Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-26
Il German Revolution.

Though conditions in Germany, as far as
we now can see, are fairly tranquil, the
future is by no means assured. The Gov
eminent at Berlin is of uncertain tenure
and also, as keen observers declare, of I'M
certain principles Representing a loose
compromise among rival political groups,
none of which has ever manifested devotion
to the ideals of humanity and freedom for
which the Allies stand, the present regime
in Germany is nevertheless maintaining a
substantial measure of order and is carry
ing out the requirements of the armistice
This alone is highly serviceable to the COM
mon interests of civilization and of the Ger
man people as well as to the immediate in
terests of the Allies. If, at this critical
juncture, there were no one German admin
istration to be held responsible for obedience
to the armistice terms and to the forth
coming conditions of peace, the Allied
Powers would be under necessity of taking
complete charge in the German empire for
an indefinite period. A more distasteful
task can hardly be imagined. 1t is much
to be hoped, therefore, that the defeated
Germans will not entirely lose self-control
in these troublous times of their transition
from a Potsdam tyranny to what we hope
will become liberal, decent and morally re-
sponsible government.
But who can forecast what the winter
may bring forth? That a revolution of some
sort is now astir in Germany appears GER
tain. From all accounts it seems to be
moving along bloodless and orderly paths.
But the most violent deluges sometimes be-
gin as a cloud no bigger than a mans hand.
The Russian revolution began so naively
that the world smiled as at a game of chill
dren; but how terrible was the red climax!
We now read of the German soldiers in this
or that turbulent city of the Empire taking
hold of things and putting down the rioting
almost mechanically, as if obeying some
subconscious trait" But imagine those same
soldiers-Hindenburg' butchers, harden
ed by their atrocious days west of the Rhine
imagine them turning with Bolshevik
fury upon the established political and
economic order in their own land. Never
was there a reign of terror so frightful as
that would be.
1t is, of course, a question whether the
Germans are temperamentally capable of
revolution; whether in the mass they have
to bold strokes for freedom, such as the
French made in crimson tumult and the
English in their sure and sober way. The
people of Germany, judged by their Hohen-
zollern past, do not care enough for liberty
to hazard their hum-drum existence in eff
forts to win it. Theirs is the only nation
that seems deliberately to have shut its
windows to the great light of democracy
that broke Upon the world with the Ameri-
can revolution. Unless, then, Germany's
character should change in a twinkling Cor
unless changes more deep-seated and far
reaching than we dreamed of have been
going on) we need not look for the early
rise of truly democratic regime.
There will be reason enough for gratifca-
ton, however, il Germany, escaping Boil
shevism and repudiating Prussianism, es-
tablishes any sort of stable Government that
will show "a decent respect for the opinion
of mankind"