The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-06-20
Why We Fight
Because Germany Having Split the
World Ia Hall 10 Now Trying
to Devour the Halves
by CLARENCE l.. SPEED
Secretary OF the Wal Committee OF the
Union League Club of Chicago.

OutDn itakuo Stuo w '"r
We are lghting Germany. for n
thing. because Germany, having split
the world In half. is now seeking to
devour the halves separately. She
has driven a wedge straight through
the heart Of Europe. and into Asia,
and IL seeking to extend 1t To the Per
sian gulf.
This Is no accidental happening, due
to the downfall Of Russia and the sud-
den shifting In the fortunes Of war.
Germany planned II all decades ago.
She made no effort tn keep the plans
secret. She told us all about II. She
had a reputation for making plans
and sticking tn them, from n gener-
alton to another; yet the world paid
no attention. II seemed too prepos-
ferrous even for Germany to attempt.
As long ago as 1906 a pamphlet.
"Pan.Germany and Central Europe
About 1850" was published In Berlin
and had wide circulation. II laid the
whole MitteleurOpa plan bare as fol-
lows:
"Poland and Little Russia 1.-THE king.
dom to be established at Russia's ex-
pense) will agree to have no armies
OF their own, and will receive In their
fortresses German and Austrian garri-
sons. In Poland. as well as In Little
Russia. the postal and telegraph serv'
ices as well ms the railways will be In
German hands"
In 1911 Tannenbcrg's book, "Grenter
C,rnnxsp ,.,,p ,pllichaI This wnQ
only three years before the war, hut
II showed that the idea Of a German
Mitteleuropn had not been allowed to
languish. 1t says:
"The new kingdom Of Poland Is
made up Of the former Russian por-
ton Of the basin Of the vistula, and OF
Galicia. and forms n part.of the new
Austria"
How the plan has grown since then!
Russians collapse dropped whole prov
inccs into the lap of the kaiser, and
now Germany plans its empire on a
scale which would dwarf that Of an
clent Rome. II Is to embrace the orig
inal Central Europe. inhabited by
some 73.OOOO0O Germans, make the
Black sea n German lake, and extend
clear to the Persian gulf through the
vassal states of Bulgaria and Turkey.
The German government started 70
nut It's scheme for II Mittelcuropa in
to effect years ago when 1t began IN"
construction Of the Archaeological
railway. Little Serbia stood In the
way, so Serbia was attacked and the
world was plunged into war. In the
opposite corner of Europe Belgium
was invaded and crushed. The world
then thought that this was only be-
cause Belgium offered the easiest
route to France: but study OF the Nit
teleuropa plan OF years g shows that
Belgium was included In the scheme
Of conquest.
"How does all this affect Amcrlcaf"
one may ask. Germany was Il late
in the family Of great nations.
Most Of the unciviliZed world had been
pre-empted by other nations before
she arrived. Germany wanted COLI
onies. To get them she would have
to take them AWAY from someone else.
Africa and South America offered
the best fields for German colonial.
ton. England possessed the best part
OF Africa-the parts In which tho
white man might hope to settle and
thrive. England had n mighty fleet.
and n disposition to hold what 'he
had, even though she did not show q
disposition to fight for more.
There remained South America. 1t
was divided among weak nations. 1t
was protected only by the Monroe doc.
trine. This Monroe doctrine was a
sacred thing TO Americans, but. not
being backed M by mighty armies and
fleets, was not even n "scrap of paper
10 the Germans. Can anyone doubt.
should Germany succeed In welding
into n mighty empire the 73,UO0IOOO
Germans and the 100.0O0,OOO inhabi.
tants OF the vassal and conquered
states OF her Mitteleuropa, that her
next step would be toward the west
The very fact that she had this EN-
pire would presuppose the defeat OF
England. so that no British fleet would
stand between us and Germany when
the time came for the kaiser to send
his legions across the Atlantic.
"As In the East. so In the West
Is n motto which. Of recent weeks, has
e been much heard In Germany. At a
e conference Of the national liberal par
ty. held in March Of this year the fol
d lowing amazingly frank declaration
was made:
sour policy has been directed Il
making the government and majority
turn away from the relchstag resolu
ton OF July 10. peace without m
hexations and lndemnitlcs). In thai
we have succeeded. Pence has JUS
been made In The East under condi
tons In fiat contradiction to the pol
icy Of July 10. and has received thu
ID support and assent OF all the burgeol,
parties"
.y In other words, all Germany In nov
planning both annexatIons and lndem
mites, such as will leave her withou'
a formidable opponent In the world.
Can we make peace now and leav,
Germany. flushed with victory, In pos
session Of all she has gained and lust
Ing for further conquest1 II we did