Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-12

people must wake up to the TACT that
q battle means simply this:
II you don't kill your enemy he will
kill you.
A casual study Of German vritines
for decades in the past reveals he
trend toward the utter oulawry and
inhumanity which rules Germany and
the Germans today.
Here is the principle Of the scrap
of paper" before the phrase was
coined. It is an old Prussian principle
The Great Frederick when he marched
into Silesia cried, Il take first; shall
always find pendants enough to ex'
plain the matter afterwards. When
Prussia's power is in question. said
Bismarck, II know no law." AL
treaties" wrote Treitschke, the Prus.
sian political theorist, ARE concluded
on that tacit understanding mtn
conditions change"
In 'Das Wirkliche Deutschland" BY
Oscar A. H. Schmitz, a writer on
politics and literature, the following
gems OF modern thought are found:
We must not look for perma-
nent peace as result Of this war.
Heaven defend Germany from
that. A state organized only for
peace is really no state. A state
is really manifest only in It's
preparation for war. War ia the
fundamental phenomenon in the
life of state, and preparation
for it assumes preponderant
place In the national life. It Is
not alone that which it already
has that q state defends by war;
it is even more that witch, a. yet
it has not, but regards as a neces-
sary gain from the war. It is alb
surd to inveigh against wars OF
conquest; the sole point Of inter-
est is the object of the conquest.
The state, which realizes the high
est form of the culture Of the
race. can realize itself only by the
destruction Of other states, which,
logically, can only be brought
about by violence.
Benedict Haag, another German
writer, is the author Of this:
We have become fourishfng,
powerful empire, blessed with ma
terial possessions. and we have
now won the right with sword in
hand to make even greater de-
mands. Ever forward must
be our watchword in the struggle
Of the peoples. We stand on the
g1eat divide. World power for
Greater Germany or downfall.
Treitschl1e, in Politics. published
in 1916. wrote: I'VE already have
seen that war is both justifable and
moral. and that the ideal OF perpetual
peace is not only impossible but I'M
moral as we'll" And the crown prince
of Germany, writing in "DeutSchhnd
In wafFen," TN 1913, produced this:
Today, indeed, We live in time
which points with special sat1s-
faction to the proud height Of it's
culture, which is only too willing
to boast of its international cos
mopolitanism, and fatters itself
with visionary dreams Of the pos
sibility OF an everlasting peace
throughout tho world. This view
Of life is unGerman and does not
become vs..
German literature is filled with such
passages. Is it any wonder, Their.
that the German public, from which
the army and navy are drawn. Is I'M
shocked and apparently unashamed of
the british inhumanity exhibited by
the fighting forces at every oppmtun-
ity?
And is It not a grievous waste Of
time to consider peace with such a
race, save when that peace Is based
on q victory over Germany which
stamps out the prospect for revival
of the base spirit that brought on the
present war?
The world either must kill the Ger
man aim Of conquest or be killed.
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