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Show 400 d in thin \\:it at). ltt w'u‘i the difiiculties which stoo ial lt‘iltilin? 'r‘ lilni. gtnc a ver. howe ion, opin tititpi w \l iht for y ssar always nece 'llu Itnim. it miglit lead in etxntlicts, many Vt p 's been in the hat-it mt pit conti'oyersies llCl\\L'Lll the tui-t \l has thus been possible to with 11th it 7' issue before they devchvpul " also proceed in the same way. Moreover. in thi- cu agreed with France to siihm tration, a question which tam honor, as a Liertnan Ci‘nst‘ ' r troops. You will all 314" well do more for the can-e Iii ' ;\s to the question of know that the ti‘rnizin ;« 'ttll', take any steps in this inatttr, The speeches before the lliqti'iiii armaments was. no duel: find a practical soiiith n . 2' upon abstract prii‘. . tit" (tr inents, the tiluincednr \x which everybody can ~t" solely by our Min thin ~v protection of our 0 tin :tru on at many previv 1,. mm. . ., . 4 .. Incidentally l nay . Dreadnought: and lllttt ix».five Dreadnought, a- - H7 Many of mi \till l...‘.r views of the cam. lrit _‘.i"l ' if you will kindly follow ::.i- in it. Germany for the hit three rt lil‘tlfii No doubt there are this great awcn‘. alongy the hi ant. numerous ruins of nan 401 tatiun by flirt‘ltgil invaders. liiittie after battle was fought out by foreign ill'llllt‘~ on (it rinan ~oil because the people of the thinkers and drean‘ x wiri- llht united and therefore not strongr enough to repel limtih- invasions. This state of affairs might have gone on forever. if the (C(t.\l'l'lt,l[)ttlli€ll], idealistic and impractical Ger- many of the eighteenth century had not been aroused to indignation by the humiliation and misery it suffered a hundred years ago, when it had to submit to the First Napoleon's yoke. In those days the Herman nation learned the lesson that it is the right and duty of every man to protect his home and his country to the last drop of blood that remains in his body and that he must be ready to give his. life for something greater than himself, mun-thin;r beyond his selfish interests. Every one of you would do the same today, you would all draw the sword for the liberty and freedom of your country. Such was the birthday of the present German army, or, to use the more correct expression, of the German nation in arms. And now what has been the results of this institution? Since that day no foreign army ever again set its foot on German soil and a prosperity is reigning: in all classes of the German people which would have seemed incredible to our forefathers because they were always subject to encroachments of their powerful neighbors. If you hear tite<c historical facts in mind you will easily understand why we believe that we must keep our army and navy at full strength and in a high state of efficiency. It is one of the most difficult problems for the student of history to regard the atTairs of foreign nations with that fine sympathetic insight which enables him to understand the feelings of nations and men differing in educatii'ins, habits and principles from himself. Every nation follows more or less distinctive traditions of thought. They all declare that they are the most peaceful nation of the world, but they only believe this of themselves and not of others, lieczinse they are often ignorant of the disposition, purposes and qualities of other people. Therefore one must judge nations like individuals by their acts and not according to preju- dices. In the hundred years that have passed since we became a nation in arms we only went to war when it was absolutely neces- |