German Soldiers Scatter Libels About President
Title
German Soldiers Scatter Libels About President
Creator
Unknown
Identifier
WWP15510
Date
1918 October 22
Description
German soldiers are spreading anti-Wilson propaganda, blaming Wilson for the continuation of the war.
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
(associated press despatch.)
(special telegram to the herald.)
With the Fighting Armies,Tuesday, 4 pm
The tract attacking President Wilson, which the German soldiers are distributing among the civilian population before evacuating the villages, and which aviators are dropping behind the Allies’ lines, purports to be a quotation from an article in the “Mir” of Moscow. The text follows:—
“Rumors of imminent general peace have lately spread through Western Europe. Spain and the Vatican had made particular efforts in that direction. However, noble as were those efforts, they were destined to break in face of the opposition of the United States.
“It is now accordingly absolutely evident that the determination to kill emanates from the White House at Washington, and is concetrated in the person of President Wilson.
“It is needless to say that the doctor of philosophy, President, Democrat and Humanitarian, Woodrow Wilson, will be able to invent the best of reasons to justify the continuation of the war. But those reasons will teach us nothing. Do we not find them in the history of all sacrilegious wars? Pharoahs of Egypt already pretended to obey the will of the Gods when they ordered sanguinary vengeances. Rome massacred people in the name of Salus Reipublicæ. The Khalifas sought in Islam justfication of the cruelty of their holy wars, and the conquerors of the Middle Ages shed blood in the name of Christ. To-day supposedly civilized statesmen, honorary members of divers academies, societies, Red Cross societies, doctors of philosophy and law, use their ingenuity to discover wise reasons, full of niceites, to legitimize the mutual throat-cutting of peoples.
“What difference is there, then, between Wilson, come out of Philadelphia University, and any sort of Nero?” the article asks, and continues: “The first defends the thesis of the continuation of the war before the American Senate.
The second justified each of his crimes before the Roman Senate. The President and Cæsar have recourse to the same rhetorical periods to defend their State sadism. What balm can the niceites of the President’s oratory bring to the sacrifices of this war?
“If we speak of President Wilson only it is not to pardon other Imperial schemes. But in the presence of the cruel truth that for nearly five years human blood flows without ceasing, it is natural that we point out to human justice the man who may be reproached by humanity with the prolonging of this horrible butchery. To-day the peoples aspire for peace. America and England alone pretend to remain deaf to pacific propositions, be they due to the initiative of the Russian Government, of the Pope or of a neutral State.“
‘To the very end,’ that is their only reply. To what end, messieurs les sadiques? Must Europe perish? Must the human race disappear from the globe? Do you want the Old Continent to be nothing but a vast cemetery in which shall reign, to the great joy of American billionaires, the repose of a peace really eternal?
”The French press is solid in its hearty approval of President Wilson’s reply. Here are some extracts:
“Temps.”
Pitiless toward criminals, President Wilson continues his offensive of justice. He arraigns Germany’s rulers. He reminds them that in one of his speeches, of which they have accepted all the principles, there is the phrase which he uttered before Washington’s tomb on 4 last: “The destruction of every arbitrary power anywhere that can separately, secretly and on its single choice disturb the peace of the world; or, if it cannot be presently destroyed, at least its reduction to virtual impotency.
”Mr. Wilson shows that the German Government has been up to now one of these arbitrary powers which must be destroyed or reduced to impotency; and he adds: “It depends on the will of the German nation to change it.”
The Berlin Government, which was feverishly awaiting the reply of the United States, will now be obliged to allow all the newspapers across the Rhine to reproduce these lines.
“Petit Parisien.”
Wilson seeks to prepare the divorce of the German nation and its rulers. If this policy succeeds, it will give the world serious guarantees, for Prussian militarism will be dead.
“Intransigeant.”
The honesty of President Wilson is cleverer than the knavery of Berlin. If the German people is sincere in its desire for a just peace, it is not through its present masters and by their tortuous methods that they must ask for it.
