The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-10-22
CHARLESTONIANNARRAIES
ARRESTED AS SPY WHILE IN
BERLIN.
Robertson Paul Marched Through
Streets Escorted by the Mill
taly.

ter the outbreak Of hostllltles Mr..
John Robertson Paul. of Charleston,
who is Rhodes scholar at Oxford,
was arrested on suspicion OF being
a spy and marched through the
streets of the German capital with
military escort. Mr.. Paul convinced
the military and police authorities
that he was an American, taking ko-
dak pictures for his pleasure, and
was released after consldera BILE
time. Mr.. Paul has written of this
and other incidents falling under his
personal observation in the follow
ing very interesting article:
? By this time it is probable that
American publications will have been
adequately supplied with descrip-
tions Of the characteristic street and
travelling scenes occurring just after
the outbreak of hostilities in the i'm
portant centres of the countries now
engaged in the general European
war. 1 shall accordingly not detain
you by repetitions of them, but will
refer as briefly as 1 may to my own
impressions of the state of the pub
lie feeling of Germany and to one
experience of my own in that coun-
try.
Germans Realize the Cost.
1t has been argued that the mass
of German people were decidedly
averse to war, and that they were
only forced into it by the leaders
of the military class. 1t is undoubt-
edly true that the German nation
was deeply depressed by the realiza-
tion that they were facing the most
terrible war of history. But has
there ever been a country whose peo-
pie welcomed the coming of the in
finite tragedies inevitably attendant
upon war? Every German family
realized only too truly just how fa-
tally doomed was the happiness of
their individual household. War in
the concrete could mean little but sor-
row and, financial ruin to the great
body of the German population. This
much is true. But rightly or wrong
ly-for it would be futile to attempt
to review here the causes which ma
tions advance to justify their parti-
cipation in this war-Germany is
convinced of the greatness of her
cause.
The general public of Berlin be-
lieves in all sincerity that the pres
ent war, was as far as the Father
land was concerned, absolutely newt
able. The kaiser, it was stated, had
done all in his power to prevent it
by yielding to the peace" kilograms
of the Czar, and prohibiting Ger
many from any active movement
looking to war up to the very mo-
ment when it became evident from
Russia's mobilizing her army against
the German frontier that the Rus
sian bear, after approaching her
very threshold beneath the white
mantle of pretended peace had at
last thrown off its ill-becoming dis
guise and was even now scowling its
war threats at her doors.
France, it was known, has ever
since the last war. been longing for
the opportunity to fight her unfor-
given foe of 1870. The two near
neighbors of Austria and Germany,
France and Russia, were her deadly
enemies and were now attempting
to crush the fine old Teutonic race
and civilization between the hordes
of the Slavs and the efficient mill
tary machine of the Celts. Servia,
which Germany rightfully or wrong
fully regarded as the mere catspaw
and pretext for Russia, and Montene-
gro, were of course, allied to the
Slav combination, and Belgium,
caught between the mighty forces of
the opposing powers, declared war
in self-defence against the first ag-
gressor, which happened to be Ger
many. Then, too, England and ia
pan unexpectedly Joined the forces
Of her enemies, producing as hetero-
geneous a racial combination as was
ever known to history-all, felt Ger
many, for a share of the spoils.
Whatever we may think of the
causes-and it is a sad commentary
upon Europe's fondness or even re-
spect for the truth, that every ma
ton proves not only to man but also
to the Almighty that there is on de-
nying that its cause is just and
praiseworthy and its enemies false
and execrable-still, surely, the task
before the German was of such ap-
palling magnitude as to stir his Teu-
tonic soul to its depths and to arouse