Page:America in the war -by Louis Raemaekers. (IA americainwarbylo00raem).pdf/184



Many things in the present war have aroused and enraged the people of the United States against Germany. The defilement of Belgium, the ravage of Serbia, the assassination of Armenia, all crimes against human nature in which we Americans share. Besides that, some revelations apply especially to us,—grievances, injuries and outrages, things that seem so far removed from the secret thoughts of decent and self-respecting nations that we hesitated to believe them. We must believe them now for we know at last that Germany has for not less than twenty years been working against the influence and good name of the United States. It was not for nothing that one of our best-known public men, when he visited Germany as far back as 1911, said that it was a country where he felt that "every man, woman and child looked upon him with hatred," because he was conspicuous in this country which had become rich and powerful and prosperous by the road of democracy instead of by the German path of militarism.

Every day reveals some new evidence that the German mole was working in South America, in Central America, in almost every American state and city, to prepare the minds of those who were to take part in the infamous conspiracy. Before the war broke out in Europe, Germans were trying to organize an active cohort within our boundary. The effort to arouse Mexico against us while we were still neutral, is no worse than other German diplomacy such as the "spurlos versenkt" radio-*grams of the scoundrel Luxburg, directed against the Argentine; but the appeal to Mexico to "reconquer" Texas and the Southwest was worse than a crime, it was a blunder, especially resented by the people of that part of the country. Nothing but an absolute breach with Germany has made possible the revelation of the cynical violation of diplomatic privileges by German and Austrian officials in this country from titled Ambassadors down through consuls-general and consuls-particular and military aides and secretaries and clerks and hangers-on and spies and jackals, all uniting to stab the land which gave them hospitality. Whatever else may happen, a hundred years will not efface from the minds of the people of the United States the belief that "Germany cannot be a Gentleman."

ALBERT BUSHNELL HART.