The Washington herald., 1917-04-25
Unrest In Germany.
(ClsTelapd Plain Dealer.)

(CleTeland fla1n DeAleIJ
Through the heavy curtain of censor
ship more and more light is coming.
The unrest of the German working
classes, the men whose loyalty is as
needful as that of the army itself,
amounts to a complete WEAKNESS. re-
volt against the oppressive conditions
which the Prusslan government has been
compelled to establish. 1t has not yet
come to a revolt against the government,
but Che transition may not be dih1cult.
Revolt against unbearable conditions may
in an amazing brief time turn to an up
rising against the men who are respon-
sible for the conditions.
Unlike the men of the European de-
mocracies the soldiers and the munitions
workers of Germany are not laboring and
sacrificing themselves for the nation and
the people. They are working at the
command of and for the benefit of a
ruling caste. This distinction between
the German worker and the French
worker, the German soldier and the
French soldier. is absolutely clear to
everyone outside of Germany. 1t seems
to be becoming clear to the German
workers That 1t has already become
clear to many OF the German soldiers
is indicated by the ease with which the
French and British take German pri-
soners and the delight expressed by those
Who are captured. The Frenchman and
the Englishmah are striving to advance
a definitely understood principle and to
make certain that the Europe of the
future shall not be dominated by the
despotism of the Hohenzollern. The
German is fighting and working to up
hold Kaiserism, to perpetute government
by divine right to save from destruc-
ton a political system IN which the peo-
ple-inciuding the fighters and the work
ers-are zero.
At the beginning of the war the COM
mon people Of Germany were dazzIed
by the glamor OF efficiency; racial pride
was tickled by the thought that the Teu-
tonic race was superior to all other
races OF Europe. Little or no thought
was given to the means by which this
efficiency had been attained. Even the
Socialists were blinded by the glory OF
successful militarism.
Conditions have changed. Glory has
faded. Hunger is very real.
And now each German workman is
asking himself what benefit there can
be to him, or to the frau" and the
kinder" or even to remote German
posterity, in the terrible sacrifices which
he is commanded to make-commanded
by men whom he did not choose to rule
him, men who recognize no responsibility
to him and his fellows.
A Question of Taxation.
Undianapolis NeWs)
One of the strongest arguments in
favor of selective conscription-name-
ly, that it would insure and promote
industrial efficiency-may be fairly
urged against the imposition Of bur
densome taxes on corporations as such.
The basis for the taxation of corpora
tions is the debt which they owe the
State, from which they derive their
large powers, and their very life. 1t is
fitting and proper that they should be
specially taxed. But it Is not well that
the life that they derive from the State
should be weakened by excessive taxes
There are many who object to the pro-
posed increase in the excess profits tax.
1t is said that this would be mostly
paid by small corporations, since many
of the large ones have fioated large
quantities Of stock, and therefore do nor
earn the s per cent profit that Is ex-
empted under the law. 1t has been sug-
gested that 1t would be much fairer to
levy a fat per cent tax on the net