The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18

ttNNNl Is tnlS year Delng SUD
iected TO a strain upon The
~ patriotism Of her people with
out parallel since the War OF
Liberation. jus, a hundred years ago
The presence of the foreign foe within
her borders in the early years Of the
nineteenth century and the cruel OPP
preston. as we'll as the savage pcrsc.
rution. to which her population was
subjected 10y the French conduerors
constituted II powerful incentive to the
mos, extraordinary sacrifices of blood
and Of treasure. Fxaspcratcd almost
to the point Of desperation by the count
less humilla,ions to which they were
being subjected. men and women con-
tributcd not merely all their money.
hut even their plate, their jewels, their
very watches and wedding rings toward
the expenditures needed for the armng
and organization of the troops that
were IT, free the Teuton Empire from
the abhorred allen domination.
To-day the sacrifices demanded of
the people are almost as great But
there is not the same incentive I, in
ducc the people 10 divcst themselves Of
their possessions for the sake OF the
Fatherland. There Is no foreign enemy
within the borders of the empire. Ger
many Is at peace with all the other
great Powers of the world. Her military
supremacy in the concert Of Europe
still stands unqucstioned. and she has
forged ahead to such n degree with her
navy that at present she ranks second
only to England in the list Of maritime
nations.
The Government has made the appeal
: to the people of Germany on the score
Of the danger to which the empire
would be exposed at the hands Of for
eign Powers If 1t We're to lose that
military supremacy which it has until
now enjoyed It has limited that other
nations would be- quick to take advan-
tage of any such inferiority to invade
it's territory and intimated that il had
information proving that the peril by
which IL was mrnaued in that cOnncc-
ton was no mere chimera. but of n
very startling character-in word.
that Germany was in grave danger or
attack from without.
Had the Government been able To-
lay bare 10 the people the exact causes
Of its apprchensions. and If II Lad been
possible to reveal to them without any
reticencc just why it was obliged to sub
nit them 10 So terrible a drain upon
tncIf resources, tTe 1iIthuN HttN ny
burdened taxpayers might have been
more ready to open up their purses.
But the Imperial Government could
not show its hand in the matter to
it's citizens without Gravely affecting its
relations with the foreign Powers
against which it is arming and without
precipitating-prema from n Teu-
ton point of view-the conhagration
which. on military. naval, and above all
economic grounds. 1t Is anxious to
postpone as long as possible. II not for
all time.
Unfortunately during the forty-four
years that have elapsed since the in
vasion OF France and the conquest Of
Alsace- Lorraine the German Govern
ment has repeatedly made use of care
fully engineered war scarcs for the
purpose of overcoming opposition In the
Reichstag to the voting of additional
credits needed for the development OF
both the army and the navy. Time and
again has the empire appeared on the
very brink of war. the most trifiing in
cident being envenomed and eNag-
gerated beyond all conception for the
purpose of creating a crisis. So In
geniously were these Contrived that 1t
was only after the popular sentiment
aroused by the imminence Of apparent
danger had forced the Reichstag to vote
the military and naval credits demanded