Evening journal., 1913-09-26

When King Frederick William I'll.
of Prussia. a hundred years ago, is
sued his proclamation AN Mein
Volk" (to my people). It was dc
profundis" cry of one who finds him
self at the end Of all his resources
after the landed nobility for the most
part either had abandoned hope or
had rather willingly become recon
ciled to the new order OF things, see
ing no possibility OF a resurrection of
poor downtrodden Prussia from the
yoke of the pitilcss Corsican conquer
or For once Frederick william.
simple-minded mediocer ruler, was
open to argument. and took advice
offered him by the cOmmoners. And,
incidentally, that was the greatest
achievement of his sorrow-laden life.
Issuing his historic proclamation, he
soon had the satisfaction Of seeing
the people. the mainstay of any ma
tion. gather around his nag. Merch-
ants forsook the stoves. craftsmen
their tools. laboring men their daily
tasks. and peasants their plOws and
scythes which they offered up to be
cast into cannon balls and bayonets.
Inspired with an intense patriotism.
they fought for their country. for
their homes, and they won. 1t was
well-deserved lesson that they
taught the arstocracy which despised
them. and their King who had slight
ed them. While the nobility fed or
boarded their wealth, the citizens
gave all they had left to give after
ten years of strife and marauding-
their blood and their iron implements.
Tho results are seen in a united and
independent Germany. and in the
centennial celebrations now taking
place all over the Fatherland. Is 1t
surprising that Frederick william III.
out of the fullness of his grateful
heart. founded the illustrious "Order
of the Iron Cross for the actors i'm
the drama that saved the kingdom
Neither gold nor gems would have
won for him the hearts of his people
as did the plain cross OF iron Ca
decoration, by the way, which was re-
viyed by king-now Emperor-Wil-
liam for exceptional valor in the
next Franco-German war, that of
1870.
A whole literature about 1913 has
suddenly spring into being in Ger
many, and the book stores stack whole
4 windows with it, Historical novels
! have been written especially for The
occasion. one with the significan
title, Geld yah ich fuer Eisen." His
tories of the years of subjection tC
the French of the rising tha
brought deliverance, of the frs
triumphant march of the allies upoI
Paris in 1914. are to be seen every
where Military experts have writer
/ monographs on the campaign of 1913
! Political philosophers have reasoned
in many books of the rising Of ISL
as the beginning of German unity
From the Emperor downward no on'
can make ceremonial speech and no
devote himself to 1913; and that th'
doctors may not be out of the run
ming one of them has written an es
say to prove that the decline Of Ma
poleOn's military ability in 1913 wa
due 10 an affection OF his pituitar
gland. at the base of the brain. whicl
Il weakened his faculties of concentra
tion.
This years commemoration Of tn
centenary is to eliminate in the cele
bration OF the four days battle O
u Leipzig. on October 16. II. IS and 19
the longest and the fiercest fought O
modern times. in which Napoleon wal
beaten The important day is Octo
Der rs, when victory clearly reste'
with the Germans. and on that day tn
Peoples Battle Monument Is to b
dedicated by the Emperor and wit
ceremonies in which the whole empir
will share. The centenary Of tn
victory has so enthralled the magma
iion that every city town and villae
in Germany is likely to observe Il
Preparations for it are effacing recol
lections Of the celebration in June @
the twenty-fifth anniversary Of tn