South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-10

cede to temporary promise, pretensIvely per-
manent, to give up the submarine warfare that had
become the American-German bone of conten-
ton.
MES, she kept US out of war"-until Won Trip
L itz and the Prussian war lords broke their
solemn promise made to Pres't Wilson months
before, to avert more immediate war, that the
German submarine warfare would henceforth re-
sPect the rights of neutras IN general and of the
United States In particular.
1t was pro-German propaganda that whispered
it into the ear of Sen. James Eli Watson to raise
the question of "he kept us out Of war in his
Roanoke speech last sUmmer-and he blmted Z
out, either like fool a f1end,-asserting that
It political dodge during the campaign; that
"he kept out of war; until after election, and
then, as he put it che plunged us in''-abOut a.
pro-GemaneSque a bit of clsptrap as was ever
uttered by Won Herteling the floor Of the reich
stag.
Had the senator taken the trouble to think o.
to investigate httle-seeing he has since become
so long or inveShgatioRs,-he might have dscov-
cred that it Kaiser Wilhelm who plunged Us
into this war" by breaking the promise exacted by
Pres't Wilson, which for a season kept Us out
1t is only sample. The German psychologist
knows the little weaknesses, the giant preju6ices
and something of the hopes, aspirations and
gTaSpng ambitions, of the average American and
he knows pretty well how to appeal to them,
making them his prey
Political parties are among the most active fac
tors in the government of the United States. The
German psychologist knows It. He knows that
anything done under the administration Of one
party must pretty nearly approach the height Of
perfection to escape cTitcism-even hypercriti-
cism-from the party in opposition.
Partisan weaknesses, partisan prejudices, par
tsan hopes partisan aspirations and partisan am
billions; there is nothing like them IN America TO
appeal to, that viii gather a quicker following
not even religious weaknesses, preJudices etc.
And SO the German psychologist turns his Ger
man-American alliance, and other attaches loose
with their food for Clackers" and whispers in the
ear of the politician; 'ah yes It IS probably lie
but it may be so, and why not investigate? Think
of the feather in your cap the advantage TO your
party, and disadvantage to the administration
party IN the next election If YOU should be able to
prove it?"
1t is enough; enough n the United States, just
as IT has been enough in italy, IN Russia m
France, in England provocative of the upheav-
ais that have time and again hindered them, and
brought Italy, and Russia especially to the verge
of rum
I OOLS or fends, or both! Is the fool IN such
L a crisis, any less hend because he is fool?
Certainly not, especially if he is wise fool And
thus it came to pass according to an ancient leg
end that Satan took the Man of Nazareth up on
high mountain, there to tempt Him and he did
tempt Him, offering Him the all of his kingdom,
and great power, and glory, but the Man of Naz-
areth said: Get thou behind me Satan"
The German psychologist knows that the
American politician is not Of the like Of that Son
of God-though In his super-egoism he may seek
to claim it.
1t explains pretty much ali that there is to the
hypercriticism of the war administration that is
going at Washington; German propaganda,
consciously or mconscioUsy the accepted basis
of worse American political propaganda,
with the operators dupes or knsves.
Congress never set out to investigate the
administration for the purpose of getting at the
truth.
1t took the conclusions that the pro-German
propagandists had prepared in advance and set
out to Justify those cOnclusions-becauss they
would be politically dvantageous-regardless
of the truth.
The super-war board proposed in the Cham
berlin bill a remedy for all these fancied evils
and Observation-Disclosures that It was hoped might
be proven by the Investigations, is the same char
acter of "Made in Germany" propaganda as that
which headed off that decisive battle that should
have been fought in France long ago; of the
same character recently attacked Lloyd George
IN England, and brought that country close to an
other collapse of its ministry.
The German psychologist director general Of
this policeman propaganda, IS indeed past
master at manipulating selfish desires dUping
ambitions, generating political intrigues-but IN
this instance he buildsd better than he knew for
America.
He forced Sec'y of War Baker out into the
open with statement of the facts as to our war
preparations and the why's and wherefores Of
them, and instead of a supeT-war board taking
powers from the president to be bestowed
political jacksnipes, who like not the kaiser
could control, the president will get more pow
ers-Uader the Overman bill.
And IN England instead Of forcing Lloyd
Georges resignation, he made him only that