El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-04
AN OMEN
CBy Jean Dornis.)

! IN THE center Of the great square
! which forms suitable frame to It's
4 menacinE proud form stands the
statue of the Iron Chancellor
His ewes are looking sternly towards
the 5estinies of Germany which he
loved and served so passi1nataly While
/ he was alive His hand holds the sym
bolic sword, on which is engraved mis-
motto: Might IS right"
The dark bronze Is a suitable ma
1 terial for a statue OF this man Of iron
whom one cannot help admiring. even
though he were the enemy Of your ma
ton. Standing as he does. proudly erect
in the dim light OF the wintry morn
ing. he looks like a gigantic mastilI, a
dog from prehistoric days g1aAoLns
the prey he has conquered during tns
merciless hunt -. 90
one of the tall buildings surrounding
the square, an old man STANDS IN ooor-
way. -, IT,
cross which adorns his breast DID not
| indicate II, you would know from MS
proud bearing and stern features that
ne is an old wax veteran, a hero OF
many hard fought battles. An invalid
though he is To-Day, he carries MS nead
nigh and throws out his chest IKE q
soldier and surely the state could nay e
found no WOrthier man to guard the
entrance of the building which holds
so many military secrets as does tne
one outside which he as now standing
We're 1t an important fortress, no pet
ter sentinel could be found III all Prus-
STA
morning the door Of the house is open
ed ana old Wilhelm appears. Like a
soldier parading by his emperor, ne
marches forward across the square IN
front OF the statue he stops, straight
and silent, and salutes mis- old com
Inander-i n-chief, as he was used 70 10
during the Franco Prusslan war Wnen
the great national hero passed by in
rain or shine, his gigantic figure tow
ering above everyone else
When the lamps are lit at sunset
Wilhelm again energies from his house
and repeats the morning ceremony over
again with the same expression Of re-
spect and veneratiOn-
The memory OF Bismarck and what
he did for the people Of Germany lives
forever IN the heart OF Wilhelm, like
Jealous priest
Old Wilhelm thinks and talks Of
nothing but the life and deeds Of Bis
marck when in the evening he sips his
'seideI, of dark beer in front OF the
OIL painting Of the chancellor in the
Dig "oierstube" on the opposite side Of
the square At the same table sits every
night a friend of Wilhelm, a French
man from Alsace, the local representa-
tive OF a big commercial firm in Paris
de also is a veteran OF the war of 1870,
but ne fought on the side Of those who
were shot down at such long -ange that
very rarely did they have a chance OF
replying in kind, and who in spite Of
al their magnificent courage saved
nothing but their honor
Wuhelm and the ''FranZose" hate
each other and still cannot live with
out each other. Their hatred and their
common love of fighting, even If now
with words only, unite them as closely
as the most tender friendship
And you call that man a hero" cries
pne tranZOSe- My definition of a
hero is a man who IS considered great
Dy all humanity, while your Bismarck
was not even called great BY all Ger
many he stole the freedom of your
princes and your kings and made them
his puppets
onnerWetteFl DonnerWetter!" roars
Wilhelm- He is so mad now that he Is
scarcely able TO breathe, and under
meath the table his wooden leg is raised
pointing straight toward the enemy like
a sword ready to pierce the body
sometimes the quarrel grows so hot
tnat Wlhelm is forced to 10 outside
70 cool off his fury. This IS what has
happened this afternoon Goaded into
tury by the attacks Of his friend, the
enemy old Wilhelm, jumps Up, seizes
MS cane. brushed everyone aside and
rushes out Outside the dOo- he stops
and a CLEAN of joy comes into his eyes
as he catches sight Of q number Of boys
from seven to 10 years Of age returning
from school In the knapsacks on their
backs they carry the books into which
Germany condenses her doctrine Of
superb egOtism, and which tell her fu-
ture soldiers that the Germans are the