The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-05-07
DON'T TALK FOR GERMANY


The Germans are killing our boys
"over there" with lies.
Every American soldier transported
to France since we entered the war
has gone to replace the Russian and
Italian resistance which was destroyed
by murderous German lies. Every lie
told in Russia, in Italy, and in the
United States itself may well cost an
American life and the total may de-
stroy civilization.
This is shameful tale, but there is
one that Is worse:
Every deadly, poisonous lie made ia
Germany to kill our boys is tolerated,
accepted and circulated by Americans.
Without the help of Americans Ger
many can not win this war.
We must wake up to these facts.
Every person in this country, whether
he be an American, Gern1an-American
or any other kind of fractional Ameri-
can, who tolerates, credits or conveys
statements capable of restraining US
from giving our whole will, our whole
heart, and our whole strength to this
war is doing cowardly and traitorous
work for Germany.
We cannot take refuge in ignorance,
We must recognize treason when we
see it as clearly as we identify poison
on our own shelves, and we must brand
it with the skull and cross-bones so
that all who come across it may shun
and abhor it.
1t is German-made lie that Ger
many is fighting a defensive war.
Germany has increased the terri
tory and population under her do
minion fourfold since the war began.
1t is German lie that the govern
ment and power of Germany are de-
stined to rule the world.
The Prussian principle is that the
individual is the servant of the gov
eminent and exists for the govern
ment. 1t is mere despotism. Despotic
power can not survive in the world.
1t is a German lie that Germany is
not our most dangerous enemy.
Germany has slaughtered our men,
women and babes when we were at
peace with her. She has destroyed our
property She has denied our rights to
the sea unless we should make war
, on her enemies. She has officially
threatened to break down our Monroe
doctrine-the wall that has. kept war
from the western world. She has by
law, directed her subjects to swear
perjured allegiance to America, but to
serve Germany under penalty when
the test should come. She populated
our country with spies, dynamiters,
and incendiaries at time when she
claimed the privileges of friend. Her
friendship has been as deadly as her
friendship for Belgium, for Russia, or
for Italy.
1t is German lie that any war
measure impairs the freedom of Am
orleans.
Without war we have no freedom.
Our alternative is German slavery-a
slavery that works the same with ev-
cry nation, every people, every age,
and every sex. No man may commit
treason under the cloak of freedom
of speech or of the press. He may
not even further anarchy, immortality
or fraud by these means, much less
treason. No enemy may assail this
government under the protection OF
its laws.
It is a German lie that this is cap
italistic war.
Capital profted by this war so long
as we were out of it, because capital
and labor made and sold war goods at
great profit without tax of sacrifice.
Capital and labor in this country
would today be the prey of Prussian
conquest had not both combined
against the common danger threaten
ed by the wolf of the world.
1t is a German lie that our war ac-
tivities are mismanaged or character
| lied by neglect or incompetence.
With over a million men encamped
in plain sight of the American people
and with every avenue of information
open, no radical defects or abuses
have been discovered. The best brains
of the country are cooperating in
this war and the accomplishments of
| the past year are conceded to be un-
prcedented in the history of the
world.
The German lie has unmistakable
marks. 1t typically refers to some
grievous wrong inflicted on the Amer
lean people, so fragrant that were ii
operating it could not escape wide
public knowledge and investigation
1t tends to set the people against wan
in general, against this war in par
ticular, and against one or all of the
necessary means and methods of con
Quoting it. 1t tends to sicken and ter
rorize people, to undermine their con
fidence in the government, and tx
arouse dissensions, animosities, anC
distrusts that will weaken the deter
mination and the power of the peopl'
in the prosecution Of this war. 1t pro
notes Indifference or despair respect
ing the future and evasion or dis
obedience of the laws. Beyond all thi
it is privately circulated and is with
out a known or acknowledged author