New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-05-26
THE FALL OF KAISERISM.


lies could drive the Germns frol
France whenever they wished, bu
that to do 50 would cost miIlio
French, British. and America
lives. But that price is too hq
If all that is necessary is to hole
Germany as he is until the Ger
man people realize that it is theiI
rulers who have brought all thu
mlscrleS Of a losing war upOr
them. In word, the world is
paying a thousand lives for every
day that the 1IohenzolIerns en-
durc. How long it must continue
to pay that price depends upon in
ternal conditions in Germany,
and, in the general lack Of au-
thcntic information. the comments
made by A. Curtis Roth have an
unusual value. Mr.. Roth was
American vice-consul at Plauen,
SaXony, and had an almost per-
feet opportunity to observe the
trend Of events. He writes in the
Nav issue of The World's Work:
But little concerning actual con
ditions among the German masses
has been allowed to reach the out
side world. Foreign correspond
ents are not encouraged to make
Independent observations off the
beaten highways of military and
naval effort and high politics, but
are guarded from a true knoWl- |
edge Of the temper of the people
with all the ingenuity Of which |
German officialdom is capable.
The German press is held tightly
in rein by the censorS. and so its
columns glow with inspired con
fidence. The smoldcring, grow
ing, tortured discomfort of the
Empire has remained almost in
articulate.
Thus. it is not known outside .
Of Germany that Liebknecht, one
OF the most astute leaders that ,
German Socialists ever had, 5as- !
ing his Judgment upon reports
from lleutenants from all over the {
country, held that the people were t
ripe for revolution early last {
spring. The Liebknecht affair
was reported as local episide in q
Berlin. 1t was explained as an r
isolated effort at treason by a E
witless agitator. In reality, it i
was a carefully considered at Fl
tempt to give the war-weary peo- h
pie a chance to assert themselves. II
1t failed because of Prussian dis +
cipline, ingrained within the very O
soul Of the people The sentiment 8
for revolt was broadcast: the b
spirit was turgid without initia- !,
tiv enad without plan. O
Liebknecht based his decision \
for action upon a multitude of T
facts. All through the Empire, il
the people had exprest a spirit Of g
revolt in bitter food-riots. An Il
unwonted seditious talk could be el
heard on every hand among the d
wage-earners in the congested dis n
tricts. The Socialist organizations
were prepared to give quiet aid Il
to any movement which should n
offer fair promise of success. r
Dissatisfaction was rife in the @,
ranks Of the Saxon armies. The n
wives of the small farmers, of the h
mechanics, of the laborers wanted O
peace on any conditions that 4
would bring their husbands and o
sons back to them again. These "
conditions obtained last spring. d
A mass of pamphlets and loose is
leaves of the peace propaganda n
were circulated from hand to o
hand among the people. Some Of G.
these were drawn up in very dar- Ii
ing terms. A number of them O.
came to my hand through a young Il
German Socialist who had be- b
sought the consulate to issue him Il
a passport at the beginning of ST
the war upon his first American O
papers. shall quote, from men,
Dry. from one of these pamphlets. fl
1t was circulated in August and b
and, | was able to in II,
form myself, it made a deep inn il
preston among the working peo- n
pie of my district. The para e,
graph, which give below, in my S,
Judgment. coneeals the fuse which "