The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-29
DECLARES GERMAN
REPUTATION Is GONE.
Idea OF Hcr Military Might Had OBJ
SeSHel the World.

eL1endon Gable to The New York |
Tines
Inc Referee, in an editorial article
eh'itied 10. Dason is Fallen and
bFOken in Pieces" saws:
Many are the Illusions REGARDING
Germany which the Kaiser has
smashed with a misdirected blow Of
ms mailed fist. 1t is not too much
TO say that the belief in ~Germany's
military might was a d-doujnat-
ing obsession.
Oh the strength Of her reputation
Tor possessing the most perfect mill
tary machine in existence she has re-
peatedly driven peaee-desirinc nations
to the utmost limit of evaporation.
The commonplace crowd to whom
her culture was a matter of hearSay
or indifference religiously believed in
the greatness of her army and the
military cunning OF her war staff.
certain objections were lightly eX-
planned away as relating only to show
movements exhibited to professional
visitors at manoeuVreS The world
never believed that d modern war
lord, however. could be regardless of
the expenditure Of human masses Of
soldiers to modern rifle fire, not to
speak of machine guns.
"CaIIOuSneSS we were not unpre-
pared for in disciples of Bismarck.
but the sheer madness exhibited by
German generals in advancing in solid
| formation even upon forts whose
shrapnel cut lanes through the ranks
as a reaping machine mows down
standing corn, was evidence that the
boasted military genius of Germany
had made no appre ciable advance in
forty years.
LAS in 1870 weight was considered
the overpOwerinG factor, the weight
Of an enormously increased army,
backed by an enormous weight of ar
tilery, VAS to bear down all oppoSi-
ton.
William II. saw no need for a
Bismarck or a MOltke in his conquest
Of the world. His all-potent person.
ality can tolerate nothing but syco.
phantic admiration and abject ODE.
dience. Himself and Krupp, the othel
evil genius of Germany, were all
sufficient as the mind and the powe1
of the ~conquering host.
Officers, big and little, could de
vote themselves to bounding on tn
invincibles and to forwarding tn
glorious cause by encouraging tn,
frightfulnesses of barbarism sancti
fed by the grand end in view.
"Krupp'S par has been diabolicall.
we'll done. If it has failed in VIVA
was expected of it, it is because tn
craven enemy would not, like Ger
many S brave autOmatOnS, race III
Shrieking death blast in a solid pha
: lanX.
I The German officers have ais
done their best. and their worst. b
7 their men and their enemies, but tn
| cannon fodder is merely mortal 1t
I rifles hoOting is deplorable, and
D has betrayed a very human dlsah
4 for cold steel at close quarters, havln
probably been assured that krup
; would never allow the c~Ontenaptlbi
= foe to get within proddlnS dIstanc'
I Germany has imposed upon II
u world in many years, but III none S
completely as in her fancied f1ghtln
power. Her political honesty has lon
been suspect, and her pretended a.
vOtiOn to the cause Of peace has neVe
. thrown Europe off its guard. but
the matter of arms she has deceive
the whole earth till now. Her bull,
ing has brought her little substantl;
proft. but she has unrnlstakabiX pee
regarded as a thoroughly capab
: bully.
le yet even her military Reputable
appears to have rested upon a fax
re foundation, and the shattered Id
Of PrusSianism seems likely 10
~ added to the heap of broker fra;
II ments, which is ali that is left OF &c
~ many's oeasted culture. gooo falt
- and honor"