Evening star., 1917-05-27
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

nm HE German junkers fill large
space these days in the news
paper dispatches which are fl
tered through Berlin to the
outside world 1t Is known that their
attitude is aggressive and uncompro-
missing In the demand to continue the
war. 1t is also apparent that the
kaiser and his chancellor are under
fire from the junkers. Little. however.
Is known in the United States as to
just who and what they are.
The junkers are the feuda1 land
o,sne. owners ;, Of & Germany: but more espe,
arfstocracy, but this is not similar, ex-
cept In the most general way. to the
landed aristocracy of England. There
is no peerage and no system of entail
which keeps the land and the title in
the hands of the oldest son. They are
much more numerous than the landed
classes of England, for one reason be-
cause there is more land to be held.
~
They are also soldiers as well as
landowners. They have fought for
Germany for generations, and every
family among the junkers has its war
rior ancestors. In fighting for Ger
privileges. That is whv they are the
uncompromising supporters of mon
archy and the divine right of kings.
Their feudal interests are bound up
with the interests of the monarchy.
Should the kaiser openly array him
self against the junkers and seek to
disintegrate the landed classes as an
order the junkers would soon lose their
belief in the divine rights of kings. and
would cease to be the unquestioning
and uncompromising supporters of the
throne. 1t is the privileges of their
order that they prize above all others.
Most of the junkers are educated men.
There are. for example. fewer Doors
among them than may be found among
the landed proprietors, who, by virtue
of birth. are members of the British
house of lords. They are far from
them are agreeable men.
They are well informed on world poll
tics. and some Of them even will agree
that, for a new country like America.
democracy may be the best form Of
government. but for Germany feudal-
ism and monarchy are, in Nhefr view,
the only proper system: They insist
that 1t is this combination which has
made Germany an empire. and that
feudalism and monarchy must persist
or the empire will disintegrate. Medie-
valism. to them, seems the only proper
thing.
In the political sense the junkers
="
party. There are several groups, in
cluding the Catholic conservatives. and
they act as a unit only in the matters
which concern their own privileges.
The term "agrarian" does not mean
what it means in the United States.
Here it usually designates radical ten
denotes in agricultural affairs. In
Germany it retains its primary mean
ing as relating to the land. The junk
ers are all related to the land. They
have farmers union, but it has none
of the popular element of the farmers
unions in the United States.
German agriculture is as scientific
and systematic as are German trade
and industry. There are few sections
Of Germany. and particularly of Prus-
sia. which have a naturally rich soil. In
the possession of potash. however, the
empire has natural fertilizer of un-
equaled richness. Until the opening of
the war this was supplemented by the
Chilean nitrates of soda or saltpetre.
Under the methodical system of fer
tilizing the soil, German agriculture Is
on the basis of maximum productive
ness. The same system is followed in
regard to the variety and the rotation
of crops. Germany cannot produce
enough wheat for her own needs, but
she produces rye and other cereals
which serve as a substitute for wheat
The country is also large producer of
potatoes.
Agricultural production was so man.
aged that under peace conditions Ger
many always had some surplus agri-
cultural products to export. At the