Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-11-29

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had they realized the truth, he fails t
understand the underlying spirit of tn
Teutonic race.
The Germans are the most quarrel
some people in the world. 1t is mis-
leading to speak of the German mill
tarists. All Germans are militaristS
The records of their civil courts to'
the story. In 1913 there were no les
than 100000 petty cases tried in tn
courts, and as every case naturally III
VOWED at least two parties, the aston
i&hing fact is disclosed that some IL,
100000 Germans, or One-seventh Oh III
entire population, appealed TO til
courts in single year
The bellicose character of the peoD!
Was evidenced in countless other way
Il was the natural result of what
believe to be the most pronounced III:
i;onaI Observation-Disclosures. Til
r"eraee German is the most selfish IL
d 1idual in the world. He thinks g
Il ,lself and his own comfort first, la:
cnd al the time. have noticed it Q.
the street cars, in the theaters, in II
public highways, in the restaurants CO
hotels, where people conSregaI>
Every one looked out for himself tr*
and pushed aside those who stood y
his way. In civil life, just as in stat;
Of var, the German practiced the ptln
i,rIf ~ uh
Ch:valry, courtesy, maGEanimity 81
rs foreign 10 the German makeup q
they are characteristics OF the Frcnc!:
A Keen desire to make something Oh
c., nothing is another national trait {
t:ie Germans, if my observation h.:
been accurate. What is commonly re
serrcd to as German thrift is only /
ra!lte name for German Stin@ines@, ant
! nave seen so riany Illustrations o
ii!e petty mGanncss of the German paG
4 hat it seems idle to spGc.ly Sill;
i.l>tGaces. y
pms OF the first Impressions ::
ceivcd about the German people, wis.
l went TO live among them f0urtrsi
wears ago, was tie lack Of comraGG
ship among them. Class distinction
are drawn so fine, ant there are
r::lny gradations, that it was aims
impossible to find two Germans on IL
same social plane. One was always tn
others superior. After my fourteen
years experience among these people
& 7 NO fI,.,t inn (,
has been removed; if anything, II. la:
! been deepened.
Anyone who has lived in Berlin, am
is familiar with conditions IL othe:
European capitals, will bear me Oh
. that the German policeman is the mos
arrogant police official in the wor!G
! His word is taken in court in prefer
! ence to that of six civilians, and n.
I; power is such that il might very eaSi!.
! be used oppressiveiy; but stranse!!
! enough, despite tie cupidity Of tht
| German character, graft and ccrrup
| ton among the German police an;
other officials were practically ur
known before the war.
Such were the people behind th.
j:Hiser when the great war started.
| shall never forget the sentiments eZ
| pressed to me by private individuals
| in every walk Of life as the varIou:
phases of the war developed.
no measure that was taken by Ger
many, no matter how aircci0us or il
consistent with the worlds idea o.
What is permissible i'll civilized war.
fare, ever brought word of cOndcm-
nation from the German public as {:
whole, although, of course, there Wer'
some notable exceptions. The grca;
majority of Germans who discussed
these matters with ME, however, moi
only defended everything Germany did
but complained because more rigorous
measures were not taken.
Merely by way OF example, and no,
because her suggestion was any worse
than hundreds Of others raised by ms
German patients, I may mention thc
surprising viewpoint expressed by the
Countess Sierstorpfi, Il relative Of Won
el-DonnerSnarch. 1t was after
Italy had joined the allies and when
German resentment against that ma
tioa ran very high.
"yVhat we Should 90 at the Very frs
avail able opportunity" she declared
ais to destroy every single work Of ar;
in Italy. Not n single one Of theii
l@rs7marks or az: treasures should
!cir standing. Then when the war
over and Italy no longer derives III.
enormous revenue Size has been co:
iccting for years from tourists, she VIII
be sorry for what she has done tc
Germany"
Did the German people countenanc2
the submarine warfare and tie slaugh-
ter Of innocent women and children, In
defiance of all rules Of international
law and the dictates Of common hui
nanity? They had only one criticism
to make of tit was not comprehen-
siyc enough! 1t was absolute folly, II
not crime, they said for Germany
TO prescribe safety lanes for~neutral
vessels to use. The whole world should
have been declared war zone, that
death and destruction might be dealt
wherever and whenever the opportun-
ity offered. Every ship that sailed
should be sunk, and every American
who ventured within range of a Ger
can gun, on sea or land, should be
shot. That was the universal senti-
ulcnt.
The suggestion that continuation
Of the submarine warfare would in
evitably bring America into the war