THE K AISER AN IT HIS IDEALS OF
CIVILIZED WARFARE.
The kind of kultur that He Would
Like to inflict upon the World.
(By F. Hunter Creech.)
You have frequently heard the ques
tion asked, "Why are we at war with
Germany, and why are we going to
send our troops across the water?"
And until six weeks ago this was quit-,
a common question. But development!*
and disclosures by our State Depart
ment have sufficiently answered that
question to those who have been keep
ing in touch with the situation.
The American people are looking
upon the war from a different view
point than they did only a few weeks
ago. It apears in an entirely different
light. The average man is beginning
to realize that America has entered
the wo^ld struggle for greater and
more sacred reasons than that of m?>rc
property right; he is beginning to
realize that American ideals, Ameri
can institutions, American charactoi ,
all these things which make American
ism what it is, are at stake. We
realize that we are fighting a foe of
civilization. We realize that only the
mechanical and scientific mind of Ger
many has progressed ? that the great
moral character of her nation is tbe
same as it was when, the brutal and
barbaric Goths poured out of the
Northern forests and proyed upon the
fair-haired daughters of Saxony.
Thero was much speculation when
America first entered the war as to
whether or not America did do the
right thing. But developments havi
shown that America was more than
amply justified in declaring war on
Germany, declared under duress as It
was.
May we nuuy ior awnue some m
the fundamental principles which
brought on this war and made it, not
only necessary, but, imperatively th:it
America should enter the struggle.
We might have submitted to sinistei
German influence for a longer period
than we did; we might have played
hands off when we witnessed the viola
tion of her national honor and oath,
which she failed to hold sacred; the
destruction of American lives and pro
perty needlessly; the raping of Bel
gium, the countenancing of the
frightful atrocities committed again*,
the Americans; the thousands and one
acts of barbarism and cruelty, that iui
only shocked all the civilized world but
violated all the rules of morals, de
cency, enlightenment, civilization and
culture. I say we might have played
hands off while witnessing all th.si
frightful acts, so utterly in'iumnn as
they were, and then we would have
teen forced into the struggle. Per
haps not at this time, but eventually,
when German arms had been success
ful in Europe and blood-lust, and de
sire for territorial conquests end mili
tary achievement directed their at
tention toward the peaceful and weal
thy shores of America. War was
absolutely impossible. It was up to us
to nip the spirit and influence in the
bud or, submit to all conceivable na
tional indignities and wait for the
grim harvest :r to overtake us with all
the inhuman and barbaric evils the
Kaiser has made possible out of war.
The w&r was ,not commenci on
account of the murder of one ol
the nobility. That was only the
occasion for the applying of the torch
to the already accumulated mass of
tinder that had been so carefully pre
pared by the skilful and wicked hand
of the Divine Ruler of the Imperial
German Empire for years and ytr r-;
past. The cruel and wicked plan and
intrigues which were fostered and
bred in the merciless and corrupt
brain of the German Kaiser, which
occasion has proven have lain there
slumber'ng for decades, were so in
human r.r.d astounding as to shock a id
stagger the world. The European
Nations who have come in direct con
tact have realized the blightimr cf
fects; wo, in America, are beginm t
to wake up to the frightfulness of ir
al!. Each Eastern wind wafts to us
tidings of cruel acts upon the part of
a people who claimed to be the grent
intellectual superiors of the world.
The tlings for which Germany and
the Kaiser stand indicted before the
Great Tribunal of Justice and Human
ity are not the things that can be
accredited to the efforts of bl )od-lrst
or the fjazed condition men must be
in immediately after b"ir.g in a severe
battle; but rather the things that h ive
been done cooly and deliberafely, with
the mind of a criminal, with a desir<
to feast i he baser passions "f man
upon the innocent and helpless; and
these are the things that show to u; a
nn.tion of people and an army of men
who possess a great spiritual rotten
ness, their deeds being a part of 'heir
make-up and an expression of their
character, the war being only the or.
car, ion for the demonstration of their
qualities.
Th- controlling and dominating i<i
flu^nces of the life of the Kaiser ar*
summed up, in two of his uttcr?in"<" ,
wherein he claimed an alliance with
God, and the divine right to rule, and
h's everlasting faith in the sword nrd
the array. He s?cms to believe that j
he is ?. rale u:id power unto himself
and th.-.< rs an instrument of Heaven
he can do as he pleases regardless of
the vie*M and opinions of the dny.