(special telegram to the herald.)
With the Fighting Armies,Tuesday, 4 pm
The tract attacking President Wilson, which the German soldiers are distributing among the civilian population before evacuating the villages, and which aviators are dropping behind the Allies’ lines, purports to be a quotation from an article in the “Mir” of Moscow. The text follows:—
“Rumors of imminent general peace have lately spread through Western Europe. Spain and the Vatican had made particular efforts in that direction. However, noble as were those efforts, they were destined to break in face of the opposition of the United States.
“It is now accordingly absolutely evident that the determination to kill emanates from the White House at Washington, and is concetrated in the person of President Wilson.
“It is needless to say that the doctor of philosophy, President, Democrat and Humanitarian, Woodrow Wilson, will be able to invent the best of reasons to justify the continuation of the war. But those reasons will teach us nothing. Do we not find them in the history of all sacrilegious wars? Pharoahs of Egypt already pretended to obey the will of the Gods when they ordered sanguinary vengeances. Rome massacred people in the name of Salus Reipublicæ. The Khalifas sought in Islam justfication of the cruelty of their holy wars, and the conquerors of the Middle Ages shed blood in the name of Christ. To-day supposedly civilized statesmen, honorary members of divers academies, societies, Red Cross societies, doctors of philosophy and law, use their ingenuity to discover wise reasons, full of niceites, to legitimize the mutual throat-cutting of peoples.
“What difference is there, then, between Wilson, come out of Philadelphia University, and any sort of Nero?” the article asks, and continues: “The first defends the thesis of the continuation of the war before the American Senate.
The second justified each of his crimes before the Roman Senate. The President and Cæsar have recourse to the same rhetorical periods to defend their State sadism. What balm can the niceites of the President’s oratory bring to the sacrifices of this war?
“If we speak of President Wilson only it is not to pardon other Imperial schemes. But in the presence of the cruel truth that for nearly five years human blood flows without ceasing, it is natural that we point out to human justice the man who may be reproached by humanity with the prolonging of this horrible butchery. To-day the peoples aspire for peace. America and England alone pretend to remain deaf to pacific propositions, be they due to the initiative of the Russian Government, of the Pope or of a neutral State.“
‘To the very end,’ that is their only reply. To what end, messieurs les sadiques? Must Europe perish? Must the human race disappear from the globe? Do you want the Old Continent to be nothing but a vast cemetery in which shall reign, to the great joy of American billionaires, the repose of a peace really eternal?
”The French press is solid in its hearty approval of President Wilson’s reply. Here are some extracts:
“Temps.”
Pitiless toward criminals, President Wilson continues his offensive of justice. He arraigns Germany’s rulers. He reminds them that in one of his speeches, of which they have accepted all the principles, there is the phrase which he uttered before Washington’s tomb on 4 last: “The destruction of every arbitrary power anywhere that can separately, secretly and on its single choice disturb the peace of the world; or, if it cannot be presently destroyed, at least its reduction to virtual impotency.
”Mr. Wilson shows that the German Government has been up to now one of these arbitrary powers which must be destroyed or reduced to impotency; and he adds: “It depends on the will of the German nation to change it.”
The Berlin Government, which was feverishly awaiting the reply of the United States, will now be obliged to allow all the newspapers across the Rhine to reproduce these lines.
“Petit Parisien.”
Wilson seeks to prepare the divorce of the German nation and its rulers. If this policy succeeds, it will give the world serious guarantees, for Prussian militarism will be dead.
“Intransigeant.”
The honesty of President Wilson is cleverer than the knavery of Berlin. If the German people is sincere in its desire for a just peace, it is not through its present masters and by their tortuous methods that they must ask for it.
Original Format
Article
Files
Collection
Citation
Unknown, “German Soldiers Scatter Libels About President,” 1918 October 22, WWP15510, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.