The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-06
IMPRESSIONS or EUROPE

r..c. IueyttabIc-A Pence which IL az
mad =. war-Oniy Pause, not Pcscc-Bis-
-,rck'. Blood and Iron Policy not only IN
r,,I but = Necessity Society Between the
,-n,er MIIlstono of Despottsm and the
x.,hcr milestone Of Socialism strua-
=. Hetween those who Owe without own
,,s against those who own without Owing.
II.
Extremes meet People without liberty
,.ve despot.. People with too much liberty
'.ss demagogues. Both agree in abusing lib
40 Tho despot thinks there is too much Of il.
| nademneoeue thinks there Ia not enough.
rso Jespot rules from fear Of demngogues
a. demarogue from fear 81 dcspots. When
louosogism becomes socialism II is danger
:. society. Bat when imperialism becomes
,s,otisu its conflict is not only with socialism
b., society Itself This Ia tho critical condition
0,Germany Society means both liberty and
,,o,srty. Socialism means destruction Of tho
I.ser Imperialism. 10 save II. would trample
ovar the dead body OF the former Between tho
r,ror milestone Of Bismarcks blood and iron
,,p.y and the neither milestone 81 socialism.
,es,ty must be hurt. TO Germany It is achoice
h,,roen the Scylla and the Chnrybds. II il
,h,,eo OF evils. 1t Is also conflict between
/ evils.
r,,remes mcrt The difference between our
/ ,r,uu,,ions and those OF Germany is great
/ crss, too ought TO be our satisfaction over il.
crao,er still however. in spite OF that extreme
4 dns-en,e Il the curious coincidence " similar
4 circumstances passed through by both Germany
4 and this country. Before the war the union u
i our States was weak. So was that ~ the German
state. Had tho North failed division II not de-
| ,,ruction Of our Union would have been GER
tain So surely would Germany have been
divided in the fashion Of the first Napoleon had
France triumphed. Our war was decided by
the ouburst Of patriotism among the masses Of
i he North. Precisely the same in Germany
Patriotism in what? Here 1t was the force OF
ons great idea--the preservation OF national
unity Precisely the same in Germany. Here
4 he result II the war. logically enough.
sfsnethened the Union. changed the hoops Of
bark that bound it together into hoops OF steel
1 Precisely the same in Germany. Here came
sner the war an era Of excessive enterprise.
sock gambling. and inflated values. Precisely
the same In Germany. Here came after that
era Of fictitious prosperity the crash and a long
period Of depression and distress. Precisely
the sane In Germany. Here. partially caused
without doubt 10y hard times the popular dis
l content is growing. Precisely the same and
/ rors in Germany. Here labor denounres
! capital Precisely the same in Germany. Here
/ and there capital. which means credit aud prop
l erty are Observation-Disclosures by socialism and
communism. mere By rag money and repudia-
/ ton. Here and there II is about the same con
fic, between people who owe without, owning
agains, those who own without owing. But
1 here Comparison ceases. contrast begins. On
/ this side Of the ocean we have passed through
The worst. and light Is d0wning. On the other
/ The worst is yet g. come. and darkness with II.
| In my last letter referred 20 the immense
/ standing army with rs tremendous cost Of
money and muscle. as one Of the main causes
OF Germany's critical condition. Want Of free
dom-commer'ial and industrial. as well AS So
| cial and potcai-s another. Over govern
ment still another. riallsm largely pro-
duced By the preceding causes. now becomes
| the most formidable element. Let me- analyze
these causes. ana show how difficult 1t il to
remedy them without great rcvoluton how
| impossible 10 remove others without danger TO
the nation Take the question OF an immense
standing army. Ofcourse. i; is shocking to see
the national MUSCLE IA II were. engaged. not in
producing wealth but in eating it up. Ii is
Shocking too. that the"e 100000 men. who nre
always armed ami drinrt-armei 10 their teeth
and drilled unto death almost-have about
| 10000 more behind them. liable 10 service any
| day. and most ~ whom ARE actually called away
every year from home and work Tor six or light
weeks military drill aud duty. II IL shocking
u Americans. at least. that over Gl tho Immense
business Of the army Parliament should have
D. control or power whatever. For this Is III,
| Gse at present. and for some years TO come
ltruly Bisinarckian fashion tho German Par
lament had to make the army appropriations
ind fix the number OF men actually in aruls a
| over 100000 for the term OF ten years and un
III that term expires il has no control over /
| whatever. All this is bad. no doubt Tn,
wors, however is that this evil may be actually
| necessary. At first / was OF the opposit,
opinion. | only saw the evil not It's necessity
Bu, am frank TO confess that my opinion hni
been completely changed. rs / looked deeper
into le subject. and conyersed with both Ger
mans and Frenchmen. 1t i certainly re
narknt.e fact that cannot remember IL singh
person Of either nationality who did not clearly
intimate or express belief In the utter in
s'l:abllity Of another war between France an,
Germany This dreadful thought is firmly
Impressed upon the mind OF both ma
Tons Women even speak Of ii as
matter Of course Children are brough
4 W IN H. There can never be lastinG
peace between these two nations NJ long a.
Lorraine part Of which Is really French. be
longs to Germany; AS long as every child II
france Is taught to believe every German to b,
us enemy; as long as every German is con
\ Nhced that nothing can save his country. hi
national independence, nay his house anC
nome ana honor from the danger OF French in
Nadets. whose abominable conduct under thu
nrsi Napoleon is still fresh in the mind OF tn,
present population. except absolute power t.
prevent II Oy iorce as long Gs France hersel
~h'lhues her military preparations upon tn
present great scale rs long as those prepare
N'ns can have absolutely no other ultimate OBJ
NG Than another and far more desperate
struggle with Germuuy This may not occu
1 .Vf years but Il = Liable 10 occur any day; s.
nsiharck thinks II necessary to be prepare
fN' The only way to prevent war is 10 b
AupY prepared Tor it, seems 10 be- the German
NeoFS' And 50 that great nation enjoys peac
/ "Hen' Practically Is no Deace. but only prepa
'4Non ior another struggle. Like gladiaiOrs o
p'@' hghiers both Germany and France arc Il
s9'A'hS Tor the next match. 1t is IA ridiculou
"Val Tie present state Of Germany real peac
would be- 10 call the severe and trying wor
"1'A'ag member Ol the ring pleasure.
"Vause. not peace. A u very ntelligen
."ul % distlnEu position ia the LlDeri
bA'V lOll me-: " We cannot look across on