Perhaps you can gain from the
following statements an idea of ill?
estimate the Kaiser would have the
wi rid place upon his deed> apd mo
ti\es:
" Her j my grandfather by his ovrn
right set the Prussian crown upon h's
head, one? more distinctly emphasiz
ing the fi-ct that it was accorded h in
by the will of God alone, ant', not t?y
any assemblage of the people or by
popular vote, and that he thus looked
upon himself as the chosen instrument
of Heaven, and as such performed his
duties as regent and sovereign. . . .
I considc myself such an instrunvt.t
of Heaven, and shall go my way with
out regi.rd to the views nnd opinions
of th? day." Konigsberg, Aug. 1910.
Again he says:
"Forwr.rd with God, Who will be
with us as He was with our fathers."
Imperial Proclamation, Aug., 1914.
Th^ro are more than three thousand
recorded utterances of the Kaiser, in
cluding public speeches, addresses t<
his soldiers, and statements made to
friends nnd officials for publication.
He has spoken his mind p rhaps more
fully md frankly than any other
public 1 1 >.n of the day. He dreamed
a dream of a world empire over whi:h
ho reigned as Lord and Master. He
was more ambitious than was Caesar
Alexander cr Napoleon, and thought
he would be sure to realize his ambi
lion. lie has tried all the develop
ments and achievements of his devil
ish ingenuity upon a terror-stricken
world, and they are beginning to pile
up around him now as evidence of his
failure. Yet, he is not willing to ad
mit defeat but rather chooses to sacri
fco all that ho and his nation has as
a lust dying i (fort. He is the bitter,
unrelenting, determined foe of a civi
zation fighting and struggling against
militarism, and upon his shoulders .
must rest the burden and respoiis1
bilty of the gt\ atest war in the his'ory
of the world with all of its hideous iv-d !
frightful devastation and ruin.
May wi notice some more of his j
rpnmrlcs: I
" So v/e arc bound together, 1 and
the army; so are we born fcr one an
other, rnd so shall we hold together
indisoluhly, whether, as God wills, we
arc to have peace cr storm. I vow
that I shall ever be mindful of the fact
that the eyes of my forefathers lo<J>
down upon me from that other world,
and that one day I shall have to ren
der an account of the honor of the
army." ?
And what a hideous acount it win
e. 1 wonder if William II will lauirh
in devilish glee a.i(l proudly hold up
his head when ho renders to his fore-,
fathers in the spirit world an account
of the army left in his care and keep
ing. Will he point with pride* t> Ger
man Kuitur as manifested in the pres
ent, war? Will he point to devasied
Belgium, blighted by his foul breath,
and say, "just an incident, the hon.?
of my army"? Will he point with
pride to the deported Belgium women,,
ravished, torn and bleeding, suffe-iiiK
indignities and hardships a thousand
times mere horrible and cruel than
death! If he does, then the devil v il!
turn his face and blush for shame'
Again he said:
"The soldier must have a will of his
own; but you all have one will, and
that is my will. There is only one law,
and that is my law."
Again:
"1 consider myself an instrument
of Heaven, and shall go my way with
out 'regard to the views and opinions
of the day."
And he has gone his way, hand in
hand with his Satanic Majesty and the
jrim shadow of death, working de il
lation in the hearty of all people i -
erywhere, tearing down and defacing
institutions which it has taken
to construct, committing atrocities
and acts of barbarism wherever he
can place his fmger. Bismarck truly
said, while the Kaiser was still Prinri
William, of P ussia:
"In him there is something of
Frederick the Great, and he might be
come as despotic as Frederick th?>
Great."
Ho h: s becom-' doubly so ar.'i a
parliamentary government has not
had the ability or the courair to
check his wicked power.
The Kaiser surdy pave a tr< >><1 in
dex of his intentions when he told hi.'
soliders to make th"mselves m ?ro
frightful than the Huns under Atil
la, so tha no enemy for a thousand
years vv.tulc mention the r.;?me of Ger
many without a shudder. And n > en
emy of Germany will mention h 1
name for a thousand years without a
shudder, just as will no frierwl of civ
ilization. His m tto has scmoJ in he,
"Death end hunger, murder and lie?
upon earth, peace and pood will to
ward th" devil." Wha* a Strang*.
