THE. MOUNTAINEER-COUIER, WAYNESVTLLE, N. C.
, IJEKE SPEAKS A MAN
Oilo tf. Kahn, the Great Banker,
, CbIis on German-Americans
to Stand for the Right.
Manufacturers Record, Sept 27.
(Otto H. Kahn, head of Kuhn,
Lceb & Co. of New York, one
of the foremost international I
and not a few other, things of
vsiue, but' it had taken in pay-,
ment the soul of the race. I.
had made a "devil's bargain."
And when this war broke out
in Europe I knew that the issue
had been joined between the j
powers of brutal might and in-
renate pmbition on the one
rind the forces cf human:
Linking houses of the world, is ' and liberty on the other, between
'of German descent, and his -darkness and light,
house has long been intimately Many there were at that time
mdentified-with German nnaa- f and amongst them men" for
. i i i ; : r i K .
. . ce. i'rom me uegiumiig iu me
European war he saw its true
u 2diiag, and even then believ
ed that this was our war as well
aj Europe's. He has repeatedly
called upon German-Americans
to see that Prussia militarism
destroying the Germany' if old
was destroying the Germany of
, old. mentally tand morale
to destroy Belgium and France.
Once more Mr. Kahn speaks in a
voice which should command the
nation. His speech as delivered
on Sentember 26 before the Har
risburg Chamber of Commerce
and given below is a superb
presentation of the whole mat
ter. If any confirmation were
needed of what the Manufactur
ers Record has been saying
about the downward road to
moral degradation which for 25
years Germany has been pursu
ing, of the fearful atrocities
committed, of its plans - for
world dominion, and of the fact
that from the very beginning,
our own safety demanded
that we stand by the side of the
Allies, it would be found in this
speech of this eminent interna
tional banker of ' German de
scent who has known Germany
intimately. Editor Manufactur
ers Record.)
I speak as one who has seen
the spirit of Prussian's govern
ing class at work from close by,
having at its disposal and using
to the full practically every
agency for moulding the public
mind.
I have watched it proceed with
relentless persistency and pro
found cunnning to instill into
the nation the domonical ob
session of power-worship and
world-dominion, to modify anJ
perverc the mentality, indeed
the very fiber and moral sub
stance of the German people a
people which until misled, cor
rupted and systematically pois
oned by the Prussian ruling
caste, was, and deserved to be,
an honored,- valued and welcome
member of the family of nations.
I have hated and loathed
that spirit ever since it came
within my ken many years ago,
hated it all the more as I saw it j
ruthlessly pulling down a thing
which was dear to me, the old
Germany to which I was linked
by ties of blood, by' fond memo
ries and cherished sentiments.
The difference in the degree
of guilt as between the German
people and their Prussian or
Prussianized rulers and leaders
for the monstrous crime of this
war and the atrocious barbarism
of its conduct is the difference
between the man who, acting
under the influence of a poison
ous drug, runs amuck in mad
frenzy and the unspeakable
malefactor who administered
that drug, well knowing and ful
ly intending the ghastly conse
quences which were bound to
follow.
The world fervently longs for
peace. But there can be no peace
answering to the true meaning
of the word, no peace permitting
the nations of the earth, great
and small, to wr"c unarmed and
unafraid, until ti.a teaching and
the leadership of the apostles of
an outlaw creed shall have be
come discredited and hateful in
the sight of the German people,
until that people shall have
awakened to a consciousness ol
the unfathomable guilt of those
whom they have followed into
whose character I had high re
spect and whoss motives were
beyond any possible suspicion
who saw their own and Ameri- j
ca's duty in strict neutrality ':
mentally and actually, but per- '
sonally I believed from the be i
ginning ot the war, wnetner wc
liked all the elements of the A!
lies combination or not and
certainly did not like the Russi
of the Czars that the cause of
the Allies was America s cause
I believed that this was no or
dinary war between peoples for
a question of national interest
or even national honor, but
conflict between f undamenta
priciples and ideas; and so be
lieving I was bound to feel thr
the natural lines of race, blooi
and kinship could not be the
determining lines, for one's at
titude and alignment, but that
each man, whatever his origin
had to decide according to h
t i
judgment ana conscience or
which side was the right and or
which was the wrong, and take
his stand accordingly, whatever
the wrench and anguish of the
decision. And thus I took my
stand three years ago
Jtsui wnatever one s views
and feelings, whatever the coun
try of one's birth or kin, only one
course was left for all those
claiming the privilege of Amer
ican citizenship, when by action
of the President and Congress
tne cause and the nght of the
runes was formally made our
cause and our fight.
