Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-05-15
How Hun Figured
American Indemnity
By G. M. MORRISON.

talking about the amount Of
the German indemnity, the size OF The
fine that should be assessed on Hun
land for its recent attempt to chain
the world down In links forged in Els
sen.
And from time to time someone has
recalled that the Hun had fixed the
amount to be collected from America
at $40, OOO, 900, 900. That is right. 4.
billion dollars.
Unlike the allied peace delegates,
Germany was never in any doubt about
how big a figure should be named,
They had the indemnity figures all
worked out for the allied nations. And
you can gamble that they would have
collected every dollar, every franc
and every pound Of the amount. too
Your Hun was never a gentle little
mild.mannered irresponsible when IL
came to taking what he wanted. He
would have collected.
Thanks to the free nations of the
earth, the Hun Is in no position To
make any demands. In fact, so badly
was he battered in the process OF
whipping him that he is hardly worth
making any demands upon at the pres
ent time.
But consider. We have raised, up
to the Fifth Loans beginning, about
$4,000 600, 900 In Liberty Loan funds.
Not quite half as much as the Hun
would have assessed upon us had he
come to New York and Washington
to have received our submission.
And yet there are some lavender.
blooded Americans and a good many
pro-Germans living in America who
are yelping because they are being
asked to subscribe to another loan.
They don't want to hear the war
mentioned, except in terms OF re-
proach and apology. There is nothing
that they will believe about the Hun
except that he must have been terribly
lied about. But their main considera'
tion is to keep from subscribing a dol.
lar to the Victory Liberty Loan and
their tongues are clacking very buslly
at every opportunity to cripple the
Victory issue in every possible way.
THE word Victory is Lot
sweet upon their lips, unless
perchance it might be a Ger
man victory. The safety Of tn cir
skins has always been paramount,
and their strongest interest in
life just now is to keep every dollar
in their purses. There is a sheer in
their hearts, if not on their lips, when
they can see an American soldier.
If Germany had won this war-at
this very minute the wheat that is
stored in American elevators would
be going into the holds Of vessels
bound for Hunland. Every warehouse
in this country would be emptying OF
its raw materials.
In every Lank German non-commis.
stoned officers would be making an
inventory of the vaults, the strong
boxes and the safety deposit bosses,
German informers, the cattle who have
been among us for years. would be
marching up to the Hun conquerors
and turning in their %neighbors, de.
scribing just where valuables might
be found that would go to swell the
Hun loot from America.
Gray clad soldiers would be going
from house to house and from farm
to farm satisfying themselves as to
what loot could be gathered up and
carried away. In every corner Of the
country the graybacks of the kaiser
would be sucking the life-blood out of
the nation. And-if you are one Of
those paciist souls who refuse to be.
lieve anything like that could happen
anywhere-why then you had best talk
to some of the returned overseas men
who have seen what the Hun did to
northern France and Belgium.
With the Hun in Washington, our
minis would be working overtime
turning out the coins that Germans
were to carry back to Hunland. Our
ships would be seized and tied up at
the wharves to receive the loot. And
all Over the nation there would be
blood and murder and fire and the roar
of decorating high explosive charges
for the Hun would leave nothing OF
our industrial plants.
No home would be safe, no woman
could call her soul her own. Every.
where the fabric of civilization would
be smashed and orn just as it was in
Belgium and France. We know what
the Hun would do for we know what
he did do, what he has done.
This country would have been made
a place Of despair and death. Like
Poland, like Serbia. like Rumania and
Belgium and north France. We know
what the Hun did when he had the
power.
Instead of the American soldier find.
ing a country and a welcome he would
have found a grave in Europe or a life
Of slavery under the bayonet of the
world conqueror. There would have
been no America left In the world for
the survivors. only a German province
ruled over by a princeling.
Instead of the farmer selling his
hogs for better than $40, his cattle
for a record price and his wheat for a
1925 per bushel guarantee, the man
Of the farms would be lucky If he had
a barn standing or a hoof Of livestock
left In his fields.
These things must not be overlooked
when the government that saved us
from these things asks for a loan. We
must not look upon the war as a
| ohoptor TIM hos hapn raod ia on IN.