Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-04

The following letter written by
Louis Block Of Davenport, well
known Iowan Of German parentage
and former grand master of Iowa
Masons, was read in Des Moines re-
Gently at the organization of the new
German-American Patriotic associa-
ton:
Des Moines, Iowa-The following
letter from Louis Block of Davenport,
well known 1owan of German par
entage and former grand master OF
Iowa Masons, was read here Feb. /
at the organization meeting of the
German-American Patriotic associa
ton:
Davenport. Iowa.
Jan. 80, 1918.
Hon. Lafayette Young.
Chairman OF the Iowa Council of
National Defense, Des Moines Ia
My Dear Nj. Young: For the rea-
sons stated to you in my telegram of
Monday, it will be simply impossible
for me to attend the meeting to be
held on Friday, Feb /, at Des Moines
for the purpose of organizing the pro-
posed German-American Patriotic as
sociation.
| can assure you, however, that
keenly regret my inability to attend
because my whole heart and soul are
in the project Of making all American
citizens of German birth or paTentage
understand what this world war is
really about and what there is at
stake in it.
One Of my German-American friends
said to me the other day, Il don't see
how you. being OF German blood, can
be against the Germans in this war"
and l answered him by saying: -
don't see how you. being an Ameri-
can citizen, can be against America
. in this war;
! 1t seems to me that we ought to do
everything in our power 70 make our
German-American citizens realize that
the Germany of today is not the Ger
many of 40 or even of % years ago
| but is a Germany that has become
, far worse than the old Germany II
thu Germany Of 40 years ago was SO
! bad that our fOrefatners were glad u
/ leave it with all its aristocratic des-
potism and its hard and rigid military
rules and its heavy taxes levied to
build up vast war machinery, and
coma to free America where they
could shake themselves free from the
! heavy shackles of this awful military
burden and start life with some show
Of real success, they certainly ought
| to be glad that they are not living in
the Germany Of today. For in the
Germany Of today no one but the sol
der has any opportunity at all, and
even he has very little chance unless
he belongs to the official class.
/ The Germany of today has become
a nation which simply worships war
which cXalts soldering high above
every other calling in life and has
thus become constant source OF
awful danger to the other nations OF
The wOrld-a danger loaded with dis
aster, ore that may suddenly destroy
all human happiness and blast the
race Of man with untold suffering
horror, pain, anguish and madness. Ii
is as result OF Germany's militaris-
tic system alone that her men have
been turned from kindly, gracious, hui
man beings into snarling. ravenous
beasts who have toppled over che
.eautiful and shapely built structure:
i OF civilization until now they lie il
hopeless, smoking maddening ruins
at their feet. The Germany of toda,
has become a tend at the fireside OF
the family OF nations and in such d
sulphurous atmosphere the flower o.
human freedom has become scorcheC
and shrive!ed and liberty has been ut
terly lost in a land ruled by tn,
soldier.
In this soldier-cursed Germany the
will OF the command r-in- chief is now
the sole and only law and blind ODE
dience to that will has become the on
great virtue. He tells the preacher.
what they shall preach. the profes
sors what they shall present and pro
pound, and the papers what they shall
print. The citizen is a slave OF thu
state and the kaiser is the state. TIL,
one and only law is ohev. obey. Don
think, don't protest, don't kick, jus
obey, obey. The individual has M
will OF his OWE left. for he has sur
rendered himself body and soul to thu
state. The poor German people ar,
in the iron clutch of their kaiser. II,
has them buffaloed, locoed, hypno
tized, walking in a mad dream o
obedience for the sake OF conquest
II took him and his royal ancestor
some 40 years of constant educatio.
in schools, churches and colleges con
trolied by him and presided over b
teachers, preachers and professors ap
pointed and paid for by him, to stea
away their individual souls, but h
seems at last to have done it.
So that today he. himself, MAJ