Hie duty of loyal alleeiance
and faithful service to his coun
try, even unto death, rests, o
course, upon every American.
But if it be possible to sDeak
of a comparative degree concern
ing what is the highest as it if
the most elementary attribute
of citizenship, that duty mav al
most be said to rest with an even
more'solemn and compelling ob
ligation upon Americana of for
eign origin than upon native
Americans.
For, we Americans of foreier;
antecedents, are here not by the
accidental right of birth, but by
our own free choice for better
or for worse.
We are your fellow-citizens
. calamity and shame, until
- mood of penitence and of a de
cent respect for the opinions of
mankind shall have supplanted
Te sway of what President
Wilson has so trenchantly term.
ed "trucuience and treachery."
God grant that the German
1 V r i i .
yeuuie may ueiore lontr worn out
their own salvation and find the
I 1 1 ... . . -
my ruu wnicn wui give to ine
world an early peace and lead
r t i . -
of nations from which it is now
an outcast.
From each of my visits to
Germany for twenty-five years
I came away more appalled by
the1 sinister transmutation Prus
sianisnr had wrought amongst
the people and by the porten-
tot:s menace I recognized in it
for the entire world.
- It had gived to Germany un
rsr&IIeled prosperity, beneficent
. : r.d adrajTced social legislation
because you accepted our oat;
of allegiance as given in goo
faith, and because you have
opened to us in generous trust
the portals of American oppor
tunity and freedom, and have
admitted us to membership
the family of Americans, givin?
u e4Udi ngiiis in ine great in
heritance which has been creat
ed by the blood and the toil of
your ancestors, asking nothing
from us in return but decent cit
izenship and adherence to those
ideals and principles which are
symbolized by the glorious flag
ui America.
Woe to him who considers his
American citizenship merely as
a convenient garment to be worn
in iair weather, but to ho p.
changed for another one in timr
of storm and stress !
Woe to the German-AmeriVan
so-called, who in this sacred war
for a cause as high as -any for
wiucn ever people took up arms,
does not feel a solemn urge, does'
not show an eager determination
to be in the very forefront of the
struggle, does not prove a pa
triotic jealousy, in thoueht. in
action and in speech, to rival and
to outdo his native-born fellow
citizen in devotion and in willine
ocriuce ior ine country of his
choice and adoption and sworn
allegiance and of their common
affection and pride.
As Washington led Americans
of British blood to fight against
Great Britain, as Lincoln mlM
upon Americans of tha NnrtH tr i
fight their verv brother rt th '
South, so Americans of lrman i
de?cent are now summoned tr
JOin in niir pnnnfnr'a I
struggle against a Deoole of their
own blood which, under the evil
speJ of a dreadful nKaPsainn
and. Heaven knows, through no
fauit of ours, has made itself th
enemy or this peace-loving na-
iion, as is tne enemr of ne
and right and freedom through
put the world.
To gain America's indepen
dence, to defeat oppression and
tyranny, was indeed to gain a
great cause. '
(Ceatlostd oa Fart 7)
Auction
Me
Of
I am shipping
weight 9oo
a
car of fine mares, 2 to 5 years,
to 13oo pounds, and will be in
WAYNESVILLE
tofoffer them for sale to the highest bidder in front of court
house at 10 o'clock A. M.
t 1?&&V"V 5'"' "
:-v Bar t .
Thursday, October 25, 1917
All are highest grade mares You can't buy fine mares of this class in this section at the prices these
mares will sell for. In fact, such fine animals are not to be found-at any price in this section. They
are not branded nor western mares but extra goo; ;J specially selected native animals.
Come In before sale and examine these mares and see tor yourself that they are even better
than represented. They'll be here Wednesday before the sale and alo v will make private trades for
cattle, mules or cash. I will positively be there, rain or shh
These mares are the very highest type-?the kind you need
Would like to have you examine the marcs to tee that they are exactly u represented. They're especially selected and
11 1 1 1 .1 .1111" 11 . 1 T it rm .....
weu orea ana tnorouguy broke reaJly choice mares. I mean every word 1 say. lbu will give you opportunity
get a mare that will raise you a colt and do your work the same as a mule and on the aame feed. Never befc
mares as profitable as now.
to
tore were
Any Animal Hot Found as Represented Will bs Taken Back And Money Will be Refunded
Understand, I want to buy mules and trade mares for mules and cattle
Hot a dull minute at the" sale. Expert riding and other good features to entertain you
Inmner
AiHey
From Madisonvilles Tenn.
For any inf omation ask JM B utherf ord. WaynesriDe. Reference: Bank of Madisonville, Tenn.
FC.1 FiZSULlSIIiY AN AUli I
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