The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-09
Don Marquis
Column
Beisiu,n EnsIsvea.

BeIsium EnsIaved.
Again, Prussia, and again
You make the old mistake.
Will you never look into the eyes or
your disiilusioned slain!
Will you never learn wisdom. though
the worlds heart break
To pay your souls tuition7 Are you
blind
That you cannot read the infinite slow
writing
Traced by the finger OF God upon the
red scroll of fighting7
What darkness clouds your mind
That you plat opprcssion's lash with
such dull hands
And leer, and bring II down
At the solemn gesture OF q sickly
Clown,
Who needs must hide beneath Gods
cloak to give his least com
mands7
All, Prussia, Il 10 this
That binds the race to Its Geth-
semanei
A doctrine twisted out OF Judas kiss.
Which was, and is, and evermore
On the cheek Of the world, until
mans price be paid
And such as Belgium, ravished and
betrayed,
Go not in anguish to the martyrs
Tree!
To-day, In the spirit of sheer reck.
less abandon, We are going to read
through the pile OF newspapers upon
our desk.
Every morning, by some occult
magic, these papers appear before us.
We know not whence they come or
whittier they 20. They have been
looming up in our consciousness for
years, until now they approximate q
mountain OF type. Today we are 60
ing to climb that mountain. We have
always known that some day we
would.
II goes without saying that we shall
take up. discuss and definitely settle
the Questions presented In the news.
We are peculiarly qualified to per
form this task by reason Of the fact
that we have no first hand knowl.
edge OF the subjects involved. First
hand knowledge Is n dangerous thing.
II prevents one from seeing tho other
side OF the issue In dispute, and see.
ing the other side OF an isaue In quito
necessary 60 a fair compromise, com
promise being the best Justice obtain.
able In this world.
But there! We have sauandered
an extra paragraph upon our own In.
PRODUCTION, and that IL sheer waste.
No one cares for introduction.
It's the meat that people want. And
that gives us n new idea. Quite a
new and extraordinary idea
IL not this universal hunger for
substantialities q form OF barbarlsm7
Yes. yes. II we were really civilized
we should dispense with Facts alto.
gether. and live on Fancy pure and
simple. We should have a well bred
World Republic, such as Mr.. Wells
and other sensible persons have thor.
ouEhiy made up their minds 70 have.
ana the President OF this Republic
would be q Poet. No less.
We have our laws In vers iibre flor
greater elasticity. and our campaign
speeches In neatly rhymed coupiets
flor public comprehension).
In this cordial and ephemerai state
all the questionf~uo~ troubling man.
kind would be settled with a thessti.
rus and n rhyming dictionary. Miss
Amy Lowell would have as much to
say as the Kaiser and probably more.
Which brings us back to that heap
OF papers on our desk.
The first problem that presents a..
self 20 our open and sympathetic mind
In the problem OF the British Cabinet.
Undoubtedly one. of the simplest
problems OF all.
Abolish the Cabinet.
And then give the country over to
such same conservative persons-(this
has q satiric ring. but we mean Il
quite seriousiy)-as II. @. Wells. Der.
nsrd Shaw. George Moore. Gilbert
Chesterton, Mrs. Pankhurst, Mr..
Noyes, the poet. and others of that
general run OF temperament. Mr.. Ar
mold Bennett could keep the minutes
OF the empire and Mr.. Kipling. Tar too
splendid to lose. could take charge OF
the army and navy.
So that is settled.
The next item Is our own difficulty
with Germany over the submarine
question.
That, also, II a matter OF extreme
simplicity. All that IL needed is a
league OF nations-the World Repub-
lie, IL you lIke-and a court OF uni
versaI Jurisdiction with power to en-.
force dts DEGREES. This court sum
mons the German Emperor. just as
any other court would summons any
other criminal, and after a fair and
ejudiced trial lin which the Ger
man judges vote for acquittai the
defendant Is convicted by majority
opinion OF murder and piracy, and Is
commanded to mend his ways under
pain OF capital punishment. He is
sIso set,tenced To pay certain indemni-