"ours-1 for on - to pursue who claim* a
Divine Alliancc. If '.lie Kaiser had
laimed an alliance with tho divil nnd
claimed himself to be an in^rument
of h -11 then, judging by his deeds, th?? i
eiviliz v/orld would hive beli'rvd j
him. Then is nothing in his chat
r.cter than can appeal to the finei
senses of any man. He has brought 1
the dark aires faee to face with the '
new world. Standing up to his knees |
in the blood of the innoeent wonn. |
and ehildren whom he has murdered, |
in the niog' terrible sense of the word,
with a dr:>wn face seared with savage j
lines, a brutal countenance, a gory |
dagger in his hands, he stands on the
crimson shores of Europe gazing to
wards the West, like a lion at bay, nnd
there he sees the firm and determin
ed face of Uncle Sam, and he knows
that his course is run.
It is the unnecessary brutal thing
which foim the greater part of the
condemnation of the Kaiser. Utterly
inexcusable acts of cruelty for which
there can be no motive save that of
vengeance. And the things that he h;is
countenanced nnd ordered in this re
spect would fill volumes. A few ex.
amples for instance:
The sinking of the Belgian Prince
on the 31st day of July, 1917, wh?n
thirty-eight members of the crew
were coolly and deliberately drowned
after they had left thei'* boat. Their
life boats were smashed with hatch
ets and their life-belts were taken
away from them mid they were left
on the deek of the submarine for
about an hour when, without an;
warning, the submarine suddenly sub
merged leading them to their fate.
The details of this crime form a very
interesting and tragic story.
Another instance of the Kais <r's
inhuman methods is the treatment of
prisoners of war. Every imaginable
indignity is heaped upon them. Not
only that, but the German govern
ment furnishes them practically nefrh.
ing to ent and in several cases have
placed prisoners-. in fever-infested
cells so that they may contract the
terrible disease and make their r.d
dance the easier.
One of the most tragic chapters
that haa ever been written in history
is that of the German treatment of
Belgian worn n and children. Ravish
cd, deported, in fact, about the most
merciful thinrr that Germany did to
the women and? childrert- of Be^ium
was to gather them in crowd ? and
mercilessly shoot th ni down. Horri
ble! we have to clcse our ey~s and
shudder when we think of it.
Only a short while ago Belgium
was one of the principal centers of
human activity. Now the silen-e of
death reigns over its mines and its
factories. The Belgium of today is
for its inhabitants merely a cage
whose bars are formed of German
bayonets. They have been robbed of
everything, money, provisions, mate
rial and machinery. The man in the
t-renches fares a great deal better
than the one left at homo. The >vom
en and children are in a starved con
dition, absolutely destitute. And tl,e
Kaiser stands off and smiles in shal
low mockery. An instrument of Heav
en! What a conception of Heaven
he must have! Our Spirit of Ameri
canism hat' been our boast since the
signing of the Mecklenburg Declara
tion of Independence. I)o not the
pleading hands of Belgian women and
children appeal to that Americanism?
And we might go on and on and cite
instance after instance, such as the
cutting off of the hands of little chil
dren so that the next generation
would be powerless as an enemy
against Germany; the execution of
Edith Cavell; the murderous warfare
upon helpless and innocent noncom
batants, the countenancing of t ho
frightful atrocitics committed in Ar
menia. too horrible and inconceivable
to mention. In short, there has been
no act cf brutality, baibarism, cow
ardice, aneakishness, any exli mity of
murder and debauchery that the Ka>s
er and his cohorts would not commit.
Ilis whole policy has been repulsive
and odious to an enligh'eded people.
And if what he has displayed to th<
world has been a fair sample of Ger
man Kultur GthL grant that we may
never have any of it; but rather, thai (
we have the plain old American kind
where we at least realize that th- ?
best there is in any man iu the woman
there is in him, and if man cases to
respect woman then he has lost li
self-respect and has descended to the
lower, t plane of our social standard!
Quoting from the Literary Dig:
'Crushed i?:id starving Belgium cri -s
out to us in agony. Devested Poland,
Servia, nn<! Armenia ? the broken, tor
tured little pet pics of Europe ? rea"h
out to us in unspeakable suffering and
need.
"And Firnr ! That friend nd
??omrad ? who pave hlcod and treasure
on our soil to h<*lp us to our birth of
freedom! That Franco, aft"r one hun
dred and forty years, is now stnrr
KrlinT to gave her own lift* and free
dom! She s"es us grown rich i.'id
strong. She is looking towards us
earnestly, confidently. An! if sh"
averts her gaz* it is to st? the tra;;i:'
ruin of her noilh"in provinces."
