Evening star., 1918-02-18
ARE At WAR WITH
GERMAN PE0PLE,T0O
Sinister Ego in Teuton Masses
Must Be Exercised, the
French Say.
VIEWS OF PRISONERS
BY HERBERT COREY.

fAhlS, January G."W lludu n IdIt
rang a bell in the gallery OF French
public opinion the other day when he
said:
1--WE are at war with the German
people as well as with the German
government"
France has always known that
Whether the German government, or
Prussianism, or militarism, or what
not put 1t there, there is a sinister ego
in the German people of today that
must be exercised before the world
can have peace. The kaiser may be
responsible for a good deal. but he is
not wholly responsible for the German
officer who was captured the other day
at Verdun. Rather a decent fellow. his
French captors reported. They lack
that iron ability to hate that the Ger
mans and the Anglo-Saxons have. They
rather liked him
Thinking Of Next Big War.
do you stin think that Germany win
| win?' he was asked.
"'Oh, yes," said he. "Of course, we
soldiers know that the Russian and
Italian affairs do not mean the war is
won by any means. But we will win
Not what we wanted. but enough for
| the time
| His French questioners were puzzled
They repeated that last phrase:
Enough for the timer
YES" said he, quite seriously. I'VE
will not get all we want in this war.
But in the next war we shall take ALL"
Every one on the allied side is think
| ing only of such an end to this war
| that there may never be another war
-
! in this generation. Our side wants a
peace that shall endure. This German
officer wants peace that shall be a
! jumping-off place for the next war.
Like All German Prisoners.
| II he were just a military-aad man
| merely an individual gone daRy with
| the thought of world-1oot--he might be
disregarded. But he is representative
Of the Germans captured by the allies.
1t is positive idiocy to put any faith in
! the stories OF lowered German morale
morale Of all fresh-caught prisoners is
| low enough. But these Germans are
| cocky enough after they have been fed
| up and warmed through.
nical papers," said German prisoner
recently taken by the English. II must
keep up with the metal trade. am
| going to open an Office in London after
| the war.
Eyes Of English Open Now.
| Not in the metal trade,- said the
officer who talked with him. grimly.
There will be no more control of the
| British metal trade by Germans after
the war. Our eyes are open now"
The German was indignant. Incl
for he had been schooled in England.
J "9ut this is outrageous" said ne
| IF you attempt to interfere with our
conduct of trade you will bring about
ano'her war I warn you. Germany
/ must be supreme"
! 1t is safe to say there is not one Ger
! man prisoner in one Misunderstanding
those who truckle to their captors and
| not talk of the lineup Of alliances
! after the war
I'VE will possess Russia" they say,
and France and Italy will be too
weakened to dare enter an alliance
which may trap them into another con-
| fiict with the conouerfhg race. Give us
| twenty years to breed new genera
tion-and then there shall come the end
| OF England
i "How about the United States~ an
American officer asked the other day
Americans as 'sFatheads.''
! Americans are fatheads." said the
prisoner. contemptuously. They think
| too much of peace-they believe too
easily. They permit too much liberty,
+, too. They are at war with US, yet the
German press prints what it will in the
United States, When this war is over
We can whip the United States over
night"
| "And South American"
I'VE did not know how strong we
| were-before." said the prisoner Now
| we shall take what we want
Over in Spain, German merchants
| have bullied their fellow merchants
( into taking pro-aIly pictures out of
| their windows, A weak Spanish gov
ernment has been compelled to i'm
! prison Spaniards who were passengers
on torpedoed Spanish ships for alleging
) that the torpedo was discharged by
German U-boat.
IN Italy and Switzerland. German resi-
dents have been open agents for the
central powers. In italy they have con-
Quoted intrigueS against the govern
ment. In Switzerland they have taken
advantage of the fact that Switzerland
is neutral and wishes to stay neu-
trail by openly and almost contemptu-
ously smuggling food acros the bor-
der.
Swiss Fear Germans.
ST watched the smuggling going on
at the border at Basel" q certain man
Swiss guard.
"'For Heavens sake, go away he
begged. DO you want to get me into
trouble with the Germans? They have
seen you watching them"
"'Are you afraid of the Germans?