Evening star., 1918-04-14

BAS|CGERMAN|DEk
OPPOSES AMERICAS.
Thomas J. O'DonneII Shows
How Fundamentals of Two
| Countries Conflict.
FIGHT is AN OLD ONE
sY THOMAS ]. o.DoNNELL.

Mr.. O'Donnell. q prominent lawyer OF Den
and of the leading democrats OF the
west, wrote the following article for cireuia-
tion in the grent campaign Of patriotism
through education which the National Sc
eurfty League is conducting throughout the
of the true meaning of the war and the
menace of defeat.
Today. governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned, not only on the western hem
1sphere, and in England and France.
but in Russia as well; and China, too.
is valiantly struggling to come up out
Of bondage and become a self-govern-
ing nation. OF the powers of the west,
worthy to be reckoned with. absolutism
prevails only in Germany and the countries
which she now dominates. So has the
seed of a thought. planted by Thomas
Jefferson on the banks of the Della
ware. less than a century and half
ago, spread over the face of the earth.
Free government in France, in Italy.
IN Portugal. in Brazil, in China and
in Russia. as well as in the other re-
publics OF America, democracy in Britain,
and In what Kipling calls the four new
natio1h, Is foundationed on the truths
procls1gded in the Declaration of In
dependence, just certainly as the
Christian religion is foundationed on
the truths proclaimed in the sermon
on the mount independence Hall in
Philadelphia was just as much the
cradle of liberty for the lives of men
as the manager at Bethlehem was the
cradle of liberty for the souls of men.
Mot German People,"
Thomas jefferson. in the Declara ton
of Independence. denounced the Ger
man King of Great Britain, Woodrow
Wilson. in his message through Con-
Eress to the world inspired like JEFF
ferson, with a decent respect to the
opinions of mankind. has denounced
the present King" of Prussia, and not
the German people. and might have said
truly. The history of the present King
of Prussia, Emperor of Germany, is
history of repeated injuries and usurpa-
tions, all having in direct object the
establishment Of AN absolute tyranny
over the world.
1t is to resent these injuries. to re-
sist these usurpa tions, to prevent the
establishment of this tyranny over our
own country, and over the world. that
We are now at war.
1t is certain that sceptered power
never willingly yielded constitution
1t is certain that no tyrant ever will
ingly gave freedom to the people over
2 whom he tyrannized. The glamour of
/. Napoleon's fame and the glory which
French arms gained under his guidance
caused the people of France to forget
the precepts of the revolution. kings,
made to order, were set up on the va
cant thrones Of Europe. The very men
who had stormed the Bastile and be-
headed a king and queen became in
different to the principles which they
equality, fraternity: the shout of these
words was swallowed up in the can
mons rattle.
When the entailed sovereigns Of
and banished him to St Helena they
unknowingly, but none the less secure
", exiled arbitrary power from a great
part Of that continent. Revolution fol-
lowed revolution, until the countries of
continental Europe, with the exception
of those I have mentioned, had estab-
lished representative government and
security for individual rights under the
law.
Never Yielded"
!, During all this time there was one
princely house in Europe which never
yielded its claim, its arrogant and self
instituted claim. to divine right This
house never conceded any right of the
people to rule: this house always dis
regarded every concession extorted from
it, as soon as the public clamor sub
sided or the people laid down their
arms This house is not particularly
ancient, as royal kouses go, but it has
always been represented by shrewd
traders, and frequently by good fight
ers and has always had the family
spirit to let the best trader. or the best
fighter. the one who could get the most
for the family. stand as its representa-
tive and occupy the place of power.
This family is known by the dynastic
. name of Hohenzollern.
Its power originated from the pos
session Of a castle, which dominated
the mercantile town of Nuremberg,
M IN "a nrezfiDe from time
to time. by achieving domination over
various little principalities. generally
not larger or more important than
0 good-sized and populous American
township. by shrewd bargaining, by
reckless disregard of the rights of all
others. and by some good fighting
The head Of this house became elector
Of Brandenburg. and from this the
family graduated to greater recogni-
tion. power and dominion as the royal
house Of Prussia.
This house seduced. beguiled and
fought, until 1t secured the predomi-
nancy OF It's kingdom over all the other
German states, except Austria, and
then IT fought Austria, defeating the
latter at Sadowa fifty-one years ago
Thus It secured proponderance over the
greater portion of the German people
these It united and hurled against
France in 1870. The defeat of France
in that war, resulted in the formation
OK the present German empire, WIFI
tbs King OF Prussia, the grandfather
Of the present kaiser. as its titular anC
hereditary emperor.
"Seas Of Blood"
The family of tho present kaiser
mounted to power over the bodies o
slain Germans. His ship Of state was
noatsd to anchorage. first. as Margrav
Of Nuremberg, then as elector of Bran
aenburg, then as King Of Prussia. ant
then as German emperor, In seas o
German blood.
Napoleon found tho world aaame
The kaiser deliberately applied th
torch.
Napoleon found the world in chaos
He determined that his was the swort
which should subdue that chaos and re
store order, and that Of order. thus re
stored By him, he would be the chic
adminlstfstor. The kaiser found orde
( and determined to create chaos. 10 tina
= ho might pick up the fragments of
{ Destroyed world and set his imperia
helnet On top Of them.
N2po1oon created q throne for him
&. self and throne for his family, as II Jus
II to snow Bourbon and Hohenxollern an
~ AAD0burg and RomanoR that kings an,
E princes are made Of clay. as other mel
are, and that there Is nothing super
3 naknSal about . king. If a man coul
4 turn out kings by the dossn. wharus
that God should maintain q factory 70
( their construction. The kaiser wa