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Show America Must Indict German Government and People That Support It By WILLIAM E. WALLING Why have we permitted the German propaganda to spread among tie 'Y its poison of hatred against the world's democracies and the germs of ' unreason and moral' cowardice by which it had already inoculated and 6tupefied its own people? Why did we not resist this propaganda? For the simple reason that despotic governments can make propaganda in their own and other countries, while democratic governments being based on freedom of opinion cannot.' Against Germany's poison gases, against her treacherous treach-erous murder of women and children, we can and do react. Against her intellectual and moral poisons, so far, we have been helpless. The German propaganda has conquered its millions of recruits 'T4" throughout the world not only by its vast volume, its infinite repetitions, end its infinite variety, but also by its boldness. It has always been on the aggressive. It has always claimed everything. And it has always succeeded suc-ceeded in planting at least a part of its germs of discord and unreason in at least a part of the American public's mind. Germany assumed the diplomatic offensive at once with the beginning of the war. We still take the diplomatic defensive. And in diplomacy, as in military operations, the defensivein the long run is hopeless. We must assume the diplomatic offensive and keep it to the end, or international interna-tional democracy will lose the war. We must pillory the German govera-v govera-v ment and that part of the German people that supports it, before the pub-' pub-' lie opinion of all the earth. And we must repeat the operation and add to the damning indictment every day that the war continues. |