New-York tribune., 1918-11-11
Gods Revenge

Now there is great danger that
criminal nation will go insane on the
threshold OF judgment.
Germany is seized with Bolshevism.
Suddenly on the imperial fleet, in many
imperial cities, on the principal impe-
rial buildings, you see that symbol of
human catastrophe, of moral irrespon-
sibility, of unrestraint, of lust idealized
THE RED FLAG.
The people announce the arrival of the
"Social Republic" and call what they
have done bloodless, friendly revolu-
ton; but people never know what they
have done until afterward. They do not
know whether they are morally and
politically equal to the responsibilities of
a revolution until they have tried, and
then, if they are not, it is tragically too
late.
What now is taking place in Germany
is SO like the Russian revolution at a
corresponding stage of development as
to be absolutely unoriginal. That would
be characteristically German, or, if you
prefer, characteristic Of German eff
cheney, which consists in a certain heavy
genius for imitation and development
In Germany, as in Russia, the revo-
luton actually began among idle sailors
on idle warships. Everything that has
happened since, including the circum-
stances surrounding the abdication of the
Kaiser, has been patterned upon the
event in Russia. There is some fighting
in the streets, 1t is admitted, but
not much-no more than was neces-
sary to make everybody understand that
the people were in control because the
military had come over to their side.
Fatal delusion!
There are, as in Russia, Work1nen's
and Soldiers Councils. They ultimately
decide everything. They control the new
government and give it orders. One of
the first things they do is to seize con-
troll of news agencies. Thus, it is the
Wolff News Agency, formerly inspired
by the German autocracy, that now
issues to the world the semi official news
of the German revolution. 1t seems
always necessary for the revolutionists
to censor news of their own activities,
There is, as in Russia, the same stress
ing Of the notes Of fraternity and equal.
ity, the same pride in the bloodlessness
Of the business of putting proletarians
in the place of kings, and the same
strange and menacing emphasis upon the
word bourgeossie, meaning the middle
classes who own most Of the pronertv
There is the same naive representation
as to the sentimental manner in which
the soldiers and sailors and people agree
and understand each other, and the same
conservative demand that order shall be
maintained.
You would think it conservative
revolution; but all revolutions seem con-
servative in the beginning, because peo-
pie are for a little while afraid of the
feeling Of power and intend to exercise
it cautiously. They touch gingerly and
with, pangs Of superstitious awe the
weapons and symbols OF authority.
1t was so in Russia.
Then very rapidly it was perceived
that there was no power equal to that
Of machine gun mounted on a motor
iorry, and the rest is an unfinished story
Of rule BY massacre and murder, the
greatest demagogue being he who can
by simple rhetoric ease the conscience
of an armed soldier out of work
already resolved to take anything in
sight, but preferring generally to take
it on some pretext of political or moral
right.
1t may be even so in Germany. No
one can tell what may not happen under
the RED FLAG.
Besides, there is more in common
emotionaliy aad raych;cally between
RussiAn aud Gasmsa uroletarians than