Who c^n c'ouht thvt Americ> van
justified in entering the wr.r! Ei'.rope
I.neels on her western shores and
razes towurd America. Her garment?
of white i re torn and tattered, oor
hair falls in flowing waves about, her
head, she sees a mighty r; ;nb< w
span th? great Atlantic, and in ;t?
matij colors she behold.? a flng cf r.
nation. Refold! it is the Star Span- I
pled Banner! S!u rises and with a
mighty shout exclaims: "America's
hosts are coming, a thousand thous
and strong." And America will So
there to see that the Kaiser, tht
greatest autocrat in history, and his 1
piinciples shall perish from the L>ce
of the earth!
^ K K *
* BUSINESS LOCALS. *
* M
^ ? ????????? ?????????????
TO MAKE LIFE'S WALK EASY
we wecr Hunt Club Shoes. Cotter
Underwood Smithtield, N. C.
HEART CEDAR SHINGLES CAN
be found at Cotter Hardware Co.
THE SMITHFIELD BUILDING 4
Loan Association has helped ?
number of people to build homes
It will help others, and maybe you
New series of shares now opst*
See Mr. J. J. Broadhurst.
STRAYED OR STOLEN ONE LIGHT
bay mare mule with white spots on
hip, six years old, and one s\!e
spring, stick back, open buggy ?
shafts have been repaired ? from
near Old Beulah church, Sunday
night. Any information will be ap
preciated and expenses paid. Notify
T. A. Barham, Clayton, N. C., R. 2.
IF YOU NEED A NICE RUBBER
Tire Buggy, call on Cotter-Under
- wood Co., Smithfield, N. C.
WE CAN SAVE YOU MONEH NOW.
Buy your Fertilizers, Cotton Seed
Meal and Acid now before Spring
Prices are announced. Austin
Stephenson Company, Smithfield,
N.'C.
LOOK? BE SURE TO SEE OUR
beautiful High-Top Ladies' Shoes,
all colors, prices and quality. Cot
ter-Underwood Co., Smithljcld, N. C
LAND FOR S \LK? EIGHTY-ACRE
f;irm, known as the Cook Place, sit
uated two miles East of Clayton,
and suited to tobacco and general
crops. Lot in Clayton, containing
one and three-eights acres. Will sell
wholo or part. Two lots in "New
Colored Town" in Clayton. Lot
near depot in Smithfield. I). J.
Thurston, Clayton, N. C.
CHERVOLETT ROADSTER FOR
sale, first-class condition. See J.
('. Weeks at Farmers Warehouse,
Smithf.eld, N. C.
FARM? WANTED A GOOD FARM
in middle or eastern North Caroli
na. State number acres in tract,
number cleared, price and terms.
Address Box 8, Middlesex, N. C.
ro'iTER-l'N DEKWOOD COMPANY
have just unloaded two cars of tine
Furniture. See them before you buy
and save money. Smithfield, N. C.
HEART CEDAR SHINGLES CAN
be found at Cotter Hardware Co.
WANTED TO BUY YOUR MUTTON
suet. Hood Bros., Smithfield, N. C.
LOST OK STOLEN? SEPTEMBER
28th, one black and white spotted
bin! dog, medium size. Finder will
please notify Geo. F. Moore, Ben
son, and receive reward.
IF YOU WANT THE BEST FLOUR
in town, buy Dan Valley, at Cotter
Underwood Co.'s, Smithfield, N. C.
>VE HAVE COTTON-SEED MEAL.
16 per cent acid, 8 ? 3 ? 2 and 8 ?
3 ? 3 fertilizer that we exchange
for cotton seed. Austin-Stephenson
Company, Smithfield, N. C.
FOR SALE? THREE FRESH MILCH
cows, nt my Woodall place. See J.
T. McLeod or T. S. Ragsd^.le, Smith
field, N. C.
YOU CAN MAKE MONEY BY BUY
ing your Furniture at The Austin
Stephenson Company's. A trial is
all wo ask.
CAR OF HACKNEY BUGGIES EX
pectcd to-day at Austin-Stephenson
Company's ? ask any nan who has
owned one.
DONTP BE CLOSE FISTED? BUY
a Loth Queen Stove. We have them
("otter Hardware Company.
the best line of shoes OF
all kinds are at Cotter-Underwood
Co., 8mitMle!4? N. C.
REM M BER AU8TTN-STEPHEN
son Company makes a specialty of
clothing, Ladies' Cloaks and Shoos ?
Will save you money.
CARBIDE FOR SALE AT STED
man-Htores Co., -Smithfield, and
at my Store. J. W. Smith, Smith
field, \T. C., Route No. 1.
