New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02

'.'N .'i''NN ttA Nt4N iAsNNA tNeN OF NsN lAiNN4tN
and small groups Of men. and that
lasting peace can be assured only
smorC democratic nations. In Gcclar-
'nG this Wilson is merely repeating the
words Of the philosopher Of kocniGs-
berg, Emmanuel Kant. who, in his essay
on Eternal Peace says that the con
sdtution Of every state must be repub
lean"
This short extract reveals very
clearly The great part President vii
sons ideas have had in creating this
German republican movement. In
every issue Of the "Frcie Zcitung' You
find this influence. and this certainly
goes far 90 prove that Mr. Wilson's
words were. after all, we'll calculated
70 awaken an echo i'm German hearts.
wherever they were free 10 respond to
them.
Berlin Editors Sacrifice
The story Of Dr. Rocsemeycr Is an
interesting and instructive one, par
ticularly so. perhaps. for Germans in
America and some hyphen lted Ameri-
cans who think 1t necessary TO be more
loyal to the Kaiser'S government than
the Germans of Germany themselves.
An hours talk with DR.. Roesemeyer
would go far 10 disillUsion these de-
tractors Of President Wilson's war
policy as regards the real sentiments
of many of their educated countrymen
about the worlds conflict.
At the outbreak of the war Reese
meyer was cditor-!n-chief of Berlin's
most popular daily, the "Morgcnpost."
Formerly he had been member Of the
German Socialist party, but, unwilling
to sacrifice elevated political ideals 10
the grossly material policy of the Ger
man labor leaders. he left the socialists
for the great Berlin publishing firm of
UllSteln Brothers. whose several news
papers at that time reflected "A frankly
democratic spirit which appealed to
him. The "MorgcnpoSt i'm those years
before the war enjoyed a much larger
Giro, latlOn among the working classes
thar the SOCiahStic "NorwartS." be
cause il was vastly more interesting
and newsy than this tagging acaGemical
sheet, and Us attacks on the imperial
government were often even more vio-
lent
But with the declaration of war all
this changed overnight; the UllSteins
decided hat Mars was in the ascendant
and there was more money now in mill
tariSm than democracy. Their almighty
managing director, Bernhard, himself
a renegade socialist, became one Of the
most agSre sslvely martial writers in
Prussia, and, later on. even a leading
spirit in the political struggle Of Ad-
mlral Ilrpitz against the Berlin For
elgn Office for unrestricted submarine
warfare. and as inveterate an enemy
or America as Count Reventiow him
self.
OF all the staff of the Ullstein papers
RoeSemeycr alone remained true to MS
political ideals. He refused TO obey
the order OF his employers TO fright
about face" and rendered them his
resignation. However. they were loath
10 lose q writer If such ability. and
even proposed TO him he should not be
coerced into writing any leading articles
as long as the war lasted if he would
only continue to edit the "Morgenpost."
But Roesemeycr was not the sort 10 do
things ny halves; although his bank
account was not large, and ne was
married man with a family, he in
sisted on giving up his well-paid posi-
ton. desiring in no way. however
slight. to abet the German overnment
in what he had at once discerned 10 be
a deliberately criminal attempt against
the Liberties Of Europe.
h'Sh tItESOn III care
II was soon after his resignation
from the "Morgenpost" that | first met
Dr. Roesemeyer. Sitting in a Berlin
cafe one evening with some German
acquaintance, lank, cloarShaven man
Of about thirty-fve, with big horn spec
tacles, approached our table and joined
in our conversation. His first remarks
made me "sit up" and pretty soon /
was fairly staggered by his audacity.
In a voice perfectly audible at all the
neighboring tables he began denounc-
ing the German Emperor and his adj
visers as the responsible authyrs of the
war and demanding that the people rise
up against them and throw off their IN
bearable yoke! While he spoke, with
brown eyes flashing behind his thick
glasses, the Hungarian band was mer-
rily playing patriotic tunes. but this
music had no charms 70 soothe his
revolutionary spirit and only caused
him TO argue more loudly.
Ny German friends soon began 70
move about uneasily in their chairs,
casting apprchensiye glances behind
them. Finally, they one after the other
mumbled some excuse and made a more
or less dgrIted getaway. | was left
alone with Rocsemoyer. who was de-
lighted 10 present his point Of view TO
am impartial onlooker at European
strife. but | freely admit / also felt
not a little uncomfortable though |
was forced 20 admire the uncOrcerncd
courage with which he proclaimed his
reasonable opinions m pui place.
IL was impossible not 10 be struck
by the clear outlook he had kept on the
vital questions Of the war in spite OF
. frf,.
phere Of triumphant mIl.tarism but h.
was evidently dangerous 20 be seen IL
his society. Half of the things he said
would have suliccd 20 get HIM q ten
years sentence from the supreme court
at Leipzig, If one Of the many persons
near US who could distinctly hear our
conversation had troubled 20 call in a
policeman. certainly expected 10
leave the cafe under the escort OF
burly "Schutzmann." But, strange to
say, nobody denounced Us or seemed
20 take offence at my companions say
Ings, and much 10 my surprise ! stepped
out on nocturnal Kurfurstendamm
half an hour later still a free man,
thinkino that the Germans must be
more tolerant or less in love with their
Kaiser than is generally supposed.
How Roesemeyer. with his careless
fanaticiSm, managed 70 escape arrest
in the long run at Berlin. where he
remained about a year longer, neverthe-
less remains a riddle TO me. That the
authorities knew all about him and his
opinions is certain. They tried to get
rid of him in another way, which the
German government has often found
very successful during the war in such
cases. Though his i'll health was APP
parent at once 10 any one who saw HIM.