New-York tribune., 1916-05-29
THE HOHENZOLLERN WAR
Policy Should by the Fact That the Present
Struggle Democracy and FeudasmAn Alliance
with France and Great Britain Our Best Move.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir; In the situation presented By the war
in Europe, the government OF the United
States should, in its policy follow historic
lines; otherwise the American people cannot
be sure that their policy is obeying the law
Of its evolution.
IL is correct TO say that the war in Europe
is war between democracy and autocracy.
This is in fact "Hohenzollern war;; not an
ir-epressble conflict of antagonistic races or
of rival interests. At no prior time has there
been so close an approach of peoples, such
sympathy and friendly rivalry; nor ever so
artificial war. Neither is this war an sc-
cident, spontaneous confagration. On the
contrary, it is a consequence Of causes long,
and very long, in preparation.
The feudal system is wellnigh forgotten.
That is doubtless because it is 70l years since
the first steps were taken in its evolution
among English speaking people from a sys
tenn OF war and slavery into theory of land
titles. The American colonists may be re-
garded as having completed that task when the
Declaration of independence was placed be-
side the Magma Charta.
Five hundred years ago. on the contrary,
began at Brandenburg the evolution of the
greatest feudal system Of all time. Six hun
dred years before, it is said, the first castle
was built upon the heights of Zollern-one
of those almost countless fortresses of the
feudal period but that was in the day of the
"robber barons' and petty wars A different
and progressive genius now appears in this
evolution of Prussia; for while preparations
for war and surprise attack were always char
acteristic of its history the constructive prin-
cple OF intensive development is also revealed
as parallel operation.
We are familiar in phrase and cartoon with
representations of the German Kaiser as a
"war lord" II is curious that so many per-
sons come so near to the truth in this and yet
miss it. The war lord" was not man Of
Unsuitable ambition for bloody conquest, but
the organizing head of feudal institution to
whom subordinate quasl-sovereigns owed
military service in time Of need and other
dues
On q splendid scale the German army and
supporting industries to-day present such a
picture. The organic principle of feudslism
Las been revealed in the preparation for war;
but not less in the commanding of all the
resources of all the dependencies of the war
lord" for commerce and education. Here is
the very embodiment OF what has recently
come to be called "effcency"-the command
ing Of resources and services in perfect
cooperation. No praise would be adequate Of
the skill so shown by this family and the
group OF persons it has brought about it.
Contrast this with the origin of the en-
pires OF Alexander and Casars, the product,
one might say, OF a single life, or with the
career of Bonaparte. Instead we find here
the steady prosecution by the successive mem
bers of family of controlling ambition
through 500 years Taking the principal po-
ltical institution OF the day feudslism, and
conforming it century after century TO the
needs and opportunities of the time, the
Hohenzollerns have moved from the small be-
ginnings of Brandenburg to Prussia and the
greater Prussia. 10 annexation Of Southern
Germany and now 20 practical annexation Of
Austria.
Not 70 trace ancient history NJ is sufficient
10 mention things which we have seen with
our own eyes. In 1870 Southern Germany
was acquired under the guise Of a surprise
war against France. and King William OF
Prussia made Emperor Of Germany at Yer
ssilles. To-day the Hohenzolern family
stands alone among the families OF Europe
in having gained -suzersnty over Austria
while all others have pitifully lost-life and
happiness this greatest and worst Of all
wars.
In commerce and in education the same
overlordship has been astutely cultivated so
that IL now appears if the divine right OF
sovereignty was conceded by the German peo-
ple instead Of denounced by them. To US.
who after our 200 years of development OF
democracy have formulated the divine right
OF humanity as the central thought of our
political system, however imperfectly real
ized, it seems as II the peculiar crime OF
this Eohenzollern war - not Belgium and