Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-26

writes books picturinS the Splendors OF
the battlefield.
Through it all the object of their
wrath goes his way unmoved and the
whole world had occasion recently to
send lts congratulations and good
wishes to War Lord who has done
more than any other sovereign to pre-
serve the peace of Europe for quarter
of a century. For 25 years Kaiser Will
helm William II has been the rock
against which every jingoistic move
ment Of his subjects has been wrecked.
An advocate of a formidable army, a
believer in war as a school for the man
ly virtues, an emperor who rarely lets
himself be seen except in military uni
form, the kaiser has nevertheless re-
peatedly made it clear that he will not
enter a war until all other courses are
closed. But if he must, then, and
then only. will he be the real War
Lord. MacDermOtt's famous song of
1878 fits the case exactly:
1--WE don't want to fight, but. by Jingo .
If we do
We've got the ships. we've got the men,
we've got the money, too"
There may be other men in Ger
many who see as clearly as William II
what a calamity a European war would
be. but these others are not men who
feel themselves divinely called to rule
uverS the dcstinieS of a people and
| ansWerable before the judgment seat
| for their conduct. William does feel
! himself thus called. Not much has
! been heard of the divine right of kings
since the famous Konigsberg speech of
| three or four years ago, but there is no
reason to believe that the kaiser has
changed his attitude, or that he con-
,iders himself in any other light than
a. 4 ruler divinely set to guide his
people and bound to render an account
! uf his stewardship at the last great
/ day.
There is need in Germany today of
clear headed craftsmanship tempered
with a feeling Of responsibility. The
empire j. not we'll off in the matter
Of statesmen. In fact, the kaiser is
! Gcrmany's only real statesman today
! The truth might as well be admitted,
! for nobody who has followed recent
! events is ignorant of the situation. 1t
/ is not 50 long since the chancellor
/ stood up in the reichStag and told inc
members that The peril of Slav dom
! ination menaced the nation. 1t was
not So long before that that there was
! a recrudescence of anglophObism in the
land. Russia and Great Britain-these
were the two enemies of the future
the implacable opponents and evil wish
! ~, hn pf Pns in
and The king If Great Britain have just
returned home after visit in Berlin
which. so far as one outside the
charmed circle of royalty could judge
was one of unusual cOrdiality and was
marked by an apparently genuine and
amiable exchange of courtesies between
| the kaiser and his two reputcd enc
mics.
That is If significance, but there is
more vet. For the rulers of Russia
and Great Britain were here as guests
at the marriage Of the kaisers Onl!
| daughter to the son of his bittereSl
! German enemy. The bittereSt enemy
himself came to the wedding. entering
! Berlin for the first time since his
| fathers kingdom was stolen by Bis
marck, and the bridegroom had but re-
Gently taken the oath of allegiance tC
Prussia and had been appointed ar
officer in a famous regiment of hussars
All these things, of course, may have
Just happened 50, but to believe this is
to strain the doctrine Of probabilities
| They happened so because a clear
headed ruler planned them to happen
And this clear headed ruler, according
to the impression which is growing
planned all these things in the interests
+ Of peace. All Of which goes to show
| that if a man builds himself repu-
tation as a fighter he is about the best
possible leader of peace movements.