Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-03-29
Facts About Germany Written by 4
German.

know Germany. i was Dorm tneIe
went 20 school in the fatherland, and
let me tell you, my good German
friends, you do not know what you are
talking about when you support Ger
man autocracy. If you are honest
about it you will say that you and your
father fled from Germany, just as mine
did, to escape military tyranny.
know Prussianism. You may have
been born elsewhere in the empire, but
the brutal iron heel of the government
that has drenched the whole world in
its war for world power was the same
power that made every German who
had little cottage or mud hut, no mat
ter how poor he was, to board Ger
man soldier free of charge. That SOL
der was the autocrat in that home.
His word was law. If he punished a
child or if he knocked him from the
chair to the floor the father must
smile.
To resent the action of the brutal
guest, who must have the best of ev-
erything in the house, was to bring
dire punishment on the head of the
family. There was a filled knapsack
hanging upon the wall and a loaded gun
in the corner, and when call of war
did come that soldier, with 149 others,
knew just where to run in order to
form company ready for immediate
service. That is type of the German
organization for you. What ha1e said
cannot be denied.
Let me tell you something else. l
have been asked so many times, how
can the German people, who generally
are so peaceful, have changed into such
murderers? tell you that for years
and years there has not been a minis
ter standing in the pulpits of Germany
but has been selected by the govern
ment. Approved by the powers, he
has never preached to the people with
out combining the name of Kaiser VIII
helm with God Almighty.
The people have it preached to them.
It is part of their religion. God had
given them the kaiser. 1t is q part of
their training as well, for not a school
teacher or instructor in the schools of
the fatherland but is there subject to
the approval of the Imperial German
government, and not session is held
but the children are taught that Ger
many must lead the world, that their
kaiser, their God, are inseparably con-
nected.. tell you that the German
people have had 30 much of this doc
trine soaked into them by this constant
effort that they really believe what has
been taught and cannot escape from
their virus. ........-...
Ny mother knew what military tyr.
amy Vas, for she suffered until We
came to the land Of the free to live un:
der the God-given Stars and Stripes.
Often have heard her say in heart
broken anguish over the safety Of her
brothers who fought in the German
legions, 'Oh. why is it necessary for
the people to fight and keep great ar
mics when al could be so happy :"
Her brothers were killed in battle.
but our love went out to this great
country of freedom which has blessed
the world and which is ours today. How
happy she would be were she only here
to know that three sturdy grandsons
are in the service ready to follow Old
Glory to greater sphere of freedom
than the world has ever known. They
have taken q solemn vow to follow our
flag until it floats in triumph over Dres-
den, if need be. And their march, my
friends, won't be the march of the
Germans through Belgium with its
crimes and its blood and its tears, for
they will say to the German people:
Come, my brothers, into the enjoy
ment of the fruits of great freedom Of
. world democracy that knows no d.
vine right of kings and that shall mean
for all peace and happiness. We come
not to rob you of your land or your
money or to enslsve you, but to bring
you in larger measure that message
angels sang on the night the
dear Jesus was born in old Judea:
Peace on earth; good will to men. ;"
Herman Wilke.
The Kirkland Enterprise. .
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