The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-06-10
Why We Fight
No3
Bsssess Cssoasy Hsvisa Split the
World 10 HsM Il Nov TryiaS
to Dsvous eho Hslves

l
We are fighting Germany. for one
thing. because Germany. having split
the world In half. Is now seeking "a
devour the halves separately. She
has driven wedge straight through
the heart Of Europe. and into Asia,
md is seeking to extend IL to the Per
sian gulf.
This Is no accidental happening, due
10 the downfall OF Russia and the sud-
den shifting in the fortunes Of war.
Germany planned II all decades ago.
She made no effort TO keep the plans
secret. She told us all about II. She
had reputation for making plans
end sticking To them. from one gener-
alton 10 another; yet the world paid
no attention. II seemed too prepos.
ferrous even for Germany TO attempt.
As long ago as 1895 a pamphlet.
"ran-Gernany and Central Europe
About 1850" was published In Berlin
and had wide circulation II laid the
whole Mitteleuropa plan bare as fol-
lows:
poland and Little Russia fthe king
dom 10 be established at Russia's ex-
pense) win agree 10 have no armies
OF their own. and will receive In their
fortrcsses German and Austrian garri-
sons. In Poland. as well as in Little
Russia. the postal and telegraph serv-
ices as well as the railways VIII be In
German hands"
In 1911 Tannenherg's book. Greater
Germany" was published This was
only three years before the war hut
II showed that the idea ~ German
Mltfeleurora had not been allowed TO
langulsh. II says:
''The new kingdom az Poland Is
made mp Of the former Russian por-
ton of the basin OF the yistula. and Of
Galicia. and forms n rart.of the new
Austria
How the plan has grown since then'
Russia's collapse dropped whole PROV
inceS into the lap ~ the kaiser. aad
now Germany plans It's empire on a
scale which would dwarf that Of an
cient Rome. II Is 10 embrace the orig
iaal Central Europe. inhabited by
some T3no0nno Germans. make the
BLACK sea a German lake. and extend
clear IN the Persian gulf through the
vsssal states Of Bulgaria and Turkey.
The German government started 20
put rs scheme for Mtieleuropa in
10 effect years ago when IL began thH
construction Of the Rerlin-to-Bagd !
railway. Little Serbia stood In iae
way. 50 Serbia was attacked and he
world was plunged into war l. the
opposite corner OF 0urope Pelginm
was invaded and crushed. TIL word
then thought that this was only be-
cause Belgium offered the easiest
route to France; but study 81 the Nit
teleuropa plan OF years ago shows that
Belgium was included in the scheme
OF conquest.
-How does all this affect American
c-> may ask. Germany was late
conner in the family of great nations.
Most Of the unciyillged world had been
pre-empted by other nations before
she arrived. Germany wanted col
onies. To get them she would have
10 take them away from someone else.
Africa and South America offered
the best fields for German coloniza-
ton. England possessed the best part
OF Africa-the parts in which the
white man might hope to settle and
thrive. England had a mighty feet.
and n disposition 20 hold what she
had. even though she did not show q
disposition 10 fight for more.
There remained South America. II
was divided among weak nations. IL
was protected only by the Monroe doc 1
trine. This Monroe doctrine was
sacred thing 10 Americans. hut. not ]
being backed M by mighty armies and I
fleets. was not even "scrap Of paper"
10 the Germans. Can anyone doubt.
should Germany succeed in welding
Into a mighty empire the 73oeoero
Germans and the 1co.nnooo inhahi-
tants OF the vasSal and conquered
states Of her Miiteleuropa. that her
next step would be toward the weSfi
The very fact that she had this en-
rire would rreSuppose the defeat ~
so that no British feet would
stand between Us and Germany when
the time came for the kaiser to send
his legions across the Atlantic.
As In the East. so in the West"
Is a motto which. of recent weeks. has
been much heard in Germany. AZ
of the national liberal par
". held in March OF this year. the fol-
owing amazingly frank declaration
vas made:
sour policy has been directed 10
making the government and majority
urn away from the reichstac resolu-
ion Of July TO- peace without an
iexations and indcmnitiesl. In that
ve have succeeded. Peace has Just
'een made In the Fast under ccnii-
Ions In fat contradiction to the pol
~ Of July -. ard has received the !
uprort and assent Of all the burgeois
arties.-
In other words. en- GsS1nany Is now
tanning both annexafions and indern- :
tiles. such as win leave her without :
formidable opponent In the world lh