The Washington times., 1918-01-11

4
as the best informed British
journalist on inside conditions
in Germany. He, is native Of
Indiana, iUent originally to Eu-
rope as correspondent for ser-
er0l American neiospdpers. and !.
is the author of "MeH Around
the Kaiser"
LONDON. Jan. live still shrink
from facing the facts regarding Ger
many. We prefer comforting theories
to. disagreeable actuslities.
This Is convenient, but II isn't wer.
Through Dutch. Swiss and Scandi-
navian channels, which serve as fil-
ters for the alleged news Germany
would like to have the world believe.
we again hear the old familiar word
"crisis''-"poiitical crisis" food
crisis" etc, In view OF our inclina-
tion to make the wish father to our
thoughts, let me present in tabloid the
elements. personal or otherwise, OF
these ''crlses."
HIadeaburE supreme.
HindenburE is supreme dictator OF
Germany. Ludendorff Is the actual
Eeneralissimo under Hindenburg,
whose popularity is now so great
practically anything can be accom-
plished by invoking 1t.
! The Kaiser has never been so much
in the hands of the military despots
as he Is today He is Emperor no
longer by divine riEht-but by grace
Of the great god, Hindenburg.
| The Crown Prince Is a thick and
thin supporter of Hindenburgism.
Chancellor Hertling Is Hindenburgs
political manager.
Foreign Secretary Kuehlmann is
permitted to do only what is ordered
His Brest-Litovsk tactics, far from ir-
r.tating Hindenburg were dictated by
him-and are alterable II and when
HindenburR decides it Is necessary.
Kuehlmann will go or stay, according
to Hindenburg's pleasure
ReIehstag In1OteRt.
The Reichstag todpy is precisely
what Bismarck founded forty-seven
years Ago-merely an Imperial de-
batting society, where the peoples
representatives blow on steam, and
can call the government names with
out police interference. Its only ves-
tIEe of power IL in the voting OF
runds-which duty it has performed
dutifully.
The only untamed Independent So
cialists number twenty-five out OF a
total membership OF 3o7 in the Reichs-
tag, and they are the only ones VINO
ever oppose war credits.
The government haggles with the
Reichstag party leaders merely for
the purpose OF saving itself trouble.
The food situation was probably
never so bad-but It is not critical
to the breaking point. Regularly.
near the middle of winter, comes the
starvation" story out OF Germany.
The coal shortage has undoubtedly
been aggravated, but the way the
Germans have stuck IL out so far in.
dicates they will survive the present
winter discomfort.
Army war-TIred.
The German army Is unquestion-
ably war-tiFedr- The German nation
is war-wesry-but this applies also
to others. There is probably no more
popular growing in Germany than
here. Munitions trains continue to
roll to the west. and Germany Is
making aeroplanes. submarines. and
shells at a rate hitherto unequaled.
Two or three million prisoners are
all making munitions in one form or
another.
As to the possibility of a revolu-
ton, Heine. the keenest student of
PruSsisn psychology. once remarked
that revolutions in Germany were
impossible, because yerbOten."
This is cynical-but II is literally true.
The machine gun awaits every German
with revolution In his heart LiebknechL
the only Prussian who would ever lead
q revolution. Is now In penal servitude.
The Germans won't stop lighting until
we make them see that militarism and
war do not pay-that Is. when we are
able TO impose peace on a defeated Ger
man army and navy.