The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-10-04
Aft, Not a Character

The German Empire is but for.
ty-six years old. But scarcely
more than a generation have lived
under it. Its character, such as
this war has displayed it to the
world, may be transient and moi
permanent. Certainly it is all ac-
quired character, one that our cit
liens here Of German blood have
not exhibited, one that before 1871,
outside of Prussia. was not evident.
If the methods of Bismarck were
INSCRIPTIONS, his purposes wee
we'll directed. And he remained
sane even in his triumph. He de-
scribed Germany as "a satisfied
country" He said the Balkans
were not worth the bones of Il
Prussian grenadier.'' He was al
armed by the new Kaiser's grandi-
ose dreams, and described him to
Harden as "the rich heir" The
great Chancellor was Prussian in
his policy and in his Machavelli-
anism, but his soldiers were not
savage, they did not commit afro
cities in France, they were not de-
structive. The French hated them
but did not accuse them of name
less deeds and obscene furies.
Professor Henry w. Farnum, Of
Yale University, who was stud
cnt at Heidelberg in 1865, found
the Germans the good, sound, low
able persons we all have found
them to be here-until lately, at
least. In France in 1871 he hear,i
no such complaints Gas have filled
the world with horror during the
present war" Later in Berlin he
sat at the feet of Treitschke,, who
was lecturing on history. He says,
1--WE did not take his doctrine very
seriously at the time.''
But he compares Germany's NOR.
al or immoral progress to that of
Macbeth in Shakespeare's play, the
drama being that of the corruption
of noble spirit by ambition, UNI
til murder and every other crime
is possible to him.
The point is, however, that thu
Germans will not. necessarily re.
main a collection of Macbeths
They were not Macbeths of old, M
more than Macbeth himself wa.
other than a noble thane until hi
was tempted by the witches ane
prompted by his wife. To argue
that there must have been some in
herent criminality to render pos
sible the monstrous developments
is besides the mark. Men and ma
lions are all susceptible to passion
as the great moralists of church
and philosophy have always known
We are far from excusing Ger
man criminality in this war, either
the atrocious deeds of violence OF
the atrocious assault on human lib
erty which the war itself is. Thai
criminality merits ample punish
ment, and for the world 8 sake W,
trust it will receive the Just re
ward.
But we do dissent from the con
demnation Of the race as one of in
trlnsic savagery. That view is a!
extreme as is the present German
view of themselves as the super
race. While we do not believe tina,
the Anglo Saxon is capable of an,
such denominations as have bee,
perpetrated upon Belgium ane
France, neither do we believe the,
are characteristic of the natura
German mood. The German ha.
been worked up to this sort Of
thing by powerful conjunction Of
circumstances. True, for mis- owl
souls good, he requires a terribl,
drubbing, and will get what s com
Ing to him.
But this generation of German.
SO unlike their kindly fathers, ar,
not likely to hand down thei: evil
traits as permanent ones of the &c;
man race. The evils are more ''ac
qulred characteristics" than char
acteristic endowments. The race
OF Goethe and Leasing, of Bee.
thoven and Wagner, Of Helmholz
and Humboldt, will finally be re.
stored from this madness Of a dav
The cure for them. however. is a
thorough thrashing.
Thu Consolidated Rural e.,,..,