Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-28

BERLlN, August L. iioi man
cities are better governed than other
cities probably is due to the fact that
the German people are thoroughly I'M
bued with military ideas of discipline and
obedience. They obey instantly and
without caviling the slightest command
Of the omnipresent and omniscient police
officer. They never set personal liberty
TO do as they please above their duty to
the community as a whole They are
willing in civic life and In the capacity
OF citizens to sacrifice private gain for
public profit, just as they are willing IN
military life in the capacity of soldiers
to lay down their lives for the nation.
German thinkers declare that this condi-
ton is the result of universal military
training Whether il is or not. II Is GER
tain that no such condition Is even re-
motely possible in America.
In German municipality every law
and regulation, important or Trivial. IS
enforced to the letter. There is no NULL
fication OF the law by common consent.
and there Is no purchase of immunity by
brlbng of officers. The law Is the law,
a police regulation Is a police regulation,
and no officer of the government Is per-
mitted to temper the severity of stat
ute by an admixture of magisterial
mercy. 1t Is in the little things that the
harshness of this system is most APP
parent, but the Germans do not complain
of an exact administration of the reSula-
items which would precipitate riot in
arEy American town within week.
For instance II is forbidden TO water
flowers except between the hours OF and
5 o'clock in
Little Things Forbidden the morn
in German Towns. forbidden TO
practice or to play the piano before In
the morning or after at night; II Is
forbidden to air bedding by hanging II
out Of the front windows: 1t is forbidden
to sing, shout or whistle on the streets;
il is forbidden, IL one lives In an apart
ment house. to bathe at night: II is Tor
hidden for a woman to wear CLOAK or
cape into a theater: 1t is forbidden Tor
any one to get on q street car Whlcn Is
filed it Is forbidden for pedestrian 10
obstruct the way of a carriage or auto
MOBILIZE in short. the word "verboten Is
the sign manual of the German municipal
regulations. Some of the trivial inhlbi-
lions mentioned above are instituted by
landlords. and not by the city govern
ment, but as the policemen will assist the
landlord I'm enforcing observance OF the
rules of the house on the part or the
tenant the practical result Is the same.
.ihe complaint of an American sojourner
that this multiplicity of regulations SO
rigidly enforced deprives him of his per-
sonal liberty is incomprehensible to the
German mind. The German replies that
these regulations guarantee him his lib
erty, since they assure him that his cloth
ing will not be despatched by water from
upstairs window boxes: that he may go
to sleep and may stay in bed late with
out fear Of being awakened by pianos
in the houses or singing and shouting
on the streets; that his life is not en-
dangered by having to stumble over
women's wraps IL the theater gets on
fire; that he is certain of a seat I'm the
street car and no one may crowd him
there: that IL he drives abroad the
pedestrians must keep out Of his way and
therefore not involve him in damage
suits. and so on He says that he pre-
fers to subordinate his passing whims
and to obey these regulations and their
like In order that he and all the other
people OF the community may obtain the
protection from annoyance and danger
which the code is designed to give. and
which can be obtained only by insisting
upon strict and universal obedience to
the regulations. 1t is impossible for the
German to understand the American
point OF view with regard to such things
as these.