The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-06-04
DAY HAS
NOW ARRIVED
Russian Prisoner of War Camps.
chemintz, Germany.
May IA, 1919.
Dear father;

RNc~S eOAAAio nave UCCH AdHuCu W
the German delegates, the Press has
published to the world the price that
Germany must pay for her orgy of
bloodshed and crime.
Just six months from the time that
the Armistice terms were signed and
agreed upon by the Allies and Ger
mems, the peace terms were delivered
to the accredited German delegates
at Versailles. And the spirit, the
soul Of the whole terms, is the League
Of Nations.
We Of the A. E. F. have read with
amusement, and then with disgust,
Of the fight made in the States by
some of the narrow-minded politi-
ticians against the League of Ma
tions. We have felt that our work,
our sacrifices, the bloodshed of our
comrades fallen on the field of bat
tie, all have been in vain, if the world
were to return to the old status
might over right and Balance
of Power" status. We felt that we
had fought good fight-but we
wanted this to be the last fight, be-
cause we as a people are not war
like people, and have no sympathy
with militarism. Our opinion is that
the only hope for the prevention of
future war lay in the league of ma
lions. We knew that the first draft
was not q finished product, that
amendments must be made, and cor
rections be made but we also knew
that every great movement must
have beginning. And it seemed to
us and after carefully studying Gov
anant $ rco9csed by President Will
son, that = ~-cs a good foundation
upon vA.ch to start.
We want leaGCa behind which
viii be hot emily the sentiment Of the
whole civilized world, but also the
artillery. We want league with
sufficient military power to enforce
its obligations upon any and all out
law nations which may try to start
another world conflict. We feel that
the proposed covenant covers these
points, and that if such a league had
been in force in 1914, the world war
would have been prevented. And l
am sure that if The spirits of the
brave Americans who fell at Cha
teau Thierry, St, Mihiel, the Argonne
andof the battle tired Poilu who died
on the hills around Verdun, of the
brave Tommis who sleep in unmark-
cd graves in Flanders Fields could
raise their voices, they would with
one accord say, "give the future gen.
erations league of nations, or else
we have died in vain"
And yet if the newspaper reports
which we receive are true, some
Americans, so called leaders of the
people, have such a narrow vision
that for political reasons, using the
old moss-cover phrase, "entangling
alliances" they have tried to throw
monkey wrench into the wheels of
progress, by fighting the League of
Nations.
am glad to say it won't be many
months until all the members of the
A. E. F. will be home again. These
men have been broadened by rub
bling shoulders with the peoples of
the world. They have fought Shout
der to shoulder with the Tommie, the
Poilu, the Italians, the Poles, the
,Belgians, and many other peoples
fighting upon the side of liberty and
humanity, and they have learned les
sons from them, They know that all
have been fighting for one common
purpose, and you may know that
when all of these men get home, that
the man, men or group of men who
stand in the way Of the fullflment
Of that purpose, are due for rather
hard fall
Back to the peace terms, as did
not intend this letter to be defense
of the League of Nations, however
my feelings on this subject are SUCH
that l could not help expressing my
self
We received our first copy of the
peace terms in English today.
have read the summary carefully, and
tried to get their general idea, as
have not had sufficient amount OF
time to carefully study them. My
opinion is that never before in the
history of the world, have such terms
been enacted of nation, but we
must remember that never before in
the history of the world has nation
caused such a world war, and fought
it against all rules of international
warfare.
The terms are just and deserved.
The peace terms have been read
by German people with amazement
and wonder. These people, are for
the first time realizing that they are
] a defeated nation. They have been
lEstunned by the enormity of the con-
ditions as placed upon, them by the
1 peace conference. They are begin
l ming to realize that the "Tag" in
1 front of them is a far different one
from that promised by the Kaiser and
Militarism.
I have talked with several Ger