The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1898-02-19
A MASTER HAND,
PORTRAYS THE POLITICAL S!TUA-
r1oN IN FRANCE AND GERMANY.

PORTRAys THE POLITICAL SITUA-
TON IN FRANCE AND GERMANY.
The following well-worded'
cablegram dated London, Feb,
ruary 10th, throws the light on
the European Situation, with a
master hand. We quote:
France is puzzling the
whole world of publicists and.
and metaphysicians by ore OF
her peculiar attacks of moral
blindness, which are sympto-
matte of serious disease of the
body polite, and which more
than once have proved the fore
runner of uncomfortable popu-
lar violence. The outburst is
so noisy, so violent, so threat
ening, and yet witha1 so
churlish and utterly absurd
that it compels the worlds at
tention. France never fails
thus to command universal in
terest in her public foibles and
eccentricities, because le1
freaks are always dramatic, al.
ways entertaining. These out
breaks of passion and prejudice
often serve as d salty valv,
which removes the DANCE,
the existence of whicl
they indicate. But the sudden.
madness of government and
people, which has dethroaneo
justice in the French republic.
is not to be the subject of thi:
letter. The scandal in Franco
at the present momant has q
deeper cause than the Dreyfu.
case, or even than race hatred.
which is the more general form,
of its manifestation. 1t has its
chief origin in the gigantic evil
of militarism, which is fast
bringing not France alone hut
all Europe to a crisis more dam
::gerous to society than would.
be the European war which is
the excuse for it's existence
For the moment tickle public
opinion in France has beer,
cleverly turned to the support
of the military despot;sn
which has dared to outrage
justice as no other high tribu-
nal of this generation has VEN
turcd to do. But reason and
reaction will come by and by,
fools who will be he held re-
:sponsible for the crimes and
abuses of public authority in
France to-day.
But it is to call attention to
another and graver aspect OF
the evil of miltarism that this
letter is written. The crises
which it seems impossible to
avoid is more threateniag,n,ore
imminent, in Germany than ;n
France. The German sy11:p-
toms are not so entertaining as
the French, but they are more
serious. There is no outlet Tor
German discomfort or protest.
The Consecrated Person in Der
lin sits on the national safety
valve, and apparently he is ST.
premely unconscious that the
pressure beneath him has be;
come at all dangerous.
Attention has already been
directed to the great increase
in number and severity of the
application of the law of lese
majestic in Germany. Words
and phrases which a foreigner
finds it difficult to construe in
to even mild criticism or harm
less pleasantly are punished
with imprisonment or heavy
fine of writers and publishers.
Nor is the inquisition confined
to the press. It invaues every
walk of private life and even
the privacy of a mans home.
A correspondent was discuss
ing, German politics with a.
Berlin friend in a deserted cor
mel of the Geological Garden
in that city some five or six
years ago. He grew earnest
and at length carefully around
in all directions, he leaned over
and whispered this terrible
thing:
1.-THE truth is we don't like
that young fellow (meaning the
emperor), in this country-but'
1 conjure you, ever betray!
to a living soul that l told you
that" And this was a se1f-re-1
;specting, intelligent German
But imagine an Amer
ican hesitating to make such a
remark about President Nc
Kinley if it expressed his feel
ings! 4
The tyranny of the present
application of the law of 1ese1
in Germany has ac-1
quired a terrible significance.
II ia irnDossible to account fOr1