Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-07-26
THE GERMANS AND AUTocRAcY.

If any considerable numbero of people have been laboring under"
the delusion that German autocracy is about to sue for peace, they
should awaken to a realization OF the fact that the recent change OF
|ehaneelors indicates a more firm grip OF the mlitarlstc party upon
Herman affairs.
DR.. Michaelis, the new chancellor, in his first speech following his
elevation to the head OF the cabinet, committed himself Enthusiastically
70 the autocratic policies so long championed by the military party,
The submarine campaign, said the new chancellor, has done all
that was expected OF IT. and more. 1t arose, he SAID, IN response to
Great 3ritain's illegal blockade, and, he added, ii will surely bring
England to its knees in the course of time. America entrance into
the war will have but slight effect upon the situation, says tins rep
reesntatve of autocracy.
Boys are said to have been known to whistle to maintain their
courage, and nations, be it remembered, are but grown-up boys and
girls. Whether Germany, too, is whistling is a matter OF speculation
And yet, when we consider that in the sciences and the arts and
in caring for its own, even its poor, and in material and mental prog
ress, at the outbreak of the war Germany stood before the world
almost without a peer, we may begin to understand that the German
mind, which has supported the militaristc theory as applied to gov
ornamental affairs for two generations, is not likely to undergo a com
Iplete change within a period Of three years.
Unless The Saturday News is very much mistaken, the allies and
|your Uncle Samuel have the supreme task before them. Germany is
not yet whipped-not by a large margin. The sooner the American
people come to a realizing sense of this fact the better it will be for
Americans must support their government, now that they are a
part and parcel of this war, whether or not they We're in favor of en-
[tering it. And we say frankly that we believe the people Of this
country, had the question been submitted to them, would have voted
Substantially two to one against active participation in the war. We
confess, however, that this is but a matter of opinion.
Bat they are now in it, whether they wanted to be or whether
port America will become the laughingstock o. the world.
True, the war may terminate IS suddenly as it began, but we
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|re, it is not wise for America and the allies to pin their hopes of
success to the possible overturning of the autocratic government in
Germany.
Without revolution within the German empire, the winning of
this war seems to be a test of endurance. Germany, to be overcome,
must be hammered down, inch by inch-must be worn out, in fact.
For America and the allies to triumph, under such circumstances,
involves heroic sacrifices on the part of the American people, who
yet scarcely dream Of the herculean task before them. They must
save Great Britain from starvation; they must keep France alive;
they must put new faith into the Russian heart and keep it there
they must build and equip ships to overcome the effect of the Ger
man submarine blockade upon England; they must raise and equip
an army ranging from one million to five million men, and they
must provide the means for putting a large part thereof into the
European trenches and sustaining them after they are there.
Verify it behooves the American people to "take a tumble to
the situation. Not twenty-five per cent. of us, we fear, yet fully
realize what is before us.
We are in the war. We are daily getting into it deeper. We
must either get into it for all we are worth, or we would better
have gotten out before getting in.