2. The Kaiser, Crown Prince and Princes of Germany have scoffed at the idea of democracy (have boasted of the submarine as the "argument of kings" against democracy). 3. The Kaiser claims to be king by divine right, and to be God's agent on earth. (Read from his addresses to soldiers, history teachers,-in Munich, etc., etc., 1891, 1897, 1900, 1909, 1914, 1916, 1917. See Teacher's Journal, June, 1917, World's Work, June, 1917. Review of Reviews' December, 1917. "Out of Their Own Mouths," etc.) 4. The German police system was more severe than ever were the quartering of the British soldiers of King George on the American colonies. (We did not stand it then, we must not run the risk of it now.) See West's Modern World. 5. Germany curbed freedom of speech and of the press, and suppressed the individual, and made him just a link in the machinery of the government, which was controlled by a privileged autocratic class above him. In Prussia, men voted according to wealth, not universal suffrage. In one district in Berlin three men paid one-third of the taxes, had one-third the vote of all the district of the city. 6. If we had lost this war, we should have lost the guar antee of everything that Washington and his compatriots fought for, and "government of the people, by the people, for the people," would have perished "from the earth," for generations to come, if not for centuries. III. The Duty of Every American to Support the War 1. It is our duty to know, first of all, the justice of our country's cause. 2. We should have the courage to hold up that cause wherever it is assailed for 3. Sedition and treason are continually being sown throughout our land, and must be met and put down. This is still true. 4. To be worthy of the country that has given us the blessing of liberty, we must support with a will all the movements among the people to aid in this work, such as a. The War Y. M. C. A. work. b. The Red Cross Work. c. The food production conservation campaigns. d. The Liberty Loans. e. Every other war agency with which we come in contact. An equal duty now devolves upon us to support with all our power the principles for a just and lasting peace, that our peace delegates are striving for at Versailles. IV. Some Reliable References On the War and Its Issues A. Magazines and Periodicals. a. World's Work, June, 1917. "Germany's Long Road to Democracy." b. World's Work, June, 1916. "The Mailed Fist c. Review of Reviews, December, 1918. Editorials. on same. f. Independent, October 20, 1918. "Peace with Victory." Ex-President Taft. g. History Teachers' Magazine, January, 1918. Critical outline, notes and references on the causes, issues and events of the Great War, by Professor Harding, of Indiana University. B. Books. a. "Evidence in the Case," J. W. Beck, Assistant Attorney General, U. S. b. "Ambassador Morganthau's Story," in book form. c. "Out of Their Own Mouths." From German sources. d. "The German Terror in France." e. "My Four Years in Germany," Ambassador Gerard. f. "With the Turks in Palestine," Alexander Aaronsohn. g. "England and Germany," by Cramb, written before the war. h. "Germany and the Next War"-Bernhardi. C. Library Pamphlets and Booklets. a. "Plain Words From America," Prof. Johnson, of Columbia University. b. Speeches of General Smuts, formerly Boer General against England. c. "Why the War Must Go On." d. "List of Neutral Ships Sunk by Germans." e. "Deportation of Belgian Women." f. "The New German Empire." g. "The Red, White and Blue Book," U. S. Official Documents. h. The U. S. Official Bulletin. i. "Sixteen Causes of War," Prof. A. C. McLaughlin, University of Chicago. j. "The Great War." k. "Democracy Today," Lake Classic Series, Scott Foresman Co. 1. "Ireland and Poland." m. "When the Prussians Came to Poland," by an American woman who lived at the time of the n. "Their Crimes." o. "Microbe-Cultures in Bukharest." p. "Why Italy is with the Allies." q. "Character of the British Empire." r. French, English, Russian and Italian "Official Books." s. "The Union of Two Great Peoples," W. H. Page, U. S. Minister to England. The above references are not meant to be complete, nor the only reliable ones, but they form a working basis for the proper study of the war, and for that reason were selected. The military events will be outlined and commented on later. CHAPTER XIV THE GERMAN DIPLOMACY AND STRATEGY HE foregoing outline is not exhaustive,—it is not intended to give all the good material that may be found and read with profit; but it is intended as a brief guide and course for the ordinary student and the busy teacher who may not have time for a more extensive study. For the person who wishes to supplement this reading by a further study, there is an excellent collection of noteworthy and authentic volumes to be found in the average public library, or the library of any first rate college or university. For a list of these books see Prof. Harding's outline and bibliography in the January (1918) number of the History Teachers' Magazine,-the article that we have referred to once or twice previously. This article is also one of the "War Information Series," published by the Committee on Public Information. Let us now take up the Imperial German government's policy and plan of conquest in the beginning of the war, as shown by our previous study of the causes of the war. The first acts of the Imperial German government, in conjunction with the prearranged plan of her military general staff, were in accord in every particular with her policy as instigator of the war. (Here again I would refer the readers to Mr. Beck's excellent volume, "The Evidence in the Case.") A new verification of this fact is found in the recent publication of the German Prince Lichnowsky's arraignment of the German government in the years immediately preceding the war, and particularly, the Kaiser's responsibility for the catastrophe. (Prince Lichnowsky's complete diary may be found |