Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-05-04
Dislike.

Engelbert Pernerstorfer is the vice pres.
ident of the Austrian house of delegates
He has written an article published in thd
Berliner Tageblatt and the New York
Times. 1t should have wide and thought
full reading both in Germany and Arneri.
ca. This it doubtless will have, since it
appears in two journals commanding both
large circulations and intellectual constit-
uencieS.
the German people Herr Pernerstorfer
quotes Hugo Preuss's '"The German Peo-
pie and Politics" noting a Fundamental!
divergence between German psychology
and the psychology of others. Here he
finds an explanation of the revulslon of
others against Germany. A critical eX-
animation discloses certain grave Ger
man defects" Their casting off is essen
t1al to the restoration of a lasting Euro
pean peace. The realization of this lis
of supreme Importance alike to the flu
ture of the German empire and the future
of European civilization"
erHan Is supposed to be hated be-
cause of Prussian milttarism, say Herr
Pernerstorfer, and vet, of the three great
many, Germany occupies the third place
as far as the cost of armament is con-
cerned. Dust as if the cost of armament
made militarismD
However this may be, he concludes that
Prussian militarism is a p%reteNt, and that
the Ike. to an understanding of the con-
tIdSl DttWeen beT1lldllN ana western Ett-
rope is in the difference in internal poll
tics. And here he finds the lesson to be
learned by the centra! empires from the
war.
The chief difference in the internal poll
tics of the central powers. on the one
hand, and western Europe, on the other,
is found in the subsection Of the Ger
manic peoples to what they call the
'Obrigkeit"-that is to say, the superior
/ authorities-as contrasted with a genuine
constitutionalism and parliamentary form
forms which. as this writer says, "alone
insure the participation Of all sections of
the people" He proceeds:
"To be sure. it may be asked, What do
you want of England and what of France?
In the one the nobility rules in the other;
absolutism'' to be preferred?'
Yes and no. The rule of an enlightened,
honest, and statesmanlike monarch is GER
tainly of greater advantage than the rule
of a nobility greedy for power or of II
even if the enlightened absolutism pos
sessed the very greatest advantages, we
have. as matter Of fact, now outgrown 1t.
We will tolerate it no longer; not even in
It's half-constitutional, weakened form.
Civilized peoples desire a free path for all
their members. "
Even an opponent of Prussian Junker-
dom can admit its services. but It
is a depressing feeling that it has the
privilege of ruling the German people.
Even to an opponent of the social democ-
idCy IL must De Illuminating TO
think how it was treated by the German
government.
"The majority of the German people
consists by no means of conservative ele-
ments. Nevertheless, it has endured being
ruled conservatively. So are we in
Austria. But among us the omnipotence
of the 'Obrigkeit' is restricted by reason
of numerous strong national movements
frequently directed against one another. -
The conclusion of the whole matter is
that men of progress in other countries
see in Germany the embodiment of a prin-
ctple which is inimical to the spirit of
progress. They remember the incentive to
their own progress that came from
France, they remember-to use Herr Per-
nerstorfer's w~ords-the ancient fame of
England as the home of parliamentary
self-government and personal freedom
They also recall the fact Ito use his
phraseology again hat until the very
recent past Russian czarism had no
stronger friend than the German "Obrig-
keit."
That. concludes this Austrian writer,
and not because of Prussian militarism, is
why Germany is disliked. She must carry
out internal political reforms If she would
conquer this aversion.