Bainbridge [Chenango County, NY] in Review
Items from Bainbridge Republican of November 29, 1917
Letter from a German School Girl - 1917
This letter from a German school girl to a young friend in Switzerland was printed in the Republican of November 29, 1917 and this missive is typical of what caused World War One, to which it refers...It shows what a powerful leader, by molding his people's minds from infancy, can accomplish and to what ends he can rule a nation.
"Frankfurt-on-Oder
July 20, 1917
My dear Louise,
The contents of your last letter would have hurt me had I not known that your thoughts of our glorious war resulted from sheer ignorance. You are in a country rendered effeminate by the influence of old fashioned ideas of liberty which is at least two centuries behind ours. You are in need of a good dose of Prussian culture.
It is evident that you, a Swiss girl with French sympathies, can not understand how my heart, the heart of a young German girl, passionately desired this war. Speaking of it some years ago, my father said to us: "Children, Germany is getting too small for us. We shall have to go to France again in order to find more room. Is it our fault if France will not understand that more money and land are necessary for us?"
And you reproach us that our soldiers have been very cruel to the Belgium rabble and you speak also of the destruction of Rheims and of the burning of villages and towns. Well, that is war. As in every other undertaking, we are past masters in the making of war.
You have a great deal to learn before you can come up to our standard, and I can assure you that what has been done so far is a mere bagatelle compared with what will follow. As a matter of fact, there is but one race worthy of ruling the world, and that which has already attained the highest degree of civilization. That race is ours, the Prussians; for though we Germans in general are the lords of the world, the Prussian is undoubtedly the lord par excellence among the Germans. All other nations, and among them unfortunately, the Swiss, are degenerate and of inferior worth. That is why I have always been so proud in being a true Prussian.
Yesterday, again, our pastor explained to us convincingly, that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were Prussian. This is quite easy to understand because the Bible tells us that the German God created us all after his own image. If, then, all men are descended from Adam and his wife, it follows that only Prussians or at least Germans to exist in the world, and that all who push on and prosper ought to belong to us. You must admit that is logic and that is why our motto is "God with us, Germany above everything."
You know now why we wished this war. It is not shameful that other nations, who have no right to existence on the earth, wish to diminish our heritage. We are the divine fruit and the others are the weeds. That is why our great emperor has decided to put an end to all these injustices and to extirpate the weeds. Do you understand that now? I remain your school friend, Katie Hamel"
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A story has been current to the effect that the Red Cross sweaters and other garments made by the ladies throughout the country are put on the market and sold, or have been placed in stores. This is an old story of German origin. It was started for the purpose of discouraging work to provide the necessities for the soldiers. We would not say that anyone hereabouts believes this stuff about the sale of Red Cross garments, but in case there is anybody who may have heard it and has given a credulous ear, we repeat that the report has no foundation in fact but is a part of the German propagandas to injure this country.
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A petition addressed to the military authorities in Washington, has been generally signed by the people in Bainbridge asking for the return on furlough of Dr Edward Danforth, who is at Camp Taylor in Kentucky. He has finished his three months training and while waiting to be assigned to active duty in the war, the Bainbridge people want him to come back and resume his practice of medicine in this village. Dr. Danforth enlisted in June in the U.S. Medical Reserve Corps and has been in training since August at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. There are a great many physicians in the camps. Dr. Danforth has been assigned for the present at Camp Taylor, near Louisville, Ky. Towns and villages which have been left without sufficient medical attention have been petitioning the military authorities for the return of their doctors until needed in government service. By the departure of Dr. Danforth, this community has been without ample needs as the two remaining physicians cannot attend to all the work that is sure to come during the winter months. Bainbridge people hope that the petition will prevail and that Dr. Danforth will be permitted to return. This petition is effective only is case the situation is such that Dr. Danforth is not yet needed for service in view of so many physicians all over the country having enlisted.
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