic exploitation of hui
man misery by the German authorities
in Poland followed the general plan
laid down by the kaiser's orders. In
order to prove the identity of proceed
ure it will be enough to present the
detailed report prepared specially for q
pamphlet issued by the committee on
public information and written by Mr..
Frederic G. WalcOtt. A fuller and In
some ways more touching treatment
is given In his article, Devastated
Poland" In the National Geographic
Magazine for May, 1917.
September, 1917.
"Poland-Russlan Poland-is per-
ishing. And the German high COM
mand, imbued with the Prussian sys-
TEN, is coolly reckoning on the neces-
stiles Of a starving people to promote
its imperial ends,
"West Poland. which has been Prus-
sian territory more than hundred
years, is q disappointment to Ger
many; Its people obstlnately remain
Poles. This time they propose swifter
measures. In two or three years. by
grace of starvation and frlghtfulness,
they calculate East Poland will be
thoroughly made over into German
province.
'In the great Hlndenburg drive one
year ago, the country was completely
devastated by the retreating Russian
army and the oncomlng Germans. A
million people were driven from their
homes Half of them perished by the
roadside. For miles and miles, when |
saw the country. the way was Uttered
with mudsOaked garments and bones
picked clean by the crows-though the
larger bones had been gathered by the
thrifty Germans to be ground into fer,
tilizer. Wicker baskets-the little bas-
ket in which the baby swings from the
rafters In every peasant home-were
scattered along the way hundreds and
hundreds, until one could not count
them, each one telling death.
Deliberate Policy of Starvation.
WARSAW, which had not been de-
stroyed-once a proud city of million
people-was utterly stricken. Poor
folks by thousands lined the streets,
leaning against the buildings shvering
In snow and rain, too weak to lift
hand, dying of cold and hunger. Though
the rich gave all they had, and the
poor shared their last crust, they were
starving there in the streets in droves.
"ln the stricken city, the German gov
ernor Of Warsaw issued a procama-
ton. All able-boded Poles were bid
den to go to Germany to work. If'any
refused, let no other Pole give him to
eat, not so much as a mouthful, under
penalty of German military law.
at was more than the mind could
grasp. TO the husband and father of
broken families, the high command
gave this decree: Leave your families
to starve; If you stay, we shall see that
you do starye-this to a hlgh-strung.
sensitive, highly organized people, this
from the authorities of q nation pro-
Tossing civilization and religion to mil
lions of fellow Christians captive and
starving.
General Won Kries, the governor,
was kind enough to explain. Candldly,
they preferred not quite so much star
vation; 1t might get on the nerves of
the German soldiers. But starvation
being present. II must work for Ger
man purpose. Taking advantage of
this wretchedness, the working men of
Poland were to be removed; the coun-
try was TO be restocked with Germans.
1t was country Germany needed-rich
alluvial soii-better suited to German
expansion than distant possessions. If
the Poland that was had to perish, so
much the better for Germany.
To Make po,Snd German Province.
"Remove the men. let the young and
weak die, graft German stock on the
women. See how simple 1t is: with n
crafty smile, General Won Kries CON
cluded, BY and by we must give back
freedom to Poland. Very good; it will
reappear 40 German province
SLOWLY, came to realize that this
monstrous, incredible thing was the
Prussian system, deliberately chosen
by the circle around the all-hlghcst
and kneaded into the German peop,e
till ii became part Of their mind.
German people are material for
building the state-of no other account
Other people are for Germany's will 10
work upon. Humanity, liberty. equality.
the rights Of others-all foolish talk
Democracy, an idle dream. The true
Prussian lives only for this, that die
German state may be mighty and great
"All the woes In the long counl
against Germany are part Of the Prus.
sian system. The Invasion of Belgium.
the deportauonS the starving of sub