Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-02
ATTILA OUTDONE
BY THE KAISER
Comparison of the Methods Of
the Huns of the Fifth and
of the Twentieth
Centuries
By HENRI BAZIN
stdB Correspondent or me EUcnHg Ledger
IN France.

stuF Correspondent or me EUenmg Lodger
~ France.
PARIS, June 3.
HNHE other day in Nantes I was shown
l. through the Public Library NJ Bellamy,
the Mayor, who escorted me- pointed out an
ancient portrait upon the wall Of a great
book room. and said THAT is the picture
Of Attlla The painter is unknown. The
picture was originally In the Chateau, and
is said TO have been the property Of Louis
XII, removed from Paris at the request Of
Anne, Duchess Of Brittany, who did not
wish to have it present in her palace in
Paris when she became Queen Of France"
Here then was the portrait of the King of
the Huns, the "Scourge Of the Human
Race" the terrarum omnium mctus, he
of whom It was said that the grass grew
no longer after the passing of his horse"
he who through all the centuries of time
has been the synonym Of evil and ruthless
ness, gorila-like tyranny and devil-like
fiendishness, through all the centuries Of
time, until his place was usurped by Will
liam II of Germany. And with the thought
came the idea Of brief comparative record
In proof that Attila as against the German
Kaiser was humane, generous, a sucking
babe or innocent novice in that which the
world calls tyranny and horror
knew that German legend the Niebel-
ungen, represents Atta or Eitel as magnifi-
cent, hospitable and wise, fighting true like
an ancient knight, drinking deep as an
ancient burgomaster, the king Of rude en-
counter and frank lip, with gambrinesque
face and a paunch like Falstaffs. ] knew,
too, the spreading Of black paint is an
easy thing, that dog with a bad name is
accused Of every theft, that since every one
trembled at Attilas name every one pre-
tended additional reason for trembling; that
all the tales as to his cynical invaslons and
frightful atrocities are in some measure
due TO his being Attila, and not entirely
because he was Attila, Indeed, all the
stories OF the seventh, eighth and ninth cen-
turtles, II true, would not have left a city
standing in all Gaul nor all Italy Yet at
Attilas death Rome and Venice, Reims
and st. Quentin still stood And here and
there he had shown some compassion amidst
his cruelty. So went over the record, the
record of history, ancient history and mod.
ern.
Attila of the Fifth Century
AttIla became King OF the Huns I'm 494
dividing for year the kngly power with
his brother Bleda. whom he later murdered
that he might rule alone Immediately
afterward he conquered the Aeoadlans
then the hordes of Asia and the slavl,
and Teutonio tribes. creating in the north
Of Europe an empire rivaling that OF Rome
And then he ravaged Media, Bosnia. sla.
vonia and Thrace, In 444 he reached Their
mopylae and forced Theodosius II TO ma
tribute He then attacked the Romans wifi
| 500, 900 barbarians and, although he ha,
Rome at his mercy, did not occupy il n
aim TO destroy It. And afterward n,
crossed the Rhine and devastated Treves
burned Metz, piilaged Reims. sacked lao,
and ST. Quentin, was repuised az Lu,ac,
and at orleans, defeated and forced bacl
in retreat in battle Win the Franks upol
The catalonian PlAina And tlien he wen