The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-11

laang me and calling my speech
high feat"
Ion the one hand the Pan Ger
mans fall upon me, utterly raining W
perceive In their wrath that win my
Interpretation OF Christianity am
really endowing their German sworos
with German spirit by means OF
which they can conquer the world to
their hearts content. On the other
hand. that hateful paper. the Frank
furtcr Zeitung. besnsears me with ius
laudations. although l clearly enough
held up to scorn in my speech tine
popular outcry for democracy ana
all current party watchwords, espec-
tally "parliamentarism.'
The world Ia out OF Joint and peo-
pies minds are unbalanced. EVERY"
body Is 80 hypnotized by these crazy
ideas that I cannot get them 10 taxa
in earnest my words OF practical COM
mon sense about applied Christianity
and the desentimentaiisinE OF the con-
science OF humanity as q whole.
For many a day | longed TO nave
a good dig at our enemies and 10
hold up to ridiculc this ate ctcd 1u-
dicial attitude of theirs in the matter
or responsibility for the war. an Wen
as their care about democracy For
many a day, too ! longed 10 confront
them and their pagan tricks with the
sermon on the Mount. and together
with this doctrine OF love to Set in
clearer light the duty OF the strong
to guard the rights OF mankind.
"'Our enemies faisffy the most IA.
cred principles with their liSs and
libels and we allow ourselves to oe
influenced by their base Machinations.
The beginning and end OF my speech
was therefore concerned in reouttfnk
the lies and false suggestions OF the
enemy's moral offense. As my oo3ecf
was also to laugh to scorn the demo
cratic war cry OF the western pow
ers ] had come TO sort OF compro-
mise with my audience about our
own internal affairs rs l quite de-
cline to accept any such thing a.
western democracy for Germany and
Baden had perforce to tell my hear
ers that I perfectly understood their
needs, but at the same tfma l could
not but warn them that had arrive d
at sort OF political platform which
gives me liberty to follow paths
have marked out FOR myself.
with regard 70 the peace ques-
tion I take up the same standpoint
in contrast to the rulers OF the west
ern powers My object was only TO
suggest the general mood in which
such questions should be approached.
The how" Is of the ereatest value be-
cause the what" IL so difficult to de-
| fine; for /, TOO naturally wish Tor the
greatest possible exploitation OF our
successes in contrast to the so-called
peace resolutions OF July, 1917. which
was disgusting child born OF FEAR
| and the Berlin dogdays.
:" I wish to have the greatest pos
! sihle indemnities. no matter in what
/ "a ~ M - "
| not be too poor. NY view in these
matters is not quite yours. for l am
not yet in favor OF anything being said
about Belgium than what already has
been said Our enemies know enough,
and in dealing with such a cunning
| and astute opponent as England, Bel
GUM is the only object of compensa-
ton which we possess.
There you have. then, my own
Interpretation OF my speech, 10000
copies of which have been distribute d
rs leaflet for propaganda purposes
| My speech is 10 be read as whole II
1t is moi 10 be misunderstood. ] have
| a very poor opinion Of the moral dis
position OF the rulers of our enemies
as we'll as of the terrible lack o'
Judgment among the people whom
they rule, The baseaess of their ideas
is too shameful for words. We Ger
mans. on the other hand, sin by oul
stupidity. for both the Pan German.
and peace resolutions are alike stu
pid things.