New-York tribune., 1918-10-12
Potsdam's Revolution"

Germany's political revolution" de-
1ies the laws Of levitation. A true revo-
luton is the result of pressure from
below. Discomfort deep down within the
iron frame of government becomes vol
eanic and bursts the oppressive con-
tainer wide open. But in Germany to-
day the democracy and parliamentary
ism" are being called down from the
clouds by a group Of divine right soy
ereigns and their political handy men.
The reason for this is obvious. The
absolutist government of Germany is
being "popularized" for dynastic rea-
sons. The kings and grand dukes are
following the counsel of the military
leaders We are seeing d political revo-
luton carried through for military pur-
poses. The military caste wants to save
the German army at all hazards. The
kings and grand dukes need the army
and the German military system to prop
their shaking thrones. Hndenburg and
Ludendorff have said that the armies in
. France can be extricated only through
a speedy suspension of hostilities. The
German rulers have reason to think
that the Allies will negotiate only with
German government which has stolen
the clothes of the radicals, socialists
and parEamentarists. SO the princes are
taking off their uniforms and are putting
on frock coats and silk hats Prince
Max, the new Chancellor, would not
halE at dolivarirrr o,,1or,1, DoLz
at walking down Under den Linden arm
In arm with Liebknecht
The k0laische Zeit71nq blurted out the
truth when 1t said: Only military rca-
sons could compel us to accept Presi-
dent Wilson's conditions" Military rea-
sons only induced the Kaiser to shelve
Won Hertling for Prince Max, to send
his old political partner, Gott, into the
wings and to summon portly Germania,
wearing Liberty cap and waving a
red flag, into the spotlight. If this little
diversion will win him a peace confer
ence and get lis armies back out of
France he can we'll afford to swallow
Tor the time being his amour proDre as
the divinely ordained head of the Hohen-
Zollerns,
1t merely helps along the Kaiser's
window dressing for the Kreuz-Ze eituu0
the organ of Prussian iunkerdom, to
declaim lugubriously:
Prussia state is dead. Prus
sla VIII exist no more, or, at least, only
as geographical expression. The work
OF all our famous men, from Frederick
the Great to William II, lies in ruins.
From the throne of the King of Prussia
the jewels have been ripped out"
This is only the patter Of the barker
outside the theatre. If the Allies should
take seriously the revolution staged in
side, Prussia would still be Prussia for
years to come and the Hohenzollerns
would still be the German ideal Of Cod
given leaders William II himself is an
actor by nature. Nothing would please
MIN better than to be the stage manager
of German revolution" of his own.
which would qualify him, in his opinion,
to pose at council Of nations as the
chief of a new Central European "de-
mocracy."
Inc present revolution is made in
Potsdam- 1t is the old Imperialism
camouf1aged for military advantage.
1t does not come from the heart or will
OF the German people, who are still in
rants in the business of real revolution.
We shall not be dealing with the German
people except as pawns when we deal
with the kaiser's new "democracy," Let
the pawns become masters, az they may
il the war is really brought home to
them Then we shall make no mistake
Only de-Hohenzollernized Germany can
he either democratic or revolutionary.