Oxford eagle., 1918-06-06
Why We Fight
Because Germany Law Is the Law
of the jungle and Her Doctrine
Might 10 Right"
BY CLARENCE L. SPEED
Secretary of the War Committee OF the
TInion League Club OF Chicago.

We are at war with Germany De
cause Prussia dominates Ger
many, and from the days OF Freder-
lex the Great, Prussia's law has been
the law of the jungle, her doctrine
sMight is Right and her policy, In
dealing with other nations. one OF rob-
hing the weak and terroriZing the
strong. Germany has grabbed terri
tory and exacted tribute from her
neighbors, and finally, her greed be-
coming greater, has looked out over
more distant lands, and has commit
ted herself to a policy of world domi-
nation which menaces the continued
free existence of every nation which
will not submit TO her will.
Gerrnany's policy is not an acciden-
tai one. Ii has been carried out with
remarkable singleness Of purpose
from generation to generation OF
Hohenzollern rule. from the time
of the Great Frederick until to-
day. Germany's atrocities are not
accidental. They are a deliber-
ate. well thought out part Of this
Hohenzollern policy. which was to
break down the resistance Of her op-
ponents. not only by fighting and de-
feating their armies but by killing,
torturing and terrorizing the civil
populations.
The German rulers committed them
selves to the doctrine of the survival
of the fittest. Through generations Of
teaching they made the German peO-
pie believe that they. and they alone.
were the fit.
We have the words of the German
rulers and German warriors and Ger.
man leaders of thought for all of this
More than that we have the perform
anee of German officers and German
Armies in conquered lands TO prove 1t
Let's start with Frederick the
Great In presenting the evidence
This monarch. who earned his sou.
briquet through despoiling his neigh.
bors. rather than through any real
qualities of mind which he showed
eaid. in letter TO his minister, Rad
siwill:
IF there is anything to be gained
by IL. we will be honest; IL deception
is necessary. let US be cheats. One
tnkes what one can, and one is wronS
only when obliged TO give back"
This philosophy. applied to present
conditions. means that Germany wal
night when she took Belgium, and will
be wrong only IL she is not able tC
bold it.
From Frederick the Great to Bis
narck is long jump In the matter
Z OF time: but we find the Prussian pol
Icy unchanged. Speaking before tn,
military committee OF the Prussiar
Chamber OF Deputies In 1862 Bis
marck said:
mot by speeches and resolution.
OF majorities are the great question,
of the time decided. but by iron ant
blood"
Then, with blood and iron, Prussis
went out and despOiled Denmark OF
territory in 1864. beat and robbed Aus
tria In 1866. and finally, In 1870
brought France to her knees and tool
her richest provinces.
Here is what the present kaiser TOLD
his troops when. IN 1900. they wer,
about to depart for China to put dowI
the boxer uprising:
Use your weapons In such a wa,
that for thousand years no Chi
nese shall dare TO look upon a German
askance. Be as terrible as Attilla,
Huns"
Coming on down to the present wal
we find German minister accredited
20 neutral state far across the seq
one which one would think should b,
free from the entanglements of world
politics-writing home TO his govern
ment. In state paper. advising thu
sinking of two ships from this neutral
nation. In such manner that no trac,
be left Dead men. he believed tel
no tales.
IL was Baron Luxburg. minister plenI
potentiary 10 Argentina. who wrot,
this amazing dispatch on May 10. 1917
Il beg that the small steamers Oras
and Guazo which are nesrin,
bordeaux be spared IL posi-
Die. or else sunk without a trace be
ing left"
This telegram was intercepted In tn,
United States and published. II sem
thrill OF horror around the world.
Chancellor Won Bethmann-Hollwee /,
a true disciple of Frederick tn.
Great. Bismarck and his royal master
In public speech on January 81. 1917
he said:
When the most ruthless method,
are calculated TO lead us to victory
swift victory, they must be employed,
So they were used, and are beIns
used today. They include sinking Of
hundreds OF neutral ships, the burnip.
or cities, the deliberate deyastatInf
OF the fair lands of France, the rayish
Ing OF women. the enslavement a,
workmen and the murder of little chill
dren.
Horrors such as these are told in do
tall In THE Prusslan System" by f. q
waicott, who. for long time, was en-
gagged In behalf of America In irving n
get food to the Poles whom the Ger
7 mans were deliberately starving hx
the hundreds of thousands so that the,
might not cumber the land which ths