The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-11-15
GERMAN TOYS FOR CHILDREN
NOT NOW. PERHAPS NEVER.
Cargo of German Toys Recently Ar
rived in New York Harbor Brings
Storm of Protest


vember Literary Digest, indicates the
sentiment all over this country. This
generations will never buy German
made toys to give to its children. The
next may, tho that is by no means
certain.
A storm of scorn and indignation
has been reused by that Dutch ship
strong enough to remind many editors
of our long past Boston Tea Party
which landed cargo of German toys
in New York. Toys "Made in Ger
many" for American children-"such
a delicate ideal" cries the New York
Globe. Among the toys properly to
be found in the cargo, suggests the
New York Herald, would be one ode
signed to educate as well as please,
called Little Bertha, consisting of a
cannon together with wooden figures
of hospital nurses, hostages, and ba-
bies to serve as targets. Several chill
dren may play at this game, each
shooting in turn and scoring one for
hitting hostage, two for nurse and
one for an infant. A great deal of
innocent fun is provided by toy
chopper with real blade which lops
off the hands of wax figures resem-
bling Belgian children" A writer in
the New York Times recalls the Lus-
itania and the Zeppelin raids over
London and Paris, with their tolls Of
child victims, and the Norfolk Virgin
ian Pilot passionately declares.
'"To image the Hun in the role of
maker of playthings which delight
the hearts of children is as incongru-
Gus as it would be to think of rat
tlesnake splitting altar of roses from
it's fangs."
Several authroities suspect, in the
appearance of this cargo "under a
gracious guaranty of safety by the
German government" German "test
case" to sound American feeling about
merchandise bearing the "Made in
Germany stamp. The 1000 cases
of toys, valued at $250,000, were pur-
chased and paid for by seven Amer
lean wholesale dealers, most of them
with Old World names," as one COM
mentator points out, in 1914, and have
been held in Rotterdam ever since,
pending the consent of the United
States state department for their i'm
portation, and the guaranty of the
German government that the Dutch
ship which brought them wouldn't be
tcrpedoed. If it was in the German
reckoning to release this cargo as the
opening wedge of an Economic inva-
sion," not only have they failed utter
ly of their purpose, as the Baltimore
Sun points out but their attempt has
furnished another spectacle of typical
Teutonic brutality and stupidity in
dealing with other nations. "The
news demonstrates anew the fact"
comments the Hartford Courant, that
the mental processes of the Teutons
are wholly beyond the comprehension
of other. They may be surprised
at the military successes of the allies,
but greater surprise is coming when
they once more attempt to resume
trade relations with the world"
One of the seven consignees of the
cargo promptly refused to accept de-
livery. "Long ago." announced the
head of this firm, eve eliminated these
goods from our catalog, charged them
off our books, accepted our loss, and
forgot all about them. We feel that
American children should have Amer
lean made toys and we are therefore
willing to accept any loss which may
b. occasioned by the refusal of this
shipment" The Boston Globe and the
Manufacturers Record (Baltimore)
offer congratulations on this stand
Declares the record:
at is none too soon to begin the
campaign against the importation oi
German made goods. Imagine for one
moment any American mother giving
to her baby toys made by Germany
while she thinks of tens of thousands
of babies murdered by Germany ii
this war. Every toy made in Germany
and every other piece of goods Of
every kind will for generations beal
a bloody stain which all the waters
of all the oceans can never wash out.
Among the patriotic organizations
which approve this general view of thu
matter, either thru the passage of res
olutions or thru statements by eXecu
tive officers, are the Baltimore Wa
Mothers, the New York City Fedora
tion of Women's Clubs and the Amer
ican Defense Society. The boycott
committee of this last organization
after taking steps to have the carg'
refused by all its consignees, issued al
appeal that call customers examin
both toys and other merehandis