The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-11
"Our Real Eneny'--A
Speech Read Before Lakeland
Rotary Club; Author Unknown

The United State is at war. 1t has
been at war for over year, but still
there is a large percentage OF Amerl'
cans in this country who do not know
| it, or if they do, they attach very lit,
tie importance to the fact. You and
| have often heard this expression,
why don't they do something's" The
people asking this question do not
realize that they themselves are at
war. That if the war is to be won,
they must ask themselves this ques-
ton: why don't l do something
When the time comes-and it will, as
sure as there is a God in Heaven
when ninety-five per cent. Of the Am
erican public ask themselves the
question "Why don't do something's
then, and only then, will victory loom
in sight.
Who is the United States fighting?
Americans, to answer that question
we must come down out Of the clouds
In the early days oft he war nearly
all of us joined the flying corps and
we have been up in the air ever since
on this vital question. We have been
SO high up in theory and sentiment
that we have lost sight of the ground
To win this war, every American
must plant his feet firmly in the mud
and look the tragic facts squarely In
the face. Only then, can we lick
Germany. We are not fighting Prus
sianism and militarism alone: WE
ARE AT WAR WITH GERMANY
THE GERMAN PEOPLE AND Ev
ERYTHING CONNECTED WITH
GERMANY, and the sooner we real
lie this, the sooner our boys will come
marching home, with German helmets
stuck on the tips of their bayonets
and that BABY KILLING, CRUCIFY
ING KAISER AND HIS IDIOTIC
SON, THE CROWN PRICE, BY THE
SCRUFF OF THE NECK.
What damage can the enemy do us
The Germans under arms will be tax
en- care Of by our fighting forces Oul
army and navy are fully aware Of the
damage that can be inflicted by the
enemy at the front and at sea but oul
real and most dangerous enemy is thu
German right here in the United
States. 1t is not the German who
gets out in the street and yells
"Hoc der Kaiser" that we have L
fear We know what to expect from
him. He is brave man and mus
be given credit for his nerve. O
course, he is going to land in a hos
pltal, and when he wakes up we will
put him to sleep again. He is JUS
as foolish as an American would b.
who ran through the streets of Der
lin shouting, Three cheers for Pres
Wilson,"
The German that we have to watch
and exterminate is the one who wear.
the American flag in the lapel of his
coat, the one who wears the Rec
Cross and Liberty Loan buttons be
low this flag, and who, under a cam
outage OF patriotism, stabs our fight
Ing men in the back, holds up war &C.
ltion, spreads his snakelike propagan
da, breaches Of inconclusive peace
| spreads rumors of disaster to on,
troops at the front, and tries to cause
general dissatisfaction against the
method our government uses in con
Quoting this war. Russia was not pnt
out of the war by German force Of
arms; she was defeated and poisoned
at her own family table by the Ger
man assassin in the interior of Rus
STA. The Italian retreat was no,
caused by the German and Austrian
armies; Italy was betrayed by the
German propagandists from within
But mark my words, Americans, Ital,
is coming back and coming back
strong, and will march besides the
Allies when they enter Berlin. He,
shin will be high in the air, on leve
with the up-tilted chin whiskers o
our own dear Uncle Sam!
Remember, Americans, every citi
zen of the United States has a right
to arrest any person uttering pro
German or anti-Ally sentiments. Re
member this, and act accordingly
i Constitute yourself a Secret Service
agent, and II at any time you heal
a remark against our government O,
against our allies, no matter how
trivial or unimportant 1t may seem kt