The Cordova daily times., 1918-01-26
GERMAN GOVERNMENT
 AND GERMAN PEOPLE
(By William English WaIIing1

our attitude toward the German gov ernment are two separate and distinct things. The President has lost no op portunity to voice the American posi Ition in this matter. In all of his ad. dresses since the beginning of the war he has touched upon this distinction. But he has only been able to discuss limited phases of this great and vitally important subject in each sDeech. it is only when we put all of his refer ences to the German people together that we realize how completely he has stated the feeling of America.
 Let us show briefly how the Presi- dent has stated CD the relation of the German government to the German people, CD the attitude of the Ger man people toward it's government and toward the present war, (3l the feel ing of the people of the United states toward the German people. and (U the reasons why we are at present en- gagged in fighting both the German government and the German people.
 German Government and People.
 In his message calling for a declara- tion of war against Germany, Presi- dent Wilson spoke of the German gov ernment as one that "did what it pleased and told the people nothing." and further referred to that govern ment as an "autocracy backed by or ganized force which is controlled wholly by it's will, and not by the will of it's people"
 Since this great address the Presi- dents references to the character of the German government and it's atti- tude toward the German and other peoples have been frequent. One quo tation from his Flag Day speech June IA will be sufficient to define his welI-known position:
 The war was begun by the military masters of Germany, who proved to be also the masters of Austria-Hun- gary. These men have never regarded nations as peoples, men, women, and children of like blood and frame as themselves, for whom governments ex- isted and in whom governments had their life. They have regarded them merely as serviceable organizations which they could, by force or intrigue, bend or corrupt to their own ,qnrrose. ,"
 Position of the German People.
 The President has carefully and re- peatedly stated the tragic position of the German people at the present mo- ment as we Americans see it. He has said that this people did not originate, choose, or desire this hideous war, Tor wish that we should be drawn into it' (June IA. ''It was not upon their impulse that their government acted in entering the war. It was not with their previous knowledge or approval" (April B.
 The President has gone out of his way to pay a sincere tribute to the .sterling qualities of the German 2eo- pie as recognized by the oyerwhelming majority of Americans. In his ad dress to the American Federation of Labor at Buffalo (Nov. 13) he said
 "I believe that the spirit of free dom can get into the hearts of Ger mans and find as fine welcome there as it can find in any other hearts, but the spirit of freedom does not suit the plans of the pan-Germans.o
 But it Is not necessary for us tC enter further into the virtues or other characteristics of the German people The essential question involved if their attitude toward the people O. America. The President has stated al the very beginning of the war that wt did not believe that the German peo pie cherished toward us "any hostile feeling or purpose" (April 2.)
 Attitude Toward German People.
 Feeling that it was impossible tha the German people, apart from th' German ruling classes can, or did, har Dor any hostility toward America (set above), the President thus expressed the general conviction that i've art not the enemies of the German peo pie and they are not our enemies. | (June 14)
 The belief is almost universal in thi! country that I've are fighting thei cause as they will some day see it, al we'll as our own" (June 14.)
 In the opening message of the wa the President categorically declared
 "We have no quarrel with the Ger man people. We have no feeling to ward them but one of sympathy ant friendship"
 This expression met with the praC tically unanimous approval of the CT tire American people. In his Fla Day speech (June 14) the Presiden further declared: