American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-11-26

ICll nv WACh liz WAI IL
over and Italy no longer derives the
enormous revenue she has been col
lecting for years from tourists, she will
be sorry for what she has done to
Germany !"
Did the German people c~ountenance
the submarine warfare and the slaugh-
ter of innocent women and children. In
defiance of all rules of international
law and the dictates of common hu-
manity? They had only one criticism
to make of tit was not comprehen-
sive enough 1t was absolute folly, IL
not a crime, they said, for Germany
to prescribe safety lanes for neutral
vessels to use. The whole world should
have been declared a war zone, that
death and destruction might be dealt
wherever and whenever the opportun-
ity offered. Every ship that sailed
should be sunk, and every American
who ventured within range of a Ger
man gun, on sea or land, should be
shot. That was the universal sentf-
ment.
The suggestion that a continuation
of the submarine warfare would in
evitably bring America into the war
did not perturb the people in the
slightest.
"How can America do us more harm
than she is now d%oing?" they asked.
american bullets are shooting down
our men, American food is sustaining
our enemies. American dollars are
working against us in every possible
way. Let America come into the war
and give us a chance to pay her back
for what she has lone to us. She
couldn't harm us any more If she were
a belligerent. Why allow her to re-
main neutral and go unscathed?"
The jubllatlon with which the news
of the sinking of the Lusitania was re-
ceived by the German people was gen.
eral. 1t was so significant hat 1 be-
lieve America would have declared war
Immediately had it been known. 1
have failed to find a single German
who did not exult over the dastardly
crime, and the activity of the Yep
pelins in their raids on open towns
evoked similar demonstrations.
That the views which the people
held regarding the conduct of the war
were strongly influenced by the public
press, which was absolutely controlled
by the government, was only to be ex-
pected. The fact that in peace time the
press of Germany was perhaps the
most reliable In the world, made of 1t
a particularly valuable tool In the
hands of the government In time Of
war.
The German newspaper is gospel to
the people. The last word In any argu-
ment was always furnished by proof
supplied by some newspaper article.
"Es steht in der zeitung," literally
translated, 1.-THE paper says So" was
always final and conclusive. Nothing
the papers declared was too p~reposter-
u to be believed.
The press was used to excellent adj
vantage to conceal reverses and to
make the utmost capital out Of Sue
cesses. Right from the start the news
papers declared hat Germany was
fighting a defensive war; hat the ma
tons Of the world had jumped on
Germany's neck because they were
Jealous Of her growing power.
The Importance which the kaiser
and his leaders placed in public opfn-
ion among the German people is clear
ly illustrated by the announcements
they made and the measures they re-
sorted to from time to time, for home
consumption.
When in December, 1915, for In
stance, he kaiser realized that the re-
sumption Of unrestricted submarine
warfare, which he had determined
upon, might bring neutral nations, In
Guiding the United States, into the
war, he felt that 1t was necessary to
do something to uphold the spirit OF
his people. 1t took the form OF a pro-
posal of peace to the allies.
This proposal was designed to &C
complish two distinct purposes: First.
1t was to convince the German people
that their kaiser was really the peace
loving monarch he had always pro-
fessed to be; second. 1t was to demon
allze the allies by dividing them
against themselves.
This much is certain: The kaiser
never intended the allies to accept the
proposal he made. He admitted that
much to me, as did also the
Prince Won Pless, his most intimate
advisor. 1t was termed In such a way
that the allies could not possibly &C
cept 1t. But it served one of the pur-
poses which 1t was intended to achieve,
and nearly accomplished the other.