Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-01
Popular Spirit in Germany.
By Carl w. Ackerman

greatest mistake IN tne war Is the use
of the term militarism.' "No one'
ne said, twill ever agree on what it
means and it is going to be difficult
to end the war because of that
The spirit of the German people
during the last year cannot be shown
without discussing "great militarism -
In outlining the peoples attitude to-
ward the war, the kaiser and the gov
ernment, militarism will not be justi-
fled or critisized. Recent develop
ments in Germany will be discussed in
their relation to what is generally
termed Germany's military party.
At the beginning of the war there
was great enthusiasm throughout Ger
many. More than million men vol
unteered to fight. During the first
year they fought hard, died or were
wounded. The people at home began
to economize. This spirit carried the
armies far into France and Russia.
1 During the second year this enthusi-
asm has not been so great but the de-
termination of the people has not abat-
ed Tney want peace at once, if they
can obtain reasonable terms of peace.
If they had to vote to go on until they
accept the terms of the enemy, they
would vote to go on.
Believes She Has Won
Germany wants peace because Ger
many believes she has won the war.
There are critics and grumblers dis
satisfied with everything. Every bel
/ ligerent has about as many as the
other. The difference is that in Eng
land they grumble publicly, in Ger
many they cannot; and when people
cannot criticise publicly, they do it
I twice as hard privately.
The people are individually person
ally interested in the war because ev-
cry person has some relative at the
front. The best indication of the pub
lie support of the war is the vote OF
the Reichstag in June of the new war
credit of two billion marks. There
was less opposition to 1t than to the
one before. The socialists supported
, it for the fourth time and socialist
members of the Reichstag are in hour
ly touch with public sentiment
Philip Sehiedermann, socialist lead
er is one of the best informed men in
Germany on public sentiment. Seheid-
emann is in constant communication
with the imperial chancellor. The
chancellor is received more often by
the kaiser and the people. If Scheide-
listers. Scheidemann and the chancel-
lor are the connecting links between
the kaiser and the people. Scheide-
mann and his followers did not have
confidence in the chancellor and in the
kaiser there would be more evidence
of it in the Reichstag. The kaiser
trusts the chancellor's judgment, abso-
lutely. Scheidemann trusts the chan
cellor's Judgment and the public trusts
the socialist leader.
So the public still has confidence in
the aims of the government as an
nouneed by Won Bethmann. Hollweg in
the Reichstag.
1t Is A Defensive War
The people themselves deny that
they are militaristic. They believe
their army is their police force, thor
oughly equipped and prepared for de-
fense. To the people, this is defens-
i've war. They are not fighting to
hold Belgium, Poland or Servia. They
are against annexation. If the wal
lasts longer and they are further vic
torious, they may change, but there is
no indication of it now. Whatever
happens great deal will depend upon
the attitude of the press. The Ger
mans know there has been a strong
military party and they know this par
ty is today politically weaker than il
ever has been.
At the beginning of the war there
were three public leaders of the group
of politicians called in America, elm
perialists. - The republican party in
America, for instance, has been known
as the imperialistic party. Germany
had republican party. The Uncle
lHeydebrand, a conservative, annexa
ZIONIST member of the Reichstag. The
"big navy man" was Grand Admiral
Won Tirpitz. The "big army man
was General Won Moltke and General
ivon Bernhard.
All Trust the Chancellor
Heydebrand now has practically nc
influence outside his party and the
lother parties in the Reichstag outvote
his party nearly two to one. Tirpit'
has resigned and been succeeded by q
friend of the chancellor. Moltke nc
Ilonger is chief Of staff. He has beer
succeeded by man who is one Of the
kaiser s best friends and a man who
during the crisis with America WORKED
for an adjustment to avoid a break
Bernhard, practically unknown to the
German public, has been commander
of an army in Posen since the begin
ming of the war. He has no influence
in the poternment
What has happened has been writ
ten ON the pages of the press every
day during the last year of the war
The chancellor has won out against
the republicans, and standpat
ters,'' the annexationists, the trouble
makers, the fire eaters and all the
other brands of politicians in this class
in Germany, where they are present
Just as they are in every other coun
try in the world.
That is the reason the spirit of the
lGerman people as whole is good. The
people trust the chancellor. The kais
er trusts Won Bethman- Hollweg's judg
ment. The Reichstag respects von
Bethmann- Hollweg's statement and
ideas and if the war lasts another year
from present indications il will
strengthen the position Of the chaneel
lor and every move in that direction
is a move towards freer Germany be-