Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1917 — THE GERMANS AND BARBARISM [ARTICLE]

THE GERMANS AND BARBARISM

Hands of Time Turned Back Hundreds of Years. Rev. J. Budman Fleming made a stirring address after the Sunday, school convention at the M. E. church Sunday evening. A splendid assembly heard him. His object was to show forth the present war as a. righteous cause. In part he said: » Rensselaer is a prosperous community. There is very little suffering from poverty among us; but if we had neighbors who should fall ill and they should be hungry —parents and children, would the people round about let them want for food and care? No. One person, perhaps, would take over a

basket for the morning meal; at noon another basket would be taken by another person; at night a third basket by a third person. Now, if I stood by next morning and watched and when I saw a neighbor coming with food I should fall upon hitn with a club, dash the basket to the ground and destroy its- contents intended to minister to the needs of that suffering family, what would you, think of me? Suppose that a number of people were lying injured down by the depot and suppose that the ambulance should come and get them and then should hurry as fast as possible to the hospital where they might have medical care and attention, and suppose that I should lie in wait, wreck the -ambulance, the sufferers should be thrown out and I should stand by and laugh at their their trouble and throw stones at them, all helpless and unresisting as they are—would you wait for the sheriff to come and take me to jail? I think not. I believe the people of this community would raise a mob to restrain me and 1 believe they would be justified. Now, the nations of the world met and made treaties for the welfare of all. It was agreed that the high seas should be unrestricted — r free for all to go and come in travel and commerce. The harbors might be blockaded in time of war, but the high seas were to be in no wav interfered with. GERMANY WENT TO THE FACE OF THE DIAL AND TURNED BACK THE HAND HUNDREDS OF YEARS, TO BARBRISM. She overrode the conventions and even her own agreements with Europe and declared her solemn treaties to be mere scraps of paper. She overran Belgium, slaughtered its inhabitants, took away the men to be used As slaved, destroyed property and carried away or destroyed all foodstuffs. Now ships of neutral countries approach filled with food and comforts for the pitiful remnant of the people. Germany attacks these peaceful ships and the baskets of food are sent to the bottom of the ocean. The crews, attempting to escape in the ' small boats to Safety, are fired upon and the boats are sunk. Hospital ships, filled- with wounded from the battlefield, are torpedoed and sunk. The agony and struggles *of the helpless wounded ones in the water are jeered at and mocked. ' The text of the discourse was "Greater love hath no man than this—that a man lay down his life for his friends.”