We Germans happen to be the most hated people in the world. Anybody who was ever dubious about that has had ample and frequent opportunity since the outbreak of the great conflict of nations to get rid of his doubt. This universal hatred for the Germans and everything Germanic is hard to explain. It is true, the German has his peculiarities and adheres to his habits and customs, but the good and worthwhile characteristics of these German customs and habits have been recognized as such by most other nations and cannot be the reason for the resentful attitude which the German always has encountered in an alien land, and which is worse today than ever. The German has also other excellent qualities: honesty, thoroughness, efficiency, and, on the whole, comprehensive knowledge and native ability--qualities, therefore, which make for success in business, even in a foreign country. Wherever Germans have settled, they have become prosperous, respected, and even wealthy, to such a degree that they are envied and hated.

Jealousy in business is a characteristic of our present materialistic age, and is much more in evidence than during times past. One begrudged the German his business success due to his efficiency and superior ability. Added to that were some petty German habits, which did much to damage German reputation abroad. In the first place, let us mention the lack of unity among Germans living in foreign countries. Here in America, especially, we can see this every day. Thanks to this lack of unity among those of German blood who live in foreign lands, the German element abroad has never succeeded in attaining and retaining among other nationalities the prestige and social position to which they were entitled, because of their moral and intellectual superiority. As far as so-called public opinion is concerned, the German element living abroad not only failed to gain recognition, but has had to take a back seat among other, much more inferior nationalities. This failure has not only hurt the prestige of all Germans living abroad but indirectly has done considerable damage to the German fatherland. This realization should make us stop and think, especially today. If in this country there is a tendency to treat anything German or of German origin with contempt, it is mostly our own 3fault, because in years past we have not unanimously and vigorously professed our Deutschtum (German heritage), and we have not worked in unison for the interests of this Deutschtum. To that must be added that England, especially since the outbreak of the great War, has left no stone unturned to augment the already hostile attitude of the neutral countries against anything German. Thanks to the absolute control of the transatlantic cable and the co-operation of the daily press which they subsidize, the English have succeeded to such a degree in molding public opinion that the best interests of the American nation are sacrificed in order to appease anti-German sentiments.

Not only in the English-language daily papers, but in thousands of trade magazines of all sorts and descriptions, a systematic German-baiting is evident in this country. Every material misfortune this country has experienced as a consequence of this tremendous world conflict, with losses running into the millions, is blamed, without a moment's hesitation, on those hateful Germans. The American agricultural press, which has never had a high standard anyway, has for the most part joined in this German-baiting. This press, too, feels called upon to 4ejaculate the venom of German hatred all over bush and prairie; the American people are to be saturated with hatred for things German right down to the fundamental elements, which are rooted in the soil of the land. Upon perusing these publications--I am a regular reader of a great number of American farm papers--it becomes obvious that the ones which maintain some relation with England or her allies, sound the keynote.

Most prominent is The Breeders' Gazette, which is considered the leading publication for American breeders of thoroughbred horses, purebred cattle, and highbred pigs and sheep, and which keeps in close touch with English breeders. Looking through this paper, one will find in each issue that the American horse dealers, who annually imported great numbers of horses from England, France, and Belgium, were also the best advertising customers, from which the paper derived the largest income. Every December The Breeders' Gazatte issues a so-called "Holiday Edition," which has many artistic features and which is circulated throughout the country for advertising purposes. Now this special edition, 5which is put on the table of many American farmers during the Christmas season, contains an article about the "influence of the great War on horse breeding in France and Belgium". This article quotes the former Belgium minister of agriculture who, with the rest of his colleagues, and minus his ministerial splendor, resides now in Havre, France. There is a detailed description of how the Germans kidnapped the best Belgian horse breeders. We quote verbatim: "When the Germans came to the farm of Mr. M. Bury in Lobbes, Belgium, and demanded the surrender of a valuable stallion, Mr. Bury refused to comply with the demand; whereupon he was shot dead on the spot and the Germans took the stallion. But the animal hated the intruders and kicked them, so he was killed too."

This is a sample from an article designed to vilify the Germans, and is on a level with the stories about well poisoning!

