The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-19

as the ancient Huns, without pity
mercy, honor; psychologically incap-
able of telling the truth, or consider.
| ing the rights of others, and with nc
| sense of fair play whatever. And yet
| you hear constantly-for the less in
telligent of Americans are incurable
optimists-"Oh be sure she has had
| enough. Her people never will stand
| for another war She really desires
peace now, and recognizes her mis-
| take in plunging the world into wal
she never dreamed it would go SO
far. But let US stop this killing bust
ness. The future can take care of
itself anyhow"
If this war finishes with the Hob
enZollerns and Prussia in power and
an undismembered Austria Hungary
to support her, it will be because of
breakdown of morale on the part
Of the Allied powers, which has let
them drift supinely into a negotiated
peace. And if Prussia remains in the
saddle and the Southern Slavs have
not been permitted to form a strong
buffer state, Independent of a Grip
pied and impotent Austria, we shall
not only be plunged into
another war ten years hence
but into Il hopeless war. The
same generalization that had
led our European Allies to consent
to a compromise would have relaxed
their moral fibre TO such an extent
that they would make little more than
the gesture of war. We, meanwhile,
should be an armed camp from the
Pacific to the Atlantic, with a Navy
some three times its present size.
Our present taxes would be a mere
trifle to what we should groan under
until our issue with Germany was set
tied once for aall
Prussia has not altered it's charac-
teristics in fifteen hundred years; not
since the days of Genseric and A1alic,
when the northern tribes of Germany
under those historic freebooters lived
for war and the spoils of war and
won the honor of being, with Attila,
the most brutal trio in history. The
record of Prussia is even worse to-
day. Is any one really so innocent as
TO imagine that she would have a
change of heart in our time? Yes,
when the leopard changes his spots
to the gold stars of sacrifice. She
would whip Russia into shape, and
then, head down, charge the world
again with something like twenty
millions of trained fighting men be-
hind her.
There would be no doubt whatever
about the fate of Europe We should
have better chance of resistance,
but none whatever of conquest, not
even if we sank the German Navy.
In any case the war would drag on
for years. Now, if the pacifsts, Soc
ialists, and traitors in our midst, as
well as those weak timorous souls
that weep over our men who are de-
lighted to be over there and doing
their duty, can be si1enced, we stand
a fair chance of winning the war next
year by sheer superiority of num-
bers and generalship, smashing the
military machine and chasing the
wicked ambitious and unscrupulous
powers that alone are responsible for
this hidious scourge, into a limbo
from which they never will emerge.
The future of the world literally
lies in the hollow of our hand. At
present that hand is a fist and Ger
many's mean little soul has shudder-
ed and shrunk under it's impact. But
let those iron fingers relax before
Prussia is on her knees begging for
mercy, and we may as we'll make her
a present with impressive ceremon-
les, on golden platter) of modern
civilization, including those mere side
issues, democracy and individual
freedom, and have none with it. A
compromise peace and Prussia will
lick her chops and sit down. to the
leisurely task of eating US alive.