Evening star., 1941-09-03
Gift to Germany
Did Not Bring Peace
Writer Tells of Dedication
OF Won Steuben Statue
Whose Symbolism FoiIed
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
there occurred at Potsdam, Germany,
significant event. In the presence of
Kaiser Wilhelm the American people gave
to the German people reproduction of
the statue of Baron Won Steuben, which
stands in the Park of the Patriots facing
the White House.
President Taft had appointed as repre-
Bartholdt of st. Louis and Charles B.
Wolfram of New York. They departed
appropriately on the steamer George
Washington, of the North German Lloyd.
Before leaving, Congressman Bartholdt
issued a statement rejoicing IN the fact
that the presentation of the statue
would tend to strengthen the ties OF
friendship which had always united the
two greatest civiliZatory powers of mod.
ern civilization, America and Germany"
The End of September was selected
as the date of presentation because as
German holiday, it celebrated the ami
versary of Napoleon's surrender at Sedan.
In the presence of the Kaiser, Con-
gresham Barthodlt said, The name of
Steuben will ever awaken patriotic men,
ories beyond the ocean In just
appreciation of his great achievements
grateful people, nobly disregarding ma
tional distinctions, honored his memory
by the erection in front of the White
House in Washington of a monument
which is to commemorate his valuable
services, as we'll as those rendered by the
Germans generally to the cause of Amer
lean independence . The peace Presi-
dent extends to the peace Kaiser, under
whose reign the phrase The Empire is
the peace has been verified, the hand of
friendship for hearty cooperation in the
peaceful solution of the great problems
of civilization. And are there two other
nations which, resting upon the tradition
of undisturbed friendship and looking
forward to future of still closer rela-
tions, could more justly feel called upon
to make common cause in the great
humanizing tasks of our time, in the
promotion of art and science, and in all
tendencies looking to the increased well
fare of the people? We live in time of
international conciliation and have come
to realize that peaceful development is Of
more transcendent importance than all
that is now dividing the nations; and
Germany's 40 years of peace is an ample
guaranty to America that it requires but
an incentive in order to crystalline
mutual sympathy into political fact.
May this beautiful ceremony hasten such
happy consummation."
The Kaiser in replying stated: With
sincere gratitude I accept the monument
which, by direction of the President of
the United States of America and in pur-
suance of a gracious act of Congress, you
are presenting to me and the German
people as gift from the American peo-
pie. When a few months ago the
Steuben Monument was unveiled at
Washington the celebration was followed
with great interest everywhere in Ger
many, and it was noted with lively salts
faction how elevating and impressive it
was and how active was the participation
in it on the part of the Government
and the people. Now we rejoice to have
on German soil, too, statue, dedicated
by America, of that brave German who.
with enthusiastic devotion and sublimely
simple performance of duty. consecrated
his services to the cause of the Amer
ican- people"
However, the press of Germany was
not altogether pleased that the repre-
sentatives of the United States had Sc
lected the End of September as the date
on which to present the statue of Baron
Won Steuben. Possibly, too, they were
not altogether pleased that there had
been placed in Germany a monument
to one who had fought so valiantly in
the defense of human freedom. The
editor of the Frankfurter Zeitung said:
THE old nations note the Shortcoming of
the new upstart who boasts of his featS,
and by thus Dragging makes himself
doubly diSliked with the grown people.
So Americans have found little sympathy
in most of the old civilized countries.
Germany has made no exception in this
respect, but public sentiment here has
wonderfully changed during the last 10
years. We appreciate more and more
that those human national contrasts
have been partly over estimated and are
partly disappearing. The better we
learn to know the American the more
we can overlook appearances and the
peculiarities of his manner, the more we
perceive the genuine idealism, the great
moral values the SD1endid innate health
which that young Nation develops with
SO much energy and understanding"
The editor of Stettiner Abendpost
wrote somewhat prophetically: Ger
many, as far as she can, will further the
initiative of President Taft in every way,
and is willing to negotiate an arbitration
treaty with America, but the value of
such treaties it seems is being some
what over-estimated at Washington. In
any event, we shall rejoice if the good
relations which already unite us with
official America can be further strength
ened and, in the interest of peaceful
progress, recorded black on white; and
it affords us great satisfaction that the
assurances of friendship and peace are
given us at time when the political
horizon is full of threatening clouds"
Today, the 2nd of September marks
another German anniversary of another
entrance into a World War that has
been ravaging an overwhelming area of
Western civilization"
AS to the German people, the End OF
September is the anniversary of their