Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-12

When in all history has race found
itself in such a predicament as the
German people are today? A ma
tionality that has stood in the fore
front of progressive movements in
art, music, literature and science, is
staggering to the point of exhaustion
under the burden of a medieval gov
ernment. At a time when the peo-
Piles of the whole earth are moving
toward greater political liberty, they
alone are barred from giving express
sion to their aspirations.
Nay, the fates have not been content
with denying them the privilege of
fighting for liberty; they have ar
rayed them against the struggling
democracies. At the very moment
when Russia takes her stand among
free governments, the stupendous
strength of the German people is ex-
hausting itself in defense Of the big
oted Hohenzollerns, the degenerate
Hapsburgs and the unspeakable Turk.
Surely the humiliation Of a proud and
worthy race could not be more COM
plete.
That the Germans themselves are
conscious of the false position in
which they have been put is evident
from the many reports Of disturb
dflCtS "llElH lIlt tlHDlEt lHdl lllltr
thru the censorship. But it is still
more certain from the demeanor of
the citizens of this country who are
of German birth or descent. At the
beginning of the war, and for a long
time thereafter, they rallied to the
defense of the fatherland This was
a natural and reasonable impulse, and
its expression was perfectly legiti-
mate; but advantage was taken by
political leaders and editors of Ger
man papers to capitalize it for un-
wise if not dishonest purposes.
But as the real nature Of the hered-
itary rulers has been made clear by
the war of "frightfulness" the citi-
zens of Teutonic blood in this country
have fallen silent. Even the editors
who held out longest have lost their
fighting spirit. From charging that
the world has been prejuiiced against
Germany by the misrerr presentations
Of Great Britain. they have come at
last to see that, in supporting autoc-
racy, they had been defending
whited sepulchre which. tho beautiful
TO them, was to others filed with un-
cleanness.
These partisans clunc tenaciously
TO their cause, but they have had the
ground gradually cut from under
them until they toppled over into the
pit digged for them BY those whom
they had so stoutly defended. Had
the German nobility possessed a
moiety of the sense given to ordinary
people they might have conducted
their campaign with at least a SEM
blance of decency. Insteai they chose
to exemplify the old Greek proverb,
Whom the gods would destroy they
first make mad.
Surely there never has been such
madness before in high places. That
il should have ESCAPED so long the
censure of the Germans IS due to their
admirable but INSTRUCTED reverence
for government. And its final dissi-
patton would be amusing were 1t not
so pathetic-not 10 say tragic.
The cumulative evidence piled up
by the war of "frightfulness" had all
but convinced Germany's friends in
this country before the Zimmerman
note was made public That was the
rock upon which the German editors
came to grief. They denied most en-
phatically its genuineness. Even had
the German government been base
enough to do such n thing, they said,
it would not do it in such a stupid
way as that proposcd in the Zimmer-