Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-19


ing of modern Minotaurus, -Prussian
militarism.'
The kaiser's 'frischer. frohlicher
krieg' is not yet finished. The Ger
man Michel has not yet.fr himself
from the hypnotic spell that was cast
upon him while he was taught the art
Of how to stab Belgium in the back
and to jump, like bloodthirsty tiger,
at the throat of France forethe pur-
pose Of bleeding her white That
was the 'frischer, frolicher Krieg'
which Michel was told to fight for
kaiser and Deutschland uber allies.
The German Michel whom Heinrich
Heine tried so hard to rouse from his
lethargy is no longer the same. He
has gone through Prussian training.
OF pan-Germanism, he has imbibed the
ambitious doctrine Of Nietzsche's
super-man; even his little boys in
Sschool now are learning that they will
| be super-men when they grow up.
The loquacious bombastic Wilhelm
ii had found submissive medium in
the German soldier when he hypno-
tized him into this war In spite Of
the promise that tie 'frischer, froh-
/ licher Kreig' should be over by
Christmas, 1914, the kaiser's medium
is still doggedly fighting on.
In Bleeding Italy.
In the Cadorna hospital up there on
the hillside there has been renewed
great activity since the Austro-Ger-
man Bulgar-Turkish offensive on the
Italian front. The excellent surgical
and medical treatment for which the
Ospedale Cadorna of Pallanza is
known, has saved the life and limb
Of many brave son Of Italy. Not a
few Of these men have sojournAd in
the United States as laborers on con-
struction work, road building, or as
trades people.
"Questioned Patriotism"
II am thinking of the wounded, suf-
fering soldiers. Red berries from the
magnolias are dropping and around
me- I, too, have a wound. My wound
bled when l read these words from
the speech of fearless Davenport
patriot: Already $3,s33.O00 have
been subscribed for the Liberty loan
! from a community whose patriotism
has been questioned l know that
sum went up to $5,000,000, but even
: that good news does not ease my
: wound. l wish l could have warded
off the stigma that momentarily sui
, lied The fair name of my home city
! am not a soldier, but have fought
But real soldiers, Davenport an(
Scott county boys, are going forth or
the same mission. Besides this one
! they have a greater one which does
: not only concern Davenport and Scot
county but the whole civilized world
:, They are bound to succeed in the lat
,, ter. Will they also be successful il
wiping out that damned spot on thu
escutcheon of Iowa?
MRS. WILLIAM HAASE,
"Pallanza, Lago Maggiore.
November, 1917"
: Louis Block Comments on Letter.
Y Editor of the Democrat: l hav
n been set all athrill by the splendit
:. spirit of patriotism that flames an,
n flashes throughout the great letter o
r Mrs. William Haase that appears il
= your Thursday evening issue
|, citizens of German descent may wei
e be proud, for no one can read tn
r spirited words of this wise and nobl
e woman without being stirred anew t
o loyal duty
{? Here are words that should foreve
d put to silence the protest, heard ia
it too frequently in this city, that tn
n stories of German atrocities are a
ID British lies-lies fashioned to foe
e gullible Americans.
Y, 1t won't do to say these stories or
lie lies just because we don't want to be
Sc lieve them No one wants to believ
lie them, for that matter.
l. But true patriot today must be
h posted patriot, he must read the new
lie sift out the proof, find and come
al know the facts-no true patriot wi
N shut his eyes or stop his ears just fC
lie fear of finding what he hates to b.
n lieve is after all really so,
in Even if we brush aside the CAREFUL
lie gathered proof of the famous BryC
N report, with its awful photographs {
e. the diaries of German soldiers-eve
Or if we refuse to read the reports gait
ed cred by our own government on tn
n atrocity business-or if we are eve
he crazy enough to say our Uncle Sa
IN is officially lying to us-still we ma
do all this, and yet we simply can
ignore these plain truths from one
Sc our own Davenporters, and she is
re lady of German parentage at tha
o. And what does she say upon this SUI
ch ject? This Il saw that invasion
Df 10
O. and all their military equipment in i
ne scientific and fiendish completeness
toll lay awake at night and began to r
he alize that the bloody Attila had indie
of been reincarnated in the odious pc
til son Of the kaiser; terror-stricken re
,e- ugees, witnesses and victims of t
he nopstrous drive Of civilians befo
re the advancing German armies, arriv
nv TO confirm the incredible rumors
on the horrors of Louvain, Aerscho
of Termonde, Dinant" She is not CUES
SO ing at things-not asking of her fet
h ings what she should believe. S
,ly was right there in the thick OF thint
us She saw and heard with her own ey
he and ears, and now at last we have t
ar truth coming straight to us from o
he of our own townswomen. This is
Die private letter written by good WON
De- to her husband with no idea that
ost might ever appear in newspaper, b
er, which, in loyalty to the stars a
# stripes, he has given to the people /
ere their enlightenment.
lie The time has come when the peoI
nd of this city no longer have any use
anything less than simon-pure 100 I
he cent patriotism. And that means son