The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-28

just occurred with reference to a certain reading book for soldiers .'rhe Good Conrad de- by Major Won I<lass,. which is being circulated in all barracks and mili- tary depots.
 In this book the social democrats are represented as the inner enemy and n
 plague, wanting to divide all prop erty and aspiring to the overthrow of the Kaiser and all other legal authorities Poor Major Von I<lass, who was before highly praised for his book, has now become persona non grata, all copies of his book have been confiscated and de- stroyed and new edition has been pub lished in which by the order of the war lord all these offensive passages have been stricken out
 The government, however, does not go as far as to admit that it's previous opin- ions of socialists have been wrong. but hints the particular God who looks after the welfare of Germany, in some miracu- lous manner has brought about a change Of heart among these misguided citizens and has guided them back to the path of righteousness.
 The army order mentioning the new ex- purgated edition of '"rhe Good Comra de, says:
 Book Is Confiscated
 The social democrats have like every booy else, done in this great war their duty in complete loyalty to the ia ther- land and the needs of faithful service In consequence of this it may be firmly hoped that the reproaches and warnings confalned in certain messages in the orig inal edition may lose their validity and need for all time"
 strange 1t is to see the almost child like faith which even Very violent political extremists now feel in the good inten- tions of the government. Thus Her. Pat thof, radical hot-head member of the Reiekstag, who has given the German Chancellor many uncomfortable moments Tn the past, writes in Hamburg paper:
 It is impossible that the great lesson of the present time should afterwards be forgotten. It will be out of the uues- tion .henceforth to raise the charge or inadequate love for the country and in- adequate loyalty to the empire agains, the social democrats or other parties, or against the Poles, Danes, Asatians or Jews.
 'An inevitable result of the present unanimous cooperation will be that in the future a greater amount of self-goyern- msnt will not be grudged to the German people. Not so much bureaucracy and police and more autonomy and elbow room, such are the natural results of the new confidence, the conditions of a better and more joyful development in the future"
 The well known Berlin professor, Ans ohutz, wants nothing of the Russian Baltic provinces, where the Germans constitute a very small fraction of the population He even ventures to go against tie Kaiser. who has openly proclaimed that Antwerp is necessary to Germany after the War, and declares that 1t would De g mistake to annex Belgium. He frankly declares that he does not know what to do with Poland. as it would be an un- pleasant neighbor to have, if l. were made an independent state, while Russia ni>st find 1t hard to forgive Germany If she annexed Russian Poland.
 Otherwise the foreign policy of Germany in the future seems a very simple matter to him. All she has to do is to detach one power from the ring of enemies which at present surrounds Germany and after admitting that this cannot be done with either England or France. he proceeds to show how Russia is to be transformed into a friend of Germany. He passes rather lightly over the fact that Russia will have to submit to the rather hu- initiating and painful operation of having her ambitions in the Balkans amputated as well as her century old desire for Ccnstantinople. When this operation has been skilfully performed, Russia must te taught to turn her eyes towards the ar east.