New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-13
RUSSIANS VIEW OF KAISER
No Difference Between Russian and
German Absolutism, He Testihes.


To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: It is rather strange that the
democratic atmosphere of the New
World has not been able TO shake on
the blind belief of German-Amerlcans
in their semi-divine Kaiser. The
fervent patriotism manifested by them
in various public demonstrations and
protests against the American-Engllsh
press is fundamentally defence of the
policy of the Kaiser, who, according
to their views, is the real personifica-
ton of German culture and German
national traditions. Such defence
becomes more strange when men like
Munsterberg and a professor of history
of Columbia University take up the
cudgels for the Kaiser with such a
narrow fanaticism. However, their
arguments will have hardly any bear
ing upon the American public as their
premises are so obviously inconsistent
What all these American German
patriots defend so vigorously Is not the
German spirit as expressed by tnelr
immortal Goethe, Beethoven or Scho-
penhauer, but German feudallsm as
preached by their semi-medieyal
Hohenzolerns and Hapsburgs. As lar
as one can see from their ardor they
seem to believe that the German
monarchc policy is the quintessence
of civilization. In face Of the present
European war they justify their
Kaiser's sanction of the Austrian in
sulting ultimatum and declaration OF
war as the behavior of q feudal knight
20 his naughty slaves. Austria could
shoot every Servian. They blame the
Car OF Russia by calling Russians the
barbarians of Europe. But the fact
is this time it was not the Car VINO
was anxious to protect the Serylans
from invasion by the Austrian army,
but il was the voice of the Russian
people. The Gar hestated TO rise
against his personal friend, the Kaiser,
who had helped him to suppress sue
cessfully the past revolution. But feel
ing himself powerless against the de-
mand of the people he yielded re-
luctantly and the. Kaiser declared the
war.
I admire the German literature and
art of the past and am educated more
in the German than the Russian spirit,
but ! certainly have found that there
was no difference between German ana
Russian absolutism. ! was arrested on
the order Of the Russian government
in Berlin by German detectives, and
the German government gave me over
TO Russia, though my crime was OF a
political nature. Russian political
refugees found never any protection in
Germany.
II the defenders Of the Kaiser main
tain that German militarism IS the
medium Of civilization and that Ger
mans alone are the great "Kulturtraeg-
ers" Of this age, they must certainly be
making tracks back to the medieval
ages.
II speaking for Russia ! do il from
the point Of view of an unbiased OBJ
server. for had / not been against the
Russian autocracv ! would not be here
as refugee. When the defender Of
the Kaiser says that German policy has
been always for civilization, ! must
ssy not in so far as their nobility has
been enslaving the Esthonians and
Let's Of he Russian Baltic Provinces.
As my Russian estates are partly in
Livland. | certainly know something
of German feudalism in the Russian
Baltic Provinces, against which the
population is more bitter than against
the Russian political oppression. Those
German landlords came some seven
hundred years ago TO bring Christian
ity TO the Esthonians, Liyonians and
Let's, but what they really brought was
slavery. These Baltic barons were the
introducers of the German feudal sys-
tenn in Russia. They gained access to the
eoutt. and thus for some time. they