The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-07-19
THE ESSENTIAL BASISOF PEACE

The Hohenzollerns and the Prussian
Statecraft Must be Eliminated IN
Germany
Baltimore Sun.
The strength Of Germany up to
this time has been it's popular solid
arity. It has been formidable not
merely because Of it's military sys-I
tenn, but because that system repre-
sented the heart and mind of Ger
many. Cunningly into the machine
QUILT up through successive genera
tons of dynastic ambition the Ger
man soul was lured and incorporated,
SO that when the war began in 1914
Germany sprang to arms almost as
one man, with absolute belief in it
self, with no qualms or doubts, pre-
pared to back up anything and every
thing necessary to put and keep Ger
many Uber Allies. That was the creed
of all classes Of the German people,
and in that motto they were determ-
med to conquer. Mahomet and his
successors never led armies more i'm
bued with the conviction of a special
mission and Of higher sanction than
those which Germany poured into
Belgium in August three years ago.
70 accomplish her purpose it was
felt she had a right to disregard all
ordinary laws and restraints. 1t was
this national obsession which per-
verified the national conscience and
which has made even preachers of
Christianity condone every German
crime committed during the war;
which has made fathers and mothers
defenders Of the slaughter of chill
dren; which has made women rejoice
in the woes and wrongs Of other wo-
men in enemy countries. Germany
would have gone mad before this in
the contemplation of the calamities
which Prussian imperialism has caus-
ed in Belgium, in France, in Rou-
mania, in Serbia, in Armenia, in Lon.
don and upon the seven seas had she
not been rendered morally insane
before the conflict began. Rarely
before in the history of the world has
a nation been as completely possess
ed of So dangerous and so debauch
ing a delusion. It required more thai
a century of subtle suggestion AM
systematic intellectual propaganda t.
Prussianize Germany, to make tn
ruthless Prussian spirit and ambition
the German spirit. And when tn
war came the empire builders coul
, pc.nt to the great results achieve
as proofs of their authority and Q
| the soundness of their scheme Prus
si:. had created and developed in
comparatively short time under he
| system the most wonderfo! and el
ficient national unit known anon
men, one which was taking
first place in nearly everything, ar
which seemed destined 20 Outstrip 2
Il others in trade as we'll IS in scienc
IN social progress as we'll as in &c
nouic processes. No wonder the &c
man soul was ensnared and corrupte
mo wonder tie Germ IN im aginatit
was captiva:ed and firel into enthu
iasm by the subtle and powerful ge
Jus which converted dozen or mo
weak and beggarly states into an IL
perial prince among the nation
whose might and competition we
the admiration and dread of all.
It was the force of a mighty n
tioral idea that has enabled Germa
to defy more than half the world.
-, long as her people continue under t
domination of that idea she will
frightful as we'll as formidable. 7
question which the present politi;
= unrest in Germany suggests is tn
\ Is the long spell beginning to lose
power, and is she coming back
sanity? With the insane delusi
gone, We may reasonably hope tn
the things she has stood for recent
will be abandoned.
Mere parliamentary reform in G.
many, the extension Of political pc
ers and privileges to the Germ
people, might be an encouraging 81
of a change of heart, of the approa
Of popular authority, but it wo7
not Of itself be sufficient to just
us in assuming that peace was
sight. The temptation to assn
such thing is great, and it is the
fore important for us all continue
to keep in mind why We are at
and the object we propose to acco
plish. We have not entered t
struggle for vengeance, for amblt
or for profit, but to help to cure
national mailman and to prevent
= recurrence Of catastrophe like
present. How can this be done?
" through our indirect influence
= the restoration of German sanity,
by our forceful interposition. II
German people show that they h
recovered their minds, we need
dictate peace terms in Berlin.
the only way in which they can pr
that is by deeds, not words. We m
have a sure and solid guarantee
their sincerity or their power to
up to their word so long as the
fluences which consider treaties
scraps of paper maintain even a
tige of their hold on German RESI-
and obedience.
A convincing sign, conclu
proof that We can trust Germany
be Germany's demonstration that
no longer trusts the evil genius
4