The Pascagoula chronicle. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1905-1920, 1918-07-27
Why We Fight
Bscsuse Germany Law Il tho Law
Of the jungle and Her Doctrine
"Mieht 10 Rifht''
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
secretary OF the War Committee Of the
Union League Club OF Chicago.

lex the Great, 7PrussIa's law has bee
the law of the jungle, her doctrin
Might Is Right" and her policy, II
dealing with other nations. one of rob
bling the weak and terrorlzing tn
strong. Germany has grabbed terri
tory and exacted tribute from he
neiehbors. and finally. her greed be
coming greater has looked out owe
more distant lands. and has commit
ted herself to policy Of world domi
nation which menaces the continued
free existence Of every nation which
Will not submit to her will.
Gerrnany's policy Is not an acclden
tai one. 1t has been carried out will
remarkable singleness Of purpose
from generation to generation OF
Hohenzollern rule, from the time
of the Great Frederick until to-
day. Germany's atrocities are not
accidental. They are deliber.
ate, well thought out part Of this
Hohenzollern policy. which was to
break down the resistance Of her op.
ponents, not only by fighting and de.
feating their armies but by killing,
torturing and terrorizlng the civil
populations.
The German rulers committed them
selves to the doctrine Of the survival
OF the fittest. Through generations Of
teaching they made the German PEG.
pie believe that they, and they alone.
were the fit,
We have the words Of the German
rulers and German warriors and Ger.
man leaders Of thought for all Of this
More than that we have the perform.
ance Of German officers and German
armies In conquered lands topxoye it.
Let's start with Frederick the
Great In presenting the evidence.
This monarch, who earned his sou.
briQuet through despolling his neigh.
bors. rather than through any real
qualities Of mind which he showed,
said. in letter to his minister, Rad.
twill:
III there Is anything to be gained
by 1t, we will be honest; II deception
is necessary, let US be cheats. One
takes what one can, and one is wrong
only when obliged to give back"
This philosophy, applied to present
conditions, means that Germany was
right when she took Belgium, and will
be wrong only If she is not able to
hold it.
From Frederick the Great to Bis.
marck is long jump in the matter
Of time; but we find the Prussian pol.
Icy unchanged. Speaking before the
military committee of the Prussian
Chamber Of Deputies In 1862 Bis
marck said:
mot by speeches and resolutions
Of majorities are the great questions
Of the time decided, but by iron and
blood"
Then, with blood and iron, Prussia
went out and despoiled Denmark of
territory in 1864, beat and robbed Aus.
tria in 1866, and finally, in 1870.
brought France to her knees and took
her richest provinces.
Here is what the present kaiser told
his troops when, In 1900 they were
about to depart for China to put down
the boxer uprising:
use your weapons In such q way
that for thousand years no Chi.
nese shall dare to look upon German
askance. Be as terrible as Attilla's
Huns"
Coming on down to the present war
we find German minister accredited
e,fo To q, ~, !
one which one would think should be
free from the entanglements of world
polltics-writing home to his govern
nent, In state paper, advising the
sinking of two ships from this neutral
nation, In such a manner that no trace
'e left. Dead men, he believed tell
10 tales.
1t was Baron Luxburg. minister pleni- =
)otentiary to Argentina, who wrote
his amazing dispatch on May 10, 1917:
Il beg that the small steamers Oran
md Guazo which are nearing
Bordeaux be spared II posi-. =
lie. or else sunk without q trace be-
ng left"
This telegram was intercepted In the =
United States and published. 1t sent
thrill Of horror around the world. II
Chancellor Won Bethmann-Hollweg Is
true disciple Of Frederick the
treat, Bismarck and his royal master.
public speech on January 81. 1917, m
G said: :.
when the most ruthless methods .,
re calculated to lead us to victory, =.
Wifi victory, they must be employed" :,
So they were used, and are being p'
sed today. They include sinking Of Ca
lndreds Of neutral ships, the burning II
cities. the deliberate devastating si
the fair lands of France, the ravish- OF
g Of women, the enslavement Of tn
orkmen and the murder Of little chill. ia
'en.
Horrors such as these are told in de- O.;
II In THE Prussian SYSTEM" by F. c. 80
alcott. who, for long time, was en-.
ged in behalf of America In trying to ca
t food to the Poles whom the Ger u
ans were deliberately starving by FL
e hundreds of thousands so that they be
ght not cumber the land which the ed
rmans intended to occupy. Kr
Knowing all this. can the American or,
ople talk Of any. peace by negotla- sb,
N? Can they stop this war until ~
IS mad dog Of nations is freed from A.
military rulers who teach frlghtful. .ni
SIS from the cradle, and will only iui
re respite now to prepare them err
yes for further conquests7 roa
thi
the
roa