Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-01-19
DIPLOMATIC BLUNDERS SHOW
SMALL CALIBRE OF MEN RE
SPONSIBLE FOR THE WAR.

From the New York Americana
The allies note in reply to Presi-
dent Wilson has resulted as any
thinking man could see that 1t would
result.
II has united and consolidated the
people OF Germany, Hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey, and fired them
with enthusiasm and determination
90 fight All domestic differences
have vanished and prince and pea
SAINT now tell one another that their
enemies are bent upon their destruc-
ton, and all rIust do and dare for
tho Fatherland. That is the univer-
sal cry OF all classes
No man can say how much strength
is added to tho Icutonic arms by this
increase OF morale and enthusiasm,
but il Is formidable addition.
Probably Il IL not short Of the truth
to say that the allies statement OF
their purpose 10 conquer and dis
member Germany and Austria
Hungary and Bulgaria, and to de-
stroy Turkey, has been worth mill
lion men to the threatened nations
We must say that it Is hard to
have much respect for the leader
ship that commits such colossal
blunder A child could have fore
seen that the pan-German party and
military caste were eagerly hoping
that the allies would make Just such
preposterous demands; that such de-
inands and the silly vituperation
which accompanied them would
madden and unity the Teutonic and
| Hungarian and Bulgarian and Turk
ish common people, and put them all
back OF their military chiefs, fred
with determination to fight to the
death
II seems to Us that wise statesmen
| would have prepared q document
that would have scrupulously avoid
cd the unnecessary and stupidity pro
vocative allegations that Germans
had made war in uncivilized fashion;
that would not have assumed tho
ridiculous attitude OF conQuerors die
tating to yanquished foes; that
would not have formulated demands
SO out of variance with the actual
situation and conditions OF the war
as to create q universal guGaw Of
I astonishment and ridlculo among the
| peoples to whom they were address
ced; and that would have been so
| dignilcd. reasonable and temperate
in expression that II would not have
enraged those peoples and infamed
| to 4 higher pitch or resolution and
determination and eagerness to fight,
! but would have challenged their re-
spect, even If it did not meet their
acceptance
We think that the historian Of the
future will be impressed by nothing
so much. in his study OF this great
I - i. ~ y t..l.
! have been committed. and by which
( generations TO come viii measure
the calihre Of the men who have,
most unhappily for the world, had
I in their hands the tremendous issue
/ of peace or war, and the fate Of ma
tions and the lives OF millions.
! The Germans have made their
mistakes, and bad ones.
The invasion OF Belgium was q
political blunder which aroused an
tagonism throughout the world; the
sinking OF the Lusitania was an in
lcxcusablc political blunder which en-
ragged millions OF Americans.
The Ienpelin raids on England
were political blunder OF a pecul-
iarly foolish kind. because they
aroused fierce resentment In Eng
land and made the people realize
that this was England's own war and
not q French and Russian war upon
Germany which England was, at a
safe distance, supporting with money
and expeditionaIy reinforcements.
These raids thus strengthened war
sentiment and strengthened British
armies by stimulating popular en-
thusissm and recruiting.
But none Of these political blum
dcrs of the Germans begins TO be as
colossal as this blunder OF CONSOLE
!dating Teutonic war sentiment by
this unpardonably arrogant and fool
ishly abusive note.
Up to the Issuance of this note,
the Germans had the advantage from
military point OF view, and the
Entente the auvantage from a diplo-
matte point OF view. But now the
Entente Governments nave sur
passed their record OF military blum
dering by this greatest diplomatic
blunder Of the war,
The editorial comment Of Dutch,
Danish Swiss and Swedish journals
shows that tho resentment created
by this laundering note is not con
fined to the Teutonic people. II per-
vadcs tho neutral nations as well.
II is sorrowful reflection that
the sufferings and the very lives OF
tens OF millions Of human beings de.
pend upon the decisions of a handful
or men who thus show the mediocri.
ty or their mental powers, the feeble.
ness Of their foresight the mastery
which their passions have over thcil
judgments and their intellectual
likeness TO the most ordinary q
those who ar5 sent by their order:
10 die IN leaps in the frightfu
trenches or on the fields of dreadful
battle.
We arc too much in the habit oi
being gullcd by illusions. We ar'
too ant to confound the place anc