In this manner the Breeders' Gazette is attempting to poison the minds of its fifty thousand subscribers with hatred against the Germans. Of course it is useless to reject such accusations. Anybody who knows anything at all about the 6Germans must surely know that they are not capable of committing cruelties and atrocities of that kind, to say nothing of German military discipline and the marvelous organization which is universally recognized by now, and which absolutely precludes even individual infamy. It goes without saying that the War has done great damage to French, and even more to Belgian horse breeding; the latter is practically destroyed. But these are the inevitable concomitant phenomena of war, for which the Belgians can thank the British. Already the Germans have begun to rehabilitate Belgian agriculture and Belgian horse breeding in a systematic and well-organized manner. The decrees issued by the German military authorities in Belgium leave no doubt about that. If, in spite of all that, a sheet like the Breeders' Gazette tries to make political capital by printing calumnies about the Germans like the story quoted above, the tendency and purpose become all too clear. We could forget about it, but it may be expedient, just in case, to document the fact that this tendency exists.

Another widely-circulated agricultural paper is Wallace's Farmer; it deals with agricultural matters in general, and is recognized as a leading farm paper by 7large sections of the rural population. To anybody who has read this publication regularly for years, it must become obvious that the editor and publisher has definite English proclivities. Although Wallace's Farmer frequently publishes excellent articles on agriculture, the paper nevertheless seems to presuppose a childish and naive mentality in most of their readers, which is best catered to by writing in an unctuous and patronizing style. A certain prohibitionist tinge and a note of bigotry and hypocrisy fit perfectly in this set-up. But the poisoning of the minds of these simple folk is little short of criminal. The Wallace's Farmer regularly prints war articles on its so-called editorial page, in which Germany is always lampooned, of course. Especially the depravity of the fiendish Germans is described in realistic detail. In an article entitled "War or Peace," appearing in the January 1 edition, it says, and we quote:

"Germany has prepared for this war for a long time, has armed, trained soldiers, and has conditioned the people for war through literature. For years her teachers, theologions, philosophers, and scientists have been preaching the 8doctrine that might goes before right. The result was the most terrible war mankind has ever witnessed, and the end is not in sight. This War portends the ruin of all civilization, it brings to the surface all the base instincts of man, making a ferocious beast out of him.

"This paper represents a cross section of a whole group of agricultural farm publications; they may succeed in poisoning the immature minds of their readers, but a thinking person can easily see through their policy. They document the fact that systematic German-baiting is going on within all sections of the country's population.

"Among the many, mostly inferior agricultural publications in this country, I can think of only one, which judges the European war without any bias and gives the Germans their due. I have in mind the largest, the oldest, and most distinguished of all agricultural magazines in America, The Country Gentleman, which is published by the publisher of the Saturday Evening Post. This trade magazine has always presented the various effects of the European war on 9agriculture, domestic as well as foreign, in a true and unprejudiced manner. As stated above, the Germans, too, were dealt with in all fairness. Proof of that is an editorial which recently appeared in the Country Gentleman under the heading: "Crops Above All". We quote verbatim:

"The [German] Lancers, devastating the countryside, may have taken a bottle now and then from the cellars of famous chateaux [castles] in Champagne [French province], but it could also be noticed that they would rather ride around a billowy wheat field than riding directly through it. 'Save and spare the crops in the field'! That is not the strict command of the German General Staff, but the expression of a sentiment, a custom, a virtue, so deeply ingrained in the character of the German that only the sternest countermeasures could induce him to act otherwise. Irvin S. Cobb, who for many days travelled with Kaiser's armies, says that he was deeply impressed when he noticed an apparently unanimous desire of all German soldiers to spare the crop of the field in the enemy's country. Places that were as level as a parade ground and could have been traversed in no time, were often detoured under great difficulties; delayed 10rear guards refused to walk across cultivated acres and meadows, even if they could have saved steps and time in doing so. This consideration for the fruits of the field could also be observed as the Germans fell back from the river Marne, leaving the crops to the enemy. For centuries the Germans have been efficient and successful farmers; today, we need not marvel any longer at their agricultural achievements, when we see how they love and respect the soil and its yield, even amidst the bloodiest conflict the world has ever witnessed."

This is the verdict of an unprejudiced American source which cannot be refuted. And are these supposed to be the same Germans who shoot innocent farmers and valuable breeding animals out of anger or just for the fun of it, according to the Breeders' Gazette, or who are the wreckers of civilization, glorifying all the nether instincts of man, as Wallace's Farmer claims?

The Germans and their Deutschtum stand high above such petty accusations. Nevertheless they should reject such calumnies directed against their German race by 11presenting a united German front. This unity, which is so necessary, will help to undo those creatures, who in this country cast their filthy venom on us and our German brothers across the seas; for the German element in this country represents a great economic factor, and those who confront us with hatred and envy are chasing after the almighty dollar too, and that includes those muckrakers.