Lest We Forget: World War StoriesThompson, John G. (John Gilbert)
History
Lest We Forget: World War Stories
Thompson, John G. (John Gilbert)
Readers -- History; Readers -- World War, 1914-1918
The history of Rome about 1500 years ago tells us of "the wild and
terrifying hordes" of Huns, with ideas little above those of plunder
and wanton destruction, led by Attila whose "purpose was to pillage and
increase his power." They came near setting civilization back for
hundreds of years, but were finally subdued. When we remember these
facts, we do not wonder that the Germans are called, and probably
always will be called, Huns; but another explanation is the true one.
When in 1900, a German army was embarking at Bremerhaven for China to
help other nations to put down the Boxer rebellion, the German Kaiser,
William II, in addressing his troops said: "When you come upon the
enemy, no quarter will be given, no prisoners will be taken. As the
Huns under their King Attila, a thousand years ago, made a name for
themselves which is still mighty in tradition and story, so may the
name of German in China be kept alive through you in such a wise that
no Chinese will ever again attempt to look askance at a German."
The United States helped put down the Boxer rebellion, and with other
nations was paid an indemnity by China. By vote of Congress, the
United States returned the money to China. Germany acted very
differently, for but three years before, she had seized from China the
land about Kiaochau Bay and the port of Tsingchau, as reparation for
the murder of two German missionaries. Although Germany had strongly
fortified this territory, Japan besieged it and regained it in
November, 1914.
In speaking in 1901 of Germany's then new possession in China, the
Kaiser said: "In spite of the fact that we have no such fleet as we
should have, we have conquered for ourselves a place in the sun. It
will now be my duty to see to it that this place in the sun shall
remain our undisputed possession, in order that the sun's rays may fall
fruitfully upon our activity and trade in foreign parts." The German
Crown Prince, in an introduction to a book published in 1913, said: "It
is only by relying on our good German sword that we can hope to conquer
the place in the sun which rightly belongs to us and which no one will
yield to us voluntarily. Till the world comes to an end, the ultimate
decision must rest with the sword."
These statements make clear to us how the modern Huns would win the
place in the sun which they have been taught to believe rightly belongs
to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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