South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-23
Is the Prussian
Reqping for Mercy?

There are a great many signs by which
even civilian can be certain or this But
for anyone with historic memory and judg-
ment. there is one proof OF Prussian failure
which is at once startling and final. Properly
realized 1t is more cataclysmic than the Rhine
choked with corpses, the Kaiser cutting ais
throat Berlin burned to the ground, and the
Kiel Canal blown up. ships and all. The Prus-
sian has spoken of justice. When he speaks OF
Justice he has begun to hope for mercy. For
more than hundred years he has spread and
summed himself in the Summer or mere sue
cess: he has openly exulted in his freedom
from scruple and religious restraint; he has
pointed to his pLrjuries other men point TO
their promises He has never dreamed or an
swering the charge that he was false ana
cruel save by saying that he Is cunning anu
strong
he has never pretended 70 recognize any
law human or divine, save 81 the sense that
possession was nine points or It. when ne ne
gins to defend himself on the tenth point, II Is
proof that he has little left but a tenth. When
The Prussian says he has the right to do
thing. YOU may Ne pretty sure that he has no
longer the might to do II.
And this IS proved by one fact which is star
inqlv self-evident: the fact that all his apollo
Sjes ere afterthoughts. Some OF his less eau
Iious controversialists, for instance, claim that
sfter the Conquest OF Brussels the conQuerors
found evidence that they had been the object
NJ some conspiracy seems TO have been
5ttle more than some preparations for defense.
which have been proved very necessary. But,
N any case, Il is as II a burglar claimed to
have found an unfriendly letter about himsel;
along with the bank notes In ocked desk
Even if he were right, he would have no right
TO be right.
treason and $50
Aggression Without Precedent.
It is self-evident that these are excuses
made up long after the crime, and there
fore yorthless excuses But they are
growing more frequent, more apologetic
and more confused every day. as the German
strength slowly weakens. And already
there is a general tendency in the German
press to represent the whole quarrel as some
sort of misunderstanding, at least a matter
for argument, IL not for arbitration.
Historically, OF course such view Is non.
sense II would be nonsense il Sir John Jelli-
zoe said he happened TO be on a ship because
his doctor had recommended a sea-voyage. Il
would be nonsense because IL would ignore
the whole historic claim OF the British upon
the sea. II would be nonsense IL General Jof-
FIRE said he happened to be standing at the
junction OF the Sambre and Meuse because he
admired the natural beauty OF those rivers,
and considering their suitability for chat
canal boat in which he is said TO purpose
passing his declining years.
II would be nonsense because II would ig-
more the whole historic peril OF France at
that particular point. And II is nonsense FOR
the Germans TO talk belatedly az IL they had
Numbered into Belgium into the war be-
cause they thought France or Belgium was
doing something neither Of them ever did
It is nonsense because IL ignores the whole
historic policy Of Prussia along the lines II
which she has struck again and again. With
her IT Is a matter OF principle TO be unprin-
cipled Frederick the Great considered II a
piece OF highly Crtistic humor to enter mis-
Austrian enemy's possessions in advance %
his own declarations of war. as IL he had run
on before 70 say IL was coming. Bismarck not
only tore up his own scraps OF paper. our
cheerfuIly forged other peoples scraps of paper
when he wanted 10 precipitate war The Ger
mans evidently do not quite understand what
70 saying about them. When say
they we're guilty OF extraordinary and unprece-
dsnted treason and aggression, We mean, OF
,ou-pe that these things we're unprecedented
and extraordinary among civilized people. We
&c not mean that they were unprecedented
or extraordinary among barbarians We did
not know, naturally. whether Prussians would
A., ,h ~ things