Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-09

! the course Of year. when my maid
| went to the Rathaus 10 pay my taxos
| moderate enough, the oflc!al an
| o!osi."d. saying that he had disliked
| TO send mo bill but the increased
| cost Of the army compelled the Coun
ny 10 raise money IN every way pos
| sib!e. This vas in 1908 The only
disa Srecabic German ] met during ali
! tn"se Years was my landlord and as
We always lodged each other In tn.
mouse or turned an abrupt corner Ia
avoid encounter on the street, We
steered clear OF friction And ne was
the only landlord | had
| left Munich with the greatest re-
gret and up to the moment OF the de-
ic!aration Of war continued 10 like Ger
! many better than any country in the
, world except my own
Tho reason | left was slrrifcan,
spent, as "a rule. seven or eight months
in Munich. then n similar period In the
united states, unless | travelled | al
WAYS returned 10 my apartment with
such joy that II arrived at night
nld not 20 TO bed lest l forget in
sleep how ovcrjoycd ! was TO re, back
to that stately and picturesque city.
so prodigal with every form OF artis-
| TIC and aesthetic qualifications But
that was just the trouble For as long
time after my return az IL took TO
write the book / had in mind I worked
/
within me; then for months and In spite
OF good resolutions and some self
| anathcma did nothing. What was
The use? The beautiful German city
so full OF artistic delight was made 10
1--we in' not to work in. The entire
absence or poverty in that city OF
half a million inha bitants alone gave
II an air OF iliusion. gave one the sense
Of being the guest of a hospitnble
monarch who only asked to provide
banquet for all that could appre-
ciate.
The DevitnlizinE Proceen.
! / look back upon Munich as the ro-
nance OF my life. tho only place on
this globe that came near TO satisfying
every want of my nature. And that
is tho reason why. in a sort OF panic
| abruptly pulled UP stakes and left IL
for good and all II is not in the true
American Idea TO be too content; 1t
means running 10 seed, n weakening
OF the Will and the vital force If
| remained too long in that lovely land
so admirably governed that | could
not have los, myself my cat. had
! possessed one-I should in no long
course Weld utterly 10 certain resent
fully admitted tendency TO dream and
DRIFT and live for pure beauty: finally
desert my own country with the COM
Portable reflection: Why all this hustle.
this desire 10 excel. to keep In tho
v!dual work. when many artistic
achievements are readv-made for all
10 enjoy without effort? For-here is
the point-an American. the American
Of o-day-accustomed to high speed.
constant energy, nervous tensencsN.
the uncertainty, and the fight cannot
cultivate the leisurely German method.
the almost scientific and impersonal
spirit that informs every profession
and branch OF art It il our own way
or none for us Americans.
Therefore, II loving Germany as
did, and with only the most enchant-
ing memories OF her, had not imme-
diately permitted the American spirit
10 assert itself last August and taken
n hostile and definite stand against the
German idea (Which includes by the
way. the permanent subsection Of wo-
mani 7 should have been n traitor, for
/ knew out OF the menace I had felt
to my own future as bound up with
an assured development under insid.
ious influences, what the future OF my
country. which stands for the only true
progress in the world to-day, and a
far higher Ideal of mortal happiness
than the most benevolent paternalism
can bestow. had in store for it, with
Germany victorious, and America (al-
ways profoundly moved by success ow-
ing 10 her very practicality) disturbed
but compelled to admire
The Germans living here, destitute as
their race seems Ia be of psychology
when 1t comes TO Judging other races,
must know all this: 40 I say that they
are traitors II they have taken the
oath Of allegiance to the United States
II they have not, and dream OF re-
turning one day to the Fathcrland,
then | have nothing to say, for there
is no better motto for any man than:
| Ny country. right or wrong"