New-York tribune., 1918-11-16
The German Thing

Germany was once at the point Of
threatening the United States because
of the absurd fuss we were making
about the Lusitania.
This has been remembered as an
amazing display Of Hohenzollcrn AFRO
gance. 1t was that, of course; but it
was great deal more. 1t was German.
The Hohenzollerns arc in exile the
war has been lost; the people rule-and
Germany's capacity for self-righteous-
ness is undiminished.
The German people arc now engaged
In preparing a moral grievance against
the world. They accuse it Of inhu-
manity.
: They sought the armistice. The con-
siitions were considered. The acceptance
was duly signed by the representatives
Of the German people. The Allied gov
crnments by formal and unanimous
agreement resolved at the same time
that the powers and resources which had
been employed to crush the enemy
should now be used so far as possible
TO save the people Of the Central Powers
: from starvation.
What happens Immediately?
, Germany claps her hands on her stonl-
: ach, demands to be fed in the name of
I. anity-and denounces the armistice
as horrible and unspeakable
Solf appeals to President Wilson to
use his influence with the Allied govern
ments to obtain modification of the
terms, saying that if the conditions are
enforced the German people will be
filled with feelings contrary to those
upon which durable peace must rest.
The German plenipotentiares who
signed the armistice Immediately de-
nounce it, saying that it's execution will
plunge the German people into anarchy
and famine.
The threat is twof61d. If the Allies
enforce an armistce which the Ger
mans first solicited and then solemnly
signed the German people will never
have the right feelings toward peace
and will meanwhile resort to Bolshevism
Now come the German women with
an appeal to Mrs. Wilson and Jane
Addams, imploring them to procure "a
change in the terms of the armistice, so
the long suffering of the women and
children Of Germany may not end in
unspeakable disaster"
Specifically, the German women COM
plain that Germany has to surrender
very large part of the rolling stock
OF her railways, and then, irrelevantlv.
that 1t Will be impossible to feed every
BODY unless large amounts of food are
Drought from overseas-as if the German
railway cars were going to be DESTROYED.
or as If the Germans could use them to
bring food from overseas.
Observe that the Germans includinr
now the women, pretend to be protest
ing against something that has not hap
pened. They say the armsticc, if en-
forced, will produce anarchy, famine
and disaster. AS for the anarchy. it
appears to be spontaneous. AS for fam
inc, that is a question Of statistical fact
for the attention of Mr.. Hoover, who is
on the way over
The humanity of the Allied govern
nents is not on trial. If it were. Ger
many could not sit in judgment
We shall see that Germany does not
starvc. We assumed that obligation
when the armistice was signed, and we
will discharge it even if we have to 90
on short rations ourselves to do so. 1t
III becomes Germany to lecture US on
the humanities. And when by lamenta-
tions and threats, by cajoleries and sub
tie appeals TO the sentimental vanities
of the American people she seeks to
eyade the terms of an armistice which
she has not the power to tear up like
another scrap Of paper-thcn we know
again that German does as German is.
The German people do not know what
the war was about. They have no
sense of guilt thcreH, no humility Of