The Springdale news., 1917-11-16
THE PRUSSIAN MILL
 IARY AUTOCRACY

an ambitious individual, became head of the house. His title was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke ofPrussia. He was anxious for recognition, for the title of King. The War of the Span ish Succession was about to begin. His oyerlord, the Holy Roman Emper- or, needed assistance. Frederick was prepared to trade and promised the aid of his army in exchange for the title of Elector of Brandenburg and King of Prussia. This he secured in 1701 Here was the first phase of the contact with Austria, the last of which is seen in our day in the complete sub- ordination of Austrian to Prussian in- fluence
 A violent brutish person, Frederick William the First, began to reign in 1713. Like his ancestors he kept his eye on the main chance, husbanded his resources, and added to his army, which at his death numbered S0,000, an immense trained force for that day and time. He, too, was ready by force to add to his patrimony at the expense of any convenient neighbor. It was l left to his successor to make use of what he had prepared. In TAO the Emperor of Austria, Charles, the Sixth, the last of the male line of Hapsburgs, died. He had bound the leading powers by solemn pledge to recognize as his successor his daugh- ter, Maria Theresa. Frederick the trial leaders run Prussia and Prussia Great promptly gave Maria Theresa strong assurance of friendship and support, having it in mind at the very time to commit a crime against her. He suddenly moved his army against her province of Silesia, and after eight years of desperate warfare ap- propriated it. He at least made no pretense of virtue, and IS reported to have said: Ambition, interest, and the desire of making people talk about me carried the day and 1 decided for war;
 Prussia Unaffected by Liberal Move
 ments.
 Prussia was defeated and humliat- ed by Napoleon in quick campaign in 1906, but the liberal movements of the period scarcely affected her She bded her time and laid her plans. Her next considerable advance was made in 1864, when she induced Austria to join her in taking Schleswig and Hol- stein from Denmark Austria re- ceived Holstein; and in 1866 Prussia picked ] quarrel with her and quick ly yanquished her, appropriating Hol- stein and anneXing Hanover, Hesse, Nassau, and Frankfort, which had taken sides with Austria Thus she rounded out her territory. When the Prussian Parliament protested that force was not sufficient justification for what had been done to Denmark Bismarck replied Our right is the right of the German nation 10 exist, to breathe, to unite The claim Of q place in the sun, the doctrine of nee essity. and the right of might are not of recent appearance in Prussian his tory They have been the outstand- ing characteristics of her thinking and practice since she emerged from medieval obscurity.
 The Crushing of France.
 The next step was the crushing of France in l870-71, the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine and the imposition of Prussian leadership on Germany un- der the guise of a confederation. No wonder Bernhardi wrote: "The les sons of history confirm the view that wars which have been deliberately pro voked by farseeing statesmen have had the happiest results" No won der Prussia believes that great ar my is the cornerstone of her well-be- ing as nation and that war is a pos tive good if 1t succeeds
 So Prussia has come to dominate l Germany She now seeks to domi- nate the whole of central Europe and part of Asia and. if she gains what she wants in this war, she will per sistently lay her plans for the next great aggressive move.
 Prussia is Germany.
 Prussia is Germany. She has three ffths the area and five-eights the population. The German Empire is