The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1917-10-05
THE KAIsER's MISTAKES.


The career of the kaiser is worth a
brief review, if for nothing else than the
vastinfluence that his life has and will
have on the world at large. .
1t is one of the natural expectations
OF mankind to think that great effects
must necessarily arise from great causes,
but asa matter Of fact great causes
sometimes produce but minor effects,
while sometimes very small things cause
great changes.
1t begins to look as If the personality
of Kaiser William, in future history. will
be chronicled as small cause of great
effects.
AS the heir of his father and of Bis.
marck he inherited more power than
has been given to any other man for a
century. The organization Of the sepa-
rate states of Germany into one auton.
omy with Prussia as the ruling majority,
was the work of Bismarck. So was the
triple alliance~of Germany. A ustria and
Italy. The political machinery with
which Bismarck created an empire from
separated duchies and free cities was in
working order when the kaiser took the
throne.
Immediately after taking his seat as
the kaiser Of Germany, he forgot who
had made it Germany aud quarreled
with its creator. He assumed that he
was big enough to go4t alone. It is
true that there are many persons who
can run an automobile successfully that
could not make an auto, and the world
has been watching for more than score
OF years to see how the kaiser would
succeed in running the machinery set
up for him by the genius of Bismarck.
His first mistake, was of course to
quarrel with the man who was the real
creator of his inherited power. He
ruled not by Divine authority but by
Bismarcks genius and brains. Ger
many and the kaiser could not afford to
ignore man like Bismarck. Still be-
cause Bismarck had built up SO perfect
q machine, it could 60 long way even
oy its own momentum, provided the en-
glneer knew enough to just keep 1t 60
ing.
de declared at the beginning of his
reign that he had come to "brinp peace
on earth and good will to men" and I'M
mediate3y began to use the vast machin-
cry Of the Gesman government to pre-
pare for war. This is history.
But his preparations for war meant
heavy taxation and meant the army SER
vice for all the young men. This caused
dissatisfaction among his subjects, to a
degree that just before the present war
was declared, the Socialists had nearly
a majority in the Reichstag, and IL they
progressed we're bound within a short
time to put an end to the building Of
dreadnaughts in q useless endeavor to
match the British feet. He was sue
cessful in making the largest army ever
before organized but at the same time
also gave the people the biggest load Of
taxes that any people had ever before
carried. In the very act of attempting
to nake Germany the ruling power Of
the world BY military force hs made q
great mistake with his own people. Mill
tary power alone never did and never
will make 4 great nation.
To our mind the greatest one cause Of
this great war was that the kaiser made
this mistake. Within fifty years Cor.
many had become one of the greatest
powers Of Europe but not through mill.
|tarism but through manufactures and
commers. Instead Of putting his smoney
and man-power into these victories d
peace" he conseiysd the ides that by
|dsstrnction he aould bring increase.
This VAS tho firsts great fallacy 81 this
man VINO thinks that hs u acting q the
lsarthly aesat u Ged