Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-05

London April The Russian rev
olution has loosened the scales on the
eyes Of the German people. and Amer
ica's entrance into the war will COM
hasten the march Of freedom and
progress across the Teutonic empires,
according to the best British opinion,
which, it may be added, Is so rapidly
forcing the pace toward an Irish set
t1ement that a successful solution of
that problem is nearer than most per.
sons thought possible.
THE silent a Of mankind" on
whose behalf Wilson spoke in his ia
nous peace address in the senate, and
In his message to congress this week.
is becoming vocal. 1t has found it's
voice in Russia suddenly by revolu-
ton; the first mutterings have been
heard in Germany, and the interview
given by Count Czernin, the Austro-
Hungarian minister Of foreign affairs,
to the Vienna Fremdenblatt is plain
~ a response to popular discomfort.
opinion In this country Is divided
as to the real Significance attaching to
The united socialist vote in the Ger
man reichstag. On tho one hand It IL
asserted that the German socialists
have voted against the budget before
IN the budget was lot a penny the
worse for that, and, on the other, that
the socialist revolt was arranged by
the German government to encourage
tries.
"A German eyewash" is what The
Pail Mall Gazette calls it, remarking:
There has always been a certain de-
mand In Germany for more liberal in
situations and doubtless the course of
events in Russia has given it a stimu-
lus, but It is a very languid emotion,
compared with the passion enlisted in
the war and, the faith that still ad-
the handspring of German thought
and action until it is overcome by the
destruction of the empires military
power"
Socialists as Peoples Spokesman.
The Manchester Guardian puts the
other contention alphabetically. It
suggests that the German socialist
party. once reunited, may become
again the strongest party in the reich
stag, and the one organization repre-
senting the rank and file Of the Ger
man people. War was made by the
autocratic government and imposed
on the mass Of the people by playing
en- their fears Of the Russian auto
cracy. With a new Russian democ-
racy in control, what quarrel have the
German working classes? Achieve
ment of a liberal constitution in Ger
many would be for her neighbors'
guarantee. They would interpret it
as a sign OF repentance and a change
of heart.
The Guardian thinks that an en-
vironnent within which peace would
become possible would thereby be
created. But the German autocracy
with Its appanage of professors and
officers still stands against the world,
against Its W people as we'll as its
enemies. Its destruction must come
from within or from without.
The moral influence Of Americas
participation n the war will, accord
ing to the view strongly held here,
complete the process of enlightening
the German nation. The Star holds
that the entente democracies ought
to make a direct appeal to the Ger
man democracy against "the Hohen-
zollerns and . their Hindenburgian
prutes." but does not suggest exactly
Light on Internal Conditions.
The Paris Temps publishes corre-
spondence c~oncernipg. internal condi-
lions in Germany, Which has sisnif-
canoe in this connection.
We have under our eyes," says
The Temps, IAN edifying document
circulated in the German trenches
ana reproducing characteristic letters
from all corners Of the empire, letters
from wives and mothers to husbands
and sons at the front and letters from
old people who would welcome the
oblivion of the grave. The majority
Of them have been censored, but from
what is left n can judge of what
was suppressed.
What strikes one is the tone of
hatred and bitterness with which the
writer's stigmatize the helplessness
and the insolence of the German
bureaucracy AID the growing anger
against those whom. rightly or WRONG
ly. they hold responsible for the mis-
cry Of the people. What a contrast
the first letters. found on German
soldiers In 1914, in which mothers and
wives and flances encouraged the Teu-
ton warriors to pillage!
German women know also that
war means only mourning and dis
tress. The best thing I could do
writes one Of them, would be to throw
myself into the water with the chill
dren., Another says: Dear Joseph:
Life is no longer worth living. We
had better both have been dead A
third makes this confession to her