The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-30
WAR IS STUPID.

IC0nttDue0 rom PAg0 One.l
greeted me cordially and without any
Of the stiffness or cold reserve tnAe
might have been expected :.
Il am very pleased to see you here. !
he said. land 1 hope you will find
plenty to interest you. I want you to
feel at liberty to go wherever you Ike
II hope your imperial highness VIII
pardon my Americanized German"
said. in stating to him some OF the
points In which / thought American
readers would be generally interested.
He Speaks English.
Then let US speak English II you
selves" was his quick reply. Acting on
the suggestion, the crown prince OF
Germany proceeded to give his first in
teryiew in English.
Il am a soldier and, therefore. cam
not discuss politics. said the crown
prince. but it seems to RE that this
whole business. all of this action that
you see around here. il senseless. un-
necessary and uncalled for. But Ger
many was left no choice in the matter.
From the lowest to highest we all know
that We are fighting for existence. I
know that soldiers Of the other ma
tons probably say. and great many
Of them probably think the same thing.
This does not alter the fact, however.
national life.
"Since we knew that the present war
was to be forced on US, it became our
highest duty to anticipate the struggle
by every necessary and possible prepar-
alton for the defense of the fatherland
against the iron ring which our
enemies have for years been gradually
fact that we fOresaw and SO TAR as
possible forestalled the attempt to
crush US within this ring and the fact
that we were prepared to defend our
selves Is now being used as an argu-
ment in an attempt to convince the
world that We not only wanted this con-
fltct but that we are responsible for it.
Germans Are United.
NO power on earth will ever be able
was not engineered solely and wholly
with a view to crushing the German
people. their government, their fnstitu-
tons and all that they held dear. You
will find the German people are one
grand unit, imbued with a magnificent
spirit of selfsacrifice."
The scene Of our conversation was
the drawing room of a small French
villa, located a few miles directly back
OF the German fighting line and used
by the crown prince as headquarters
for himself and stan. The crown prince
entered. accompanied by Major Won der
P1anitz. who. after presenting me,
withdrew. The young commander of
the German forces was dressed simply
in the gray-green kahlEi of his troops in
a uniform devoid of any decoration
save a small insignia Of his rank as
lieutenant general and his recently &C
Quired black and white ribbon Of the
order OF the Iron Cross He carried
no sword. but toyed with a short
swagger stick similar to those carried
by English cavalry officers.
Our conversation had been in pro-
9ress but a short time when it became
clear to me that the crown prince, like
50 per cent Of the Germans have met,
on the firing line and on Of 1t. holds
England responsible for the present
war. The fact that impressed me most,
however. was the fact that despite the
intensity Il his conviction he displayed
none OF the intense hatred or the BIT
terness toward the English. which ]
have seen manifested SO constantly
among people Of all walks Of life since
the outbreak Of the var