Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-18

ders; Of innumerable violations Of
the Hague convention and the
law of nations; Of the abominable
and perfdious plotting in friendly
countries and shameless abuse OF
their hospitality; OF crime heaped
upon crime, in defiance OF the
laws of God and man.
cherish the memories Of my
youth, but these very memories
make me cry out in pain and
wrath against those who have be-
fouled the spiritual soil Of the old
Germany in which they were
rooted.
Expressing regret at the failure o
some of the German-born American
citizens to regard as sacred their oatl
Of citizenship here, by inference h
assigns reason for their attitude IL
the following paragraph:
There are some Of you, prob
ably, who win still md it hard to
believe that the Germany you
knew can be guilty Of the crimes
which have made it an outlaw
among nations. But do you know
modern Germany? Unless you
have been there within the last
twenty-five years, not once or
twice, but at regular intervals;
unless you have looked below the
glittering surface Of the marvel
Gus material process Of achieve
ment, and seen how the soul of
Germany has been eaten away by
the virile poison Of Prussianism;
unless you have watched and fol-
lowed the appalling TRANSFORMED
ton Of German mentality and
morality under the nefarious and
puissant influence Of the priest
hood Of power worship, you do
not know the Germany of this
day and generation.
Then comes this indictment of tn,
Germany Of today:
The Germany which brought
upon the world the Unreasonable
disaster Of this war and at whose
monstrous deeds and doctrines
the civilized nations Of the earth
stand aghast, started into definite
being less than thirty years ago.
can almost lay my fingers upon
the date and circumstances of its
i'll omened advent.
And finally there came "the
day" in which the new course"
fatally and inevitably was bound
to eliminate. There came the
old temptation. The Temper
took the Pr,rssian and Prussian-
lied rulers up a high mountain
and showed them all the riches
and power Of the world. Showed
them the great countries and capt.
tails Of the earth teeming with
peaceful labor Brussels, Paris,
London, aye, and New York, and
told them: Look at these. Use
your power ruthlessly and they
are yours" And those rulers did
not say: Get thee behind me,
Satan" but they said: $50
ahead, Satan, and we shall follow
you," and follow him they did and
brought upon the green earth the
red ruin of Hell.
Mr.. Kahn has not lost faith in tn,
German people. He hopes, apparent
~, for dawning Of sanity amonl
them which will bring freedom from
the bondage Of the Hohenzollerns
For he says:
And when the soul Of the Ger
man people will have freed itself
from the sinister powers that now
keep it in ban and bondage, when
it will have found again the high
impulses and aims of its former
self. when it will understand once
more and speak the universal
language OF humanity and right,
then, In Gods own time, there
win be peace.
1t is difficult for men and womeI
who were born in Germany and spen
happy years there to realize tina:
since they came away the soul Of Ger
many has been eaten away by thu
virile poison of Prussianism, as Mr.
Kahn phrases it. II is not remark
able that some Of them find it hard t
credit the stories which are brough
with unquestionable proof and au
cruelty. barbarism and hate. Blu
these things are true, and even thos'
whose memories Of Germany are hap
py memories must heed the testimon!
Of such men as Mr.. Kahn. Heedint
Il. they must realize that the crimes
are committed by people which il
ut war with the nation which TO
many decades has offered a welcome
and a home to the natives of othe
lands, together with an opportunity tot
for perfect freedom, for social ant
financial liberty and for limitles'
progress.
They must decide between the two
and if they decide to espouse the Ger
man cause in America they must b
for the charge OF disloyalty
For it is to America that they owl
fealty now. Mr.. Kahn sets the exam
pie, and he speaks with authorit!
about both the old and the new Ger
many.
VOLUNTARY LIFE SENTENCE.
The young man who saves no none,
rrb{1o ho ie q yo,,n O man iS fyiOp hi