Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-04
'EMBLEMS DEATH
FOR TOYS
Several Thousand Cases of German.
made Toys Arrived in New York
X Protest Against Them
lSUCH TOYS WILL CONTAMINA'1E
4 HANDS THAT TOUCH THEM
We DO Not Need These German Toys.
We Have TrainlOads Toys Made
Here in American FACTORIES
Which Are Clean.

We Have TfainlOads Toys Made
Here in American FACTORIES
Which Are Clean.
(Reprinted by request from the
editorial section of Popular Me-
|chanics Magazine, December issue.)
New York, Several thousand
cases Of German-made toys arrived
here today.-Associated Press.
Toys! For whom? For the inno-
cents carried down when the ''Lusi-
|tania sank?" For those tear-eyed Bel
giau children who stretch forth little
arms from which the hands were
struck on by the swords Of German
officers! For those little French boys
and girls with pitiful sightless eyes?
For those whose little bodies rest in
the churchyards Of Italy, that died in
gain from poisoned Hun candy? For
those other children slowly starved to
death in Poland or massacred in Ar
menia?
Toys. Toys made by Huns to whom
Innocence and childhood are but TOYS
TO be played with and then crushed
and broken Toys whose very con-
tact communicates and. leaves upon
the touch Of babyhood Invisible clots
&c blood! AZ weil bringsa deadly SER
Ipent into the home to gspew its ven-
ON on the cradle. Why shall we be-
,foal and taant the purity OF Ameri-
I'm clildAoad with Z reminder OF the
'isndish treatment the Huns have
'o1orisd II sser sincs ,that fateful
Ansust 6f fA1si4! Can - - even look
9pon = a,a1ta's Ark 'sMade In Ger
nanny A0d tSut from his mind tAdss
Aundy - of helpless innooents whose
'silks4 locks are twiusd With Aea-
;Mt5At Can one hold 4 Carmen a9.i
3ll - sAssa1s ma loFSet the thel1-
SS1s dsa6 no. fsId1ne u4o Qils
Inffdsi Glsd i motheF's afnsf Can 4
N6ya hndsdslight In the contort36aG
'of'a mechanical Hun cioAp Hplf ter-
get tn0ssa brave young smen WHO
writhsds I'm axony whom crucided on
castle wallt by these same Hunsf
Can a. bali scolored with the red OF
Huns fail to suggest the, flame from
bursting srenadss hurled BY arms
aplifted In the attitude OF "kamrad"!
A. Let those who would invite fear
some ghosts into the home to hover
around the Christmas tree buy Ger
man -teys. II one would hang the
1bosghs swith evil .omensg and bid the
vail Of asonizAd spirits float through
the branches and fan the fame Of
flickeringS candles. let him buy Ger
man toys. ,ss
And what OF the merchant who for
sordid gain would barter these SOU
venirs OF loathsolne nation and in
suit the loyalty OF iisping Lips. What
could more delight the GINNING Hun
what more quickly bring the sneer-
ing smile to cruel Races, sos gladden.
heartless hearts. ,or encourage him to
hope that even now we tolerate his
brutality and welcome what he wants
to cell. II now, when as a nation we
are in universal condemnation OF
Hunisrn. yet do we hold out. our
hands to accept his works, what will
he think and with what measure
shall he estimate the sincerity of our
expressions Of repugnance and horror
at what he has done since the sun
rose this morning? What mitigation
can We claim in the thought that
America was not yet overseas when
these trinkets we're fashioned?
Even while the gandy paint was yet
fresh upon these trinkets were the
Belgian girls dragged into slavery
worse than death.
We do not lack for toys: toys by
'trainloads made in American facto-
'ries, by hands which are clean; toys
also by carloads made by our ally in
Japan. where childhood is sacred,
and love. not hate, Is taught at mo-
,thers. breasts. Even were there none,
tar better our boys and girls should
l,go without them than find pleasure
IN the shandiwosk Of nation which
made q public holiday to celebrate
1.-THE lo4s OF the "Lusitania.' and
(which in these latter days Is stepped
lin the '.glory" of monstrosities
IOould our little men who sacrifice
many childish pleasure to buy
WAR stamps and contribute pennie:
Ito the Red Cross, and our little mo-
Ithers who knit so patiently witt
hands that can barely hold the need
les. would one Of. these knowingl!
lind pleasure in any toy MADE II
|Germany"gH H. Windsor.