Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-09-19

that my certificate had been granted
Then i commenced active preparation
to dispose of my German practice ant
return home.
My second reason for wanting to ge
|, out Of Germany as soon as possibl,
|, was the fact that food conditions IL
Germany were becoming more pre-
carious every Gay. My wife and
feared that our child, who was two
years old, might suffer from lack O,
proper nourishment if we remained
and l determined that no matter how
long 1t might be necessary for me to
remain in Berlin, my wife and child
, at any rate should leave at the earliest
| possible moment.
My third reason, however, was by
far the most insistent of all.
l had become convinced that what I
knew Of the kaiser and his plans, now
that we were at war, ought to be com
municated to America without delay
and that the only way to do that ade-
quately would be to get home as soon
as | possibly could, no matter what
personal sacrifice might be involved In
abandoning my European practice and
interests.
1t is true that In the early years of
my relationship with the kaiser our
conversations naturally embraced only
the most general of subjects, but In
] later years, when he came to know me
| better, he cast aside all reserve and
talked to me on whatever was upper
most in his mind at the time. After
the war started that, of course, formed
the principal subject of our discus
siOns and the part that America was
playing in the conflict was frequently
brought up because of the fact that
was an American.
One memorable interview I had had
with him influenced me perhaps more
than any other single factor to hasten
the settlement of my European affairs
and return home.
1t was in the fall Of 1915. The kali
ser had come to me for professional
attention, and after my work was COM
pleted he remained to discuss some
of the aspects Of the war. Perhaps the
fact that l had just returned from a
visit to America made him more than
usually eager for a chat with me.
We had discussed various phases of
the war, when the kaiser changed the
subject abruptly with the question:
Davis, what's the matter with your
country"
'In what respect, your majestyr I |
asked.
why is it that your country is so
unfair to Germany? Why do you per-
sist in supplying munitions and money |
to the allies? Why doesn't your pres |
ident treat the European warning ma
tons the same as he treated Mexico !
by putting an embargo on munitions
and letting US fight this thing out our
selves? You do not ship munitions to
US, why do you ship them to the other
side?"
was on such terms with the kaiser
that l did not hesitate to answer his
question with another.
Il have always understood, your
that during the Russian-Jap.
anese war, Germany continually sup
piled munitions to Russia. Why was
that any more justiiable than America
supplying munitions to the allies?
Then again, in the Spanish-American
="
Davis, you surprise mer the kali
ser interrupted, rising from the oper-
ating chair, in which he had remained, !
walking towards me, throwing back
his shoulders and rising to his full
height. "The cases are entirely differ
ent. When we helped Russia against
Japan we were helping a white race
against yellow race, don't ever for
get that-don't ever forget that But
With America, that is certainly not the
,ase. Your country is acting from
purely mercenary motives. 1t is a
'ase of dollars, dollars, dollars !''-and
Zach time he repeated the word he
struck his partially helpless left hand
with his powerful right.
America values dollars more than she
-alues German livesl She thinks II
light to shoot down my people,"
He had worked himself up to a de-
rec of indignation which I had seen
i'm display only on two or three pre-
ious occasions, and 1 must confess I
1as reluctant to start fresh outburst
y answering his arguments. His
yes, usually soft and kindly, flashed
re as he advanced towards me and
lowly and incisively declared. Davis, !,
-merica - must - be - punished -
~
In that expression, which he repeat
d on subsequent occasions In pre-
lsely the same words and with the
anne measured emphasis, knew that l..
e revealed mostly clearly what his at
tude was and will ever be toward
lis country.
CHAPTER II.