Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-07-10

not to CrltlClSe, nor W SohuoiAA NAA'
one, but to bring to you message OF
good will. That government has been
nv friend for thirty-six years and mas
helped me to be what | am. All tnat
will be said will be said in kindness, IN
love and no harsh words will be ut
tered.
What. then, are we fighting? We
are fighting the Hohenzollern dynasty,
the military rulers of Germany, the
junkers and the German soldiers abso-
lutely under the control OF the Ger
man military staff. We are fighting
that group of men who style them
selves "The German Government"
that group of men who are standing
for the principle that might is right,
who use the hand of blood and iron,
who claim they are divinely born, God
ordained to rule. They claim they are
in partnership with God. that he is
their helper in preparing for them to
rule the whole world. They claim
that the common people, the rank and
file of the people, are born to work
and to obey. We are fighting that
group of men standing for the princ1-
pie and holding views in contradiction
to the principle and views held by the
American people-that all men are
born free and equal. If the principle
for which they stand should win, then,
and in that case, the clock Of progress
will be turned back a thousand years,
darkness will cover the earth and
brute force will again rule the world.
When war was declared in 1914,
Germany found many sympathizers.
The German born citizens and those
of German descent in America had
their sympathies with Germany. We
thought that Germany was fighting
defensive war, but little by
little, the truth, as it always does,
has brought things to light and
most of us, at this time, know bet
ter. The German newspapers
many of them bought by the German
government, had poisoned the minds OF
their readers. Those papers told them
that Germany was fighting defen-
sive war, that. we were fighting Eng
lands and Frances war. 1t was said
that the German born citizens and cit
liens of German descent had right
to sympathize with Germany before we
got into the war, but when we got into
the war they could have no more SYM
pathy for Germany. How could they
change over night? They had been
poisoned, had been told that Germany
was right in this war. They were
made to believe that we should have
stayed off the high seas and avoided
war. They found themselves without
foundation and helpless. They knew
their duty was to support America,
but their heart cried out with sympa-
thy for the dear ones they had left in
the fatherland. They were passing
through deep waters and needed
friends. They must know the truth
They should have fair play. That is
what we American people stand for.
And now our government is bringing
them the truth, meeting them halfway
and they must meet their government
halfway.
They took the money that some OF
YOU good honest German born citizens,
lin the fullness of your hearts, gave in
the early stages of the European war
gave to be sent to relieve the suffer-
ing of the widows and orphans in Ger
many, took that money and used II
to pay spies to burn our factories, to
bride the German newspapers, used 1t
to destroy us. The treasurer OF the
German-American alliance turned ov-
Ter nearly 100000 by check to Am
bassador Won Bernstorff, and he, in
turn, turned these checks over to DR..
Bernard Dernburg, who was at the
head of the German propaganda as the
kaiser's agent.
I have a draft in my pocket, for
SS2915, which I sent to that smooth
tongued, smiling Won Bernstorff, mon
ey given by the people of Bloomfield
and vicinity, to be sent to the German
Red Cross for the widows and orphans
of Germany, and the peole told me that
II should forward this money, making
Isure that it would go to the right place.
I said that I would. In my mind, /
thought that if any man could be trust
ed, it would be Johan Won Bernstorff,
the German ambassador and l sent 1t
to him, telling him to see that it reach
ed the right place. He wrote me let
ter saying that he received the money
with pleasure and would forward 1t
at once. And here Is the draft, and
we read on the back side PAY to the
order of DR.. B. Dernburg, Johan Won
Bernstorff,' and below, "Pay Kuhn,
Loeb & Co., DR.. B. Dernburg." 1t is
not the amount of money but the use
that it was sput to by these unscrupu-
lous men. Yes, we had right in this
war. And l want to tell you that it
was our war when the German legion
crossed the Belgian frontier.
We cannot be neutral in this war.
We cannot be on the fence, we cannot
serve two masters. We cannot wish
in our heart that Germany should win
We must wish the destruction of the
German military machine. This does
mot mean the crushing of Germany
but the freeing Of the German people
We swore that we would renounce
the German emperor and the German
government and that we would sup
port and defend this country against
all enemies, and we must be true to
our oath I am not ashamed of my
birth. nor of the German born citizens
{ but I am bitterly ashamed OF that
group of men who in their mad am
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