The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-15
Germany's War Credits
And Debts

Under the above caption, The New York stats
zeitung publishes the following editorial:
has never seen before. And what has Germany
achieved during this four years of war?
On the credit side Of her ledger we find
1EGermany has taken possession of nearly all
Of Belgium and a part-now growing even
srnaller-of northern France %
2-she has taken rich booty and many prison.
ers.
9-Thropgh the revolution and the subsequent
early collapse of the Russian empire she has tenn
porarily, through the outrageous treaty of Brest
LitoVsk, enslaYed the now helpless Russian peo-
pie who are STRUGGLING for liberty.
has well nigh destroyed Serbia and Montenegro
and crippled Rumania
5-she abs helped Bulgaria and turkey to in
crease their territory, she has encouraged the
Turkish military leaders, Enyer Pasha Talaat
Bey and BJemal to massacre over 100000 Ar
menians and other Christian inhabitants Of con-
tiguous territory
6--she has sunk millions of tons of shipping
and destroyed property worth billions, showing no
regard for the lives of noncombatants and not
even for those of women and children
i, THE military party hindered the massage Of
the election reform bill and delayed the progress
Of democracy in blocking the rechstag resolution
for no annexation and no indemnities".
All these are the "achievements' OF Germany
under the whip of the military party
ledger?
Germany has sacrificed the flower of her
arms bearing youth. Millions Of her sons have
fallen on the field Of battle, have been crippled
taken prisoners-losses which cannot be made
good by the greatest victories.
2-She has lost by far the greatest Of her
colonies in Africa and elsewhere and has placed
the burden of debt upon her people under which
they will have to groan for decades to come.
3-She has completely demoralzed her domes-
tic commerce. She has brought her people to
want and hunger and destroyed her foreign COM
merce for an indeterminate period For the last
four years her merchant flag has not been seen
upon the of the world
4--The acts of her army commanders and
statesmen have brought the German name into
disrepute in America. For more than 900 wears
successfully endeaV0red
build here a and happier home for thenl-
selves and their descendants and took care that
their name should be respected everywhere. Their
industry and OF duty became proverbial
everywhere and now in bitterness Of heart they
had to see that they were regarded with distrust.
However, through their unshakabe loyalty to the
United States they have succeeded in retaining
the confidence and good will Of their fellow citi.
gems. This in spite OF the dongs Of the German
military party.
5--Millions of the people of Germany are firm
~ convinced even If they do not dare to speak
Of 1t openly that the defeat Of their present auto
cratic government would be a blessing for them
through the motives of their rulers, whose pur-
poses are selfish and aim at the suppression of
the ideas Of liberty and the forcing of their hated
government upon the whole world.
For long time German Americans were unable
to see the peril, and rude was their awakening
Their sense Of duty showed them the right course
TO pursue. They point with pride to their sons
and grandsons fighting for them under the Star
Spangled Banner. And they will fight on until
every danger is removed and the world relieved
OF burden which lies upon it like an incubus;
for it is only through the overthrow Of the pres
ent German government that the repetition Of a
similar world catastrophe can be prevented