The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-09-17

ambition of his life-his dream o,
/ world dominion.
+ There Is no doubt that the war was
planned and made possible by the mill
tarists and the junkers, and that every
effort was made to conceal from the
people It's real purpose and ultimate
goal; but IL anyone imagines that the
people at large would have held back
had they realized the truth, he fails to
understand the underlying spirit of the
TeutOnic race.
The Geri MS are the most quarrel
some people,. The world. 1t is mis-
leading to speak of the German mill
tarists. All Germans are militarists.
The records of their civil courts tell
the story. IL 1913 there were no less
than J,OOOOOO petty cases tried in the
courts, and as every case naturally IN
Volvcd at least two parties, the aston
iShing fact is disclosed that some TO-
100000 Germans, or one-Sevepth of the
entire population, appealed to the
courts In single yearl
The bellicOSe character of the ppoDle
was evidenced in countless other ways.
1t was the natural result of what l
believe to be the most pronounced ma
tional shortcomings selfishness. The
average German is the most selfish in
dividual I'm the world. He thinks of
himself and his own comfort first, last
and all the time. l have noticed 1t son
the street cars, in the theaters, in the
| public highways, in the restaurants and
hotels, where people congrcgute
Every one looked out for himself first
and pushed aside those who stood in
his way. In civil life, just us In state
OF war, the German practiccd the pin
ciple that might makes right
Chivalry. courtesy, magnanimity are
as foreign to the German makeup as
they are characteristics of the French.
A keen desire to make something out
of nothing is another national trait of
the Germans, if my observation has
been accurate. What is commonly re-
ferred to as German thrift is only a
polite name for German Stinginess. and
/ have seen so many Illustrations of
the petty meannesS of the German peo-
pie that 1t seems idle to specify single
! Instances.
One of the first Impressions I re-
celved about the German people, when
l went to live among them fourteen
years ago, was the lack OF comrade-
/ ship among them. Glass distinctions
are drawn so fine. and there are so
many gradations, that it was almost
impossible to find two Germans on the
same social plane. One was always the
others superior. After my fourteen
years experience among these people,
l cannot say that that early impression
/ mas been removed; if anything, 1t has
been deepened.
Anyone who has lived in Berlin, and
Is familiar with conditions in other
European capitals, Will bear me out
that the German policeman is the most
arrogant police official in the world.
His word is taken In court In prefer
ence to that of six civilians, and his
power is such that it might very ensily
be used Oppressively; but strangely
( enough, despite the cupidity OF the
German character, graft and corrup-
tion among the German police and
other officials We're practically I'M
known before the war.
Such were the people behind the
kaiser when the great war started.
Shall never forget the sentiments eX-
pressed to me by private individuals
in every walk of life as the various
phases of the war developed.
No measure that was taken by Ger
many, no matter how atrocious or in
consistent with the worlds idea of
what is SrmSSible I'm civilized war
fare, ever brought word OF coudcm-
nation from the German public as n
| whole, although, of course, there were
some notable exceptions. The great
majority of Germans who discussed
these matters with me, however, not
only defended everything Germany did,
but complained because more rigorous
measures were not taken.
Merely by way of example, and not
because her suggestion was any worse
than hundreds OF others raised by my
German patients. / may mention the
surprising viewpoint expressed by the
Countess Sierstorpff, IA relative of Won
el-Donnersmarch. Ii was after
| Italy had joined the allies and when
German resentment against that na-
| tion ran very high.
what we should do ut the very first
avaiiabl" opportunity" she declared
"is to destroy every single work of art
in Italy. Not a single one of their
landmarks or art treasures should be
left standing. Then when the war is
over and Italy no longer derives the
enormous revenue she has been col
| lecting for years from tourists, she will