East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-04-12
WHY WE ARE
AT WAR WITH
GERMANY
~
EPHRAlM DOUGLASS ADAMS
Executive Head. History Depart
n1euk
Leland Stanford junior University

"The ehleet of thla war ls 20 esllver
the free peoples % tire weird from the
raensce anc tire actual pe~e9 Of . vast
irrsspsnsIbls esvsrnraent, which. having
| eserGtiy piaaned - dowiHata the world,
sressssss g cary sss 80 P'.s ss.sssss
siess sns Ieaa .ss.s.:s:ssa priaeiplss q Ia
sssr 3 nss ss'S sss ss esrss ssss ssG 4
the ruthless Eaasssf 81 TIRE German pee-
pie. e la cur buslnsss 70 sss e
ssOris is ne isnssr lsft % Its hsnsilne."
-9reeiaent Wilson. Auaust ~, 1911.
GERMAN RUTHLEssNEss AN m
CULCATED BARBARIsM
A government asserting its right to
conquer the world. denying any duty
except that Of Increasing its own
power, and 4 people drilled in this
theory, produce \ nation whose acts
horrify humanity. Yet those acts are
but the logical result of a ruthless
ness in war deliberately planned. II
was al first said by Americans: yes,
there are occasional German atrocities,
no doubt, but so there are in every
war" We now know that cruelty and
barbarism are q definite part Of the
German method Of making war.
First the teachers and professors:
Where German soldiers had 20 seize
the ineendIary torch. or even TO pro-
ceed to the Slaughter OF citizens. It
was only in pursuance. OF the rights
Of war" '-One single highly cultured
German warrior represents a higher
intellectual and moral life-value than
hundreds OF the raw children of nature
whom England and France, Russia
and Italy. oppose to them" Even If
there were no question Of vengeance,
the crime Of opposing the de-
Veiopmenf Of Germany is 50 great that
the most trenchant measures are
scarcely a sufficient punishment for
IT." The more pitiless is the zoe
vScfis. the greater is the security Of
the ensuing peace. In the days OF old,
conquered peoples were completely an
initiated. Today that is physically
.impracticable. but one can imagine
conditions which should approach very
closely TO total destruction"
Next the army officers: by steep.
ing himself in military history an
officer viii be able TO guard himself
against excessive humanitarian no
tons: IL win teach him that certain
seventies are indispensable to war.
nay, more. that the only true humanity
very often lies in a ruthless apPllea-
tion Of them" The warrior has need
OF passion. II must not be
regarded as a necessary evil; nor con
demned as q regreftabIe consequence
Of physical contact nor must We
seek TO restrain it and curb Il as a
savage and brutal force
Last the clergy: one incident, and
one quotation from an address on the
Sermon on the Mount is enough for
Americans. Whoever can not prevail
upon himself TO approve from the
bottom OF his heart the sinking Of the
LasifaHia. and give himself
up 10 honest delight at this victorious
exploit Of German defensive power
hin we judge 10 be no true German"
German teaching has borne fruit and
the world Is aghsst. Yet ne have be-
come 50 accustomed 20 German
atrocities" that some Of our horror At
them has waned- IL is toiser 10 re-
member. Volumes are needed TO list. |
merely the proved cases Of barbarity |
for Germany by refusing inRestiga- |
tion through q nentrAl jury proposed |
by Cardinal MERCER. has confessed |
guilt. No, rather, she acknowledges /
the acts charged against her and gio- |
rifles them.
But let as NOT forget that German |
soldiers. in 1914 sCih 30 restraint, 1
raped the women Of Belgium and I
France in the first advance: that they /
placed screens Of children before 4
them; that they executed. as a iodrn- 1
ing against a feared Belgian rising. /
fifty inn0oent Catholic priests and /
thousands Of innooenf citizens: that 1
they gave themselves up in q hun, 4
dred different places. 10 piundeFing. I
incendaTiEm. Imprisonment, masaacrea. I
and saerileges' cardinal MeFcierl /
that in France they have deliberately /
made a desert Of territory In refTsai. !
with an object. not Of fhis var. but I
Of destroying productivity for 81 Least 4
generation 70 come; that Germany /
openly spplsBdsd Turkey upon the /
massacre Of nearly oneihalf the popu .
lation 0f Armenis: that Germany. b. ]
The cruel starvation and deportation /
of conquered populations is sftempi- /
ing 10 -Germsnize the lands ~ PO /
Land and Russia; thaf she torpedOes /
ships with ~defenEeless
bsings. wounded or mBtiiatsd 10 var.
and women Eh0 are dsFoting them
selves 10 the work Of relief and char.
80" fpHoiest of the International iisd |
Gross Commiifss 81 GensFal; fhaf 20
other government iB fhs H0fidis bic
tory, ever ordered o. approved =
LHsfiania.
This ear - ioff. aHd q greefer Wfii /
f0il0R n. naissf u - fought 20 fks /
pofaf NhfFs 0ermgag ksoses fer al !
finie mai fucl doff are. - fhe eads 4
fafSi 70 fhs goferHmsHf fhsf eesHifs
fhfBi.
This s ths fesgfs ef series 81 tsa
A.