America in World War 1 (5)

When once the German people have a controlling voice in the
government, then, and not till then, can other governments believe the
word of the statesmen at Berlin. But at present the citizens of
Germany have little real power. For, while they can elect members of
the Reichstag, the Reichstag can pass no laws, for above this body is
the national council, whose members are appointed by the Kaiser and
the other kings and grand dukes. The power of declaring war and making
peace lies practically in the hands of the Kaiser alone, and at any
moment he can set aside any of Germany's laws, under the plea that
"military necessity" calls for certain things to be done. In this way,
he has thrown into prison those who dared to speak against the war,
and has either suppressed newspapers or ordered them to print only
what he wished printed; thus the German people have let him do their
thinking for them.

They are a docile people. One of the first words that a German baby is
taught to say is "Kaiser," and all of the schools, which are run by
the government, have taught nothing but respect for the present form
of government, and almost a worship of the Kaiser himself. What it is
hoped that this war will bring about is the freeing of the German
people from their blind obedience to the military power, which for its
own glory and pride has hurled them by the millions to death.

The United States has adopted plans in this war which are very
different from any hitherto used. With the exception of some troops
raised for a few months during the dark days of the War of the
Rebellion, all of our armies have been recruited from men who enlisted
of their own free will. In this great conflict in which we are now
engaged, the government has drawn its soldiers by lot from a list of
all the young men in the country between the ages of twenty-one and
thirty-one. Thus, rich and poor alike are fighting in our ranks.

For the first time in our history our troops have been sent to fight
on another continent. Many persons have felt that we should keep our
young men at home and wait for Germany to cross the Atlantic in order
to attack us. Our statesmen, on the other hand, saw that the peace of
the world was at stake. If Germany, Austria, and Turkey, the three
countries whose people have no voice in the question of peace or war,
come out of this conflict victorious, or even undefeated, the world
will see again the mad race for armaments which resulted in the war of
1914. If, on the other hand, the people of these nations realize that
it is true today, as in the olden times, that those people who take up
the sword shall perish by the sword, they will overthrow their leaders
and agree to disarm and live at peace in future with their neighbors.

The military parties in Austria and Germany wanted war. The only way
by which these people can be convinced is by brute force. When they
realize that they have not gained by war, but have lost, not only a
great deal of their wealth, through the terrific cost of the war, but
the friendship and respect of the whole world, when they realize that
the nations allied against them will push the war relentlessly until
these military chiefs confess that they never want to hear the word
"war" again, then, and only then, will they be ready to throw down
their arms and agree to join a league of the nations whose object
shall be to prevent any future wars.