Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-05-29

of the Milwaukee City Club on
May 18TH 1t contains the most
profound grasp Of war causes yet
put in print. Read it! <
BY Theodore G. Soares.
When the kaiser recently took per
sOnal command of the army on the
western front he announced that they
were going to make a drive to secure
a strong, German peace. The most
fundamental thing that we can re-
member is that a German peace is a
preparation for the next German war.
That is what a Germ n peace means.
We will not talk about en- American
peace, the allies will not talk about
an allied peace, the only thing we are
interested in is world peace, a uni
vorsal peace.
Paradox Of the War.
The paradox Of this war is that the
War-lOving nation is honestly DESTROYS
Of peace, and the peace-Ioving nations
are determined upon war. The rea-
son for this is that the war world
wants peace to eet ready for another
war, and the peace-loving nations are
determined upon war in order to end
it and have a permanent peace. If
this were any ordinary war, it ought
to be ended now. We would be able
to end it soon. If this had been an
ordinary war, we should get together,
let large concessions be made, let al
most any compliance be made, and
say, Lets have peace"
1t is not an ordinary war. 1t is not
war that is comparable with any
war that has taken place. It is not a
War-it is a conspiracy, gigantic
conspiracy that runs back not less
than twenty-five years in the making
and runs forward twenty-five years
in the development, and within fifty
years comprehends the most terrific,
the most stupendous world ambition
which ever existed We have only
seen part Of the conspiracy, and the
reason they want peace is to have
time to get ready for the next chap
ter
Idea Back of Conspiracy.
Behind the conspiracy lies an idea,
What is this idea that has taken pos-
session Of the German people? It
is hard for us to understand. 1t is
so different from anything with which
we are familiar in our own national
life. It is positively the ideal of the
superiority Of the German race to all
other races, and of the right, there
fore, of that superior race to domin-
ate all others upon earth. This is not
1cR J1n fnih Of n
late vanity.
We, are all vain, and a little ego
tistical, but with the Germans it is
something far deeper than that. If
should talk of America, talk about the
flag, say that America is a great ma
ton, you would respond, but if I de-
liberately told you that in the evolu-
ton Of the human race that America
was the last word, that there had been
brought on this continent a superior
race, that the domination of the world,
political, economical and cultural, was
in our hands, that the rest of the
world would go down, and we would
go forward, you would say Nonsense.
We have gone beyond this idea. We
have done with dominating life and
the idea Of imperialistic ambitions.
We are concerned with a great broth
erhood. We believe i'll a great world,
in which all peoples belong and con-
tribute"
Passion i'm Germany
Not SO has been the growing pas
sion III Germany. Beginning, appar-
emily, in few philosophic minds, an
imagination gradually extending until
the cultural leaders of the country,
in church. in school were dominated
by the idea, extending until the great
military class had finally seized it, ex-
tending until the banking and com
mercial class were possessed by it, has
gradually filtered down to the people
themselves, until this notion Of Ger
man superiority has become an obses-
sion.
1t was glorious thing for us, that
we became a nation at the beginning.
that federal constitution united us.
and Immediately we were one. Ger
many wasn't. There was no POSSIBLE
ity of a strong German life. The
great spirits in Germany felt the
weakness, the inevitable loss in the
absence of a great national life. Again
and again efforts were made, and the
hope arose that that poor decrepit
Hapsburg house would be able to
make a leadership in Germany, until
1S4S, when a hope broke forth, and
the unification seemed about to come.
The unificatiOn of Germany did not
come, the year closed in darkness, and
the warriors for freedom came over
here. 1t had to wait another genera
ton, and then it came from Prussia
itself. Then Bismarck, the man of
blood and iron" but also Of lies and
treachery, if we must tell the truth
unified Germany, but he unified it the
Prussian way, by force. He planned
the three wars, with Denmark, with
Austria, and with France, and made ii
possible for William to be emperor
This was not from the people, it was
from the princes, and of course, from
God.
Then followed one Of the most re-
markable chapters in human history
the story Of modern German progress
There is only one thing more remark
able than the modern story of Ger