Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-31

THE PRUssIAN REpERCUssIoN.
New York Globe)

1850
On Thursday of last week the revolu-
fionary movement began in Petrograd.
Gathering force, it gained control of the
Russian government by Monday. the criti-
cal day, and by Tuesday the victory was
complete
And on Wednesday at Berlin. in advance
OF the publication of the news, Bethmann-
Hollweg, the German chancellor. 'happen-
ed" to attend the Prussian Landtag. where
a debate involving reforms in the Prissian
government was in progress. WhereGpon
the chancellor. according to the account
whose publication the German censor per-
mits, was moved to rebuke the extreme
Prussian junkers and to proclaim woe to
the statesman mad enough to think he can
begin after the war where he left off be-
fore the catastrophe. The chancellor sought
to have i .,baarers believe. and Germany
and the world believe. that his heart pull
stated TO the music of lib~eralism-that he
was led to make his utterance because Of
his enlightenment. And at the time he
doubtless had in his pocket a telegram
telling of events in Petrograd.
The switchboard to Petrograd. one NAV
assume, was operating, and it was deemed
wise to assume n virtue. Bethmann- Holl-
veg. as Theodore Wolff said the other dav
of Zimmerman, will hardly be accused of
being a Machiavelli. He is too crude in his
work. lie is assidious in efforts to be sue
cessfully hypocritical. but his method j.
too coarse TO deceive. Germany is not
merely suffering from an ~autocratic gov
ernmenf, but through being in the control of
sneaking and slippery statesmen apparent
ly incapable of straightforwardness. The
sudden determination of the chancellor to
try TO captain liberalism was a repercussion
from Russia. If the Germans are liberated
they will need TO thank Russia. not the crew
i'm control of their government.
The war began with the falsehood that
Russia had attacked Germany and that it
was necessary to defend Kultur against
the assaults of Slav barbarians. The So
cial Democrats Of the Reichstag, although
it is impossible to believe they were really
deceived. permitted themselves To be ring
nosed by this representation. Since, few
are the words of authentic honesty heard
in Germany. Liebknecht ventured to speak
the truth. but he j. in prison. The Ger
man people have made the sin Of their rul-
ers their own. Intellectuals and leaders Of
the proletariat nave abandoned themselves
to an orgy or unreason. The belief has
been SPREAD that all German life is poison
ed through and through.
But now, thanks 10 Russia. there are in
dicati0nS of n return To sanity. Deputy
Hoffman, following Bethmann- Hollweg in
the Prussian Landtag, declared that the
submarine campaign was inhuman, that
Germany's pretended peace offer was ride
ulous, and that the militarism Of Prussia
was responsible for the bloodshed in Eu-
rope.
Not by words will the German people re-
establish confidence in themselves. They
must present the evidence of deeds. The
Hohenzollcrn is n symbol of a darker and
more dangerous thing than the Romanoff
No nation is willing 10 trust n Germany
that slaviShly follows kaiserism. The Ger
man people must face the truth as 10 why
the war j. and show a desire Ia make res
titution and PREPARATION. No compromise i
possible. The grim business Of subduine
a powerful evildoer must continue. To
crush Germany seems the purpose Of no
one, but the kaiser and what he stands for
must be crushed 1T there is not enough
vitality IN Germany TO do il. then il il to
be done by others. A free Europe is ia
be established. Never again is the peace OF
the world to rest on no firmer foundation
than the caprices of a war lord, of lunatie
imperialists, and of naturalistic phiIoso-
piers who can say that might makes right