THE BEST AND LARGEST STOCK '
of Furniture in Smithfield is at
Cotter-Underwood Co.'s, Smithfield,
N. C.
NOTHING BUT THE BEST HAR
ness sold at Austin-Stephenson Co.
OUR FALL AND WINTER SHOES
line ia now complete. Cotter-Un
derwood Company, Smithfield, N. C.
A USTI N -ST E P H EN SON COM PAN Y
will sell you an all wool suit for
$8.50. Can you beat it'
WE HAVE FOR SALE? SOME
mules and horses cheap for Cash.
Cotter-Underwood Co., Smithfield,
H. C.
FOR RED DOG, SHIPSTUFF, SEED
oats, seed rye and all kinds of
feedstuff and groceries you can
save money at The Austin-Stephen
son Company's, Smithfield, N. C.
IF YOU WANT TO BUY A PAIR OF
ladies' fine Shoes, go to Cotter
Underwood Co.
WE CAN SAVE YOU MONEY NOW.
Buy ycur Fertilizers, Cotton Seed
Meal and Acid now before Spring
Prices are announced. Austin
Stepher.son Company, Smithfield,
N. C.
IF YOU WANT ONE-THIRD OF
your life, easy and comfortable see
our Felt Bed line of Mattresses.
Cotter-Underwood Co., Smithfield,
N. C. ?
CAR OF PIEDMONT WAGONS AT?
The Austin-Stephenson Co. All
sizes.
MONEY TO LOAN ON IMPROVED
farm land at 5 per cent interest.
Five, seven and ten yer.rs time.
Amount unlimited. A. M. Noble,
Attorney-at-law, Smithfield, N. ('.
NEW TESTAMENTS AND BIBLES
for sale at The Herald Office.
BE SURE TO SEE OUR NEW
line of Furniture at old prices.
Cotter-Underwood Co., Smithfield,
N. C.
WHEN VOUAKE READY TO BUY
your fall goods, come to Austin
Stcphenson Company's, where you
can find a full stock and they will
save you money.
SEE US FOR LATHS AND PLA8
ter. Cotter Hardware Co.
IF YOU WANT THE LARGEST
stock of goods in Smithfield to pick
from you can find them at Austin
Stephenson Co.
Auction Sale of Very Desirable Real Estate
In The G rowing 1 own
SELMA, ~-~fTC
Date: Nov. 22nd, at 2:30 P. M. 1917.
A Personal Inspection of the Property to he sold
to the Highest Bidder invited .
The list will prove to be the most ii teresting and the most valuable ever offered. And
is daily increasing in value. A change of investment for another kind is the reason for
selling. The buyer will be the gainer. The seller will be the loser. See the list. Make
your selection and do not fail to be <>n hand at the proper time.
Attention! Hotel Men!
On same clay will he sold the WYOMING HOTEL for the High Dollar. The buildine
will be offered first, then the lot, and then both. The most satisfactory bid to the owner
will be accepted. A personal investigation of this property invited.
This is one of the best hotel properties now offered in Eastern Carolina and will con
tinue to be so. Within 30 yards of the Union Station. Intending to quit the hotel busi
ness is why this property is offered. Investigate the property now before it is too laV
"Fortune knocks only once," etc. He is knocking at vour door now
JOHN A. MITCHENER,
Selma, N. C.
November 3, 1917.
List, Look, Read Carefully
The two" business lots corner Raifcrd and Waddell Streets, 25x140 feet running bad;
to a 20-foot alley. On these two lots <<'ands an eight-room cottage. The cottage will be
offered first; then one of the lots, ar.'l then the other lot. Then the entire property 'is
it stands, lots and cottage. The bid mo: t satisfactory to the owner will be accepted.
Four residential lots, 50x143, to uc alley. These lots are nearly in front of the
Mayor's residence and that of Rev. J. II. Worley, and just the right distance from oui
splendid sehool building.
Also three lots in Pine Dale, across the stm t from Temple Park, (Part of the school
property) donated by the Mayor.
Two lots, 50x143 to alley, corner Vv yoming Avenue, near the old ?rin house. One m v
well arranged cottage corner Gertrude Avenue and Raiford Street, now occupied by Mr
Newberry.
Also the Inside Inn and three vacant lots between the Inn and Mulberry Cottage.
One business lot 11Qx30 feet corirr Webb and Waddell Streets just back of Ray v**
Cockerham's law office.
Now follow the crowd to a very desirable 4-room cottage on Anderson Street now
occupied by Mr. Whaley. Splendid witer, garden and yard frontage on Anderson Street
big enough for two cottages. All of this property is very desirable and will increase rap
idly in value.