Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-12
CLAIMED KAISER is
STILL ADMIRED BY
SOME OF NEIGHBORS
Davenport Democrat.)

Davenport Democrat.)
Readers of The Democrat were glad,
Wednesday. to read the statement in
which Henry vollper went on record
as "unreservedly endorsing" the posi-
ton taken by President Wilson in the
message he read to congress the day
before.
"Unreservedly endorsing" the posi-
ton taken by President Wilson GER
tainly means the endorsing of the IA
planks which the president lays down
as cardinal demands in the American
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and cove
nants.s as the president put it, for
which 1--WE are willing to fight and to
continue to fight until they are
achieved" 1t means also the endorse
ment of his denunciation in that and
earlier addresses Of that military and
imperialistic minority lin Germany
which has SO far dominated their
whole policy and controlled the affairs
of Turkey and of the Balkan states"
Endorsement of "the presidents po-
sition" is gratifying but it is too gen.
eral a declaration to meet the desire
of the Davenport public to know just
the attitude of Mr.. Vollmer and some
others of our townspeople on the
issues that are involved in the pres
ent terrible war.
We should be glad to know that
they all stand "unreservedly" with Mr..
Vollmer in support of the president;
hut their Americanism will be &C
cepted with mental reservations until
We know just how they stand in re-
gard to the kaiser.
Some large portraits Of the kaiser
that had filled places of honor on more
than one wall in this city were taken
down rather hastily when America en-
tered the world war. 1t is believed
that some of them were taken down
handled very tenderly, and that it was
with much depression Of spirit that
they were put back into darkened
closets, away from the public view,
The reluctance Of their owners to de-
clare clearly and openly that they
hope that America wins this war and
that Germany loses, suggests that
those pictures are still kept in fair
state of preservation. 1t might even
happen that, II Germany won this wal
and we were near enough for a Won
Kissing to be appointed governor gen.
eral Of Iowa, these pictures would re-
appear and be hung up where they
would testify to the continuous and
undiminished loyalty Of their owners
! to. the house of Hohenzollern.
1t is because of the high esteem
which was thus shown by more than
one Davenporter for the kaiser more
than two years after the invasion OF
Belgium and nearly two years after
the sinking of the Lusitania, that PEG.
pie who are sending their sons to the
battlefields of Europe demand specific
rather than general declarations Of
Americanism at this time.
The Democrat therefore renews its
definition Of the stand that Americans
of German descent are taking il they
are thinking right" AS made in the
editorial on Mr.. Vollmer's neglected
opportunity some ten days ago, Il
was:
| They are saying openly that Prus
sian militafism is wrong, that they
have no sympathy with it, that they
hope the Hohenzollern house and al
it stands for will be overthrow, thai
the central powers will lose this wal
and that America and its allies will
win.
These are fundamentals of Amer
lean thought in regard to the war II
which the American people expec
that everyone subscribe or offer him
self for internment as an enemy alie1
ALLEN at heart and in thought if no
alien by birth.
Those who are plying themselve.
because they are the objects of som,
suspicion and aversion on the part O
their neighbors and townspeople, OF
the ground that they are German sym
pathizers, have only themselves Il
blame. II they will come out sin
cerely for their country, and stan,
four-square on such a platform, the,
Will have little trouble in living dowl
the reputation they have made fo
themselves.
We commend to their attention tn.
message which Captain Arthur q
Ficke brought back from France. H,
came back convinced, In common wit,
army men, that 1t will require year,
to win a military decision over Ger
many. But he urged US with earnest
ness and enthusiasm to the furniship,
| OF the millions of soldiers and limit
less supplies that would be needed be
cause the sooner we realize that
German victory would mean ner,l 70