Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-03-20
The Cause of the War.

There is but one cause of this war
the inordinate greed of gain and lust
of power of the Hohenzollern family
which started it's Infamous and pratt
cal career as robber barons in South
Germany 700 years ago. The name
they bear, high toll takers" fits well
with their history In the beginning
common cut-purse robbers with their
petty castles overlooking the road they
sailed forth to relieve unwary travel
ers of their goods or money. In those
laWless days with no one to check
them they prospered and presently by
force and fraud began to acquire wider
possessions. Later we find them
Lords of Brandenburg and East Prus-
STA, each step they Travelled was stain
ed with the blood of their victims,
though they were always sparing of
their own blood, for the histories do
not record that any ruling chief OF
the Hohenzollern tribe ever fell in
battle. On the other hand millions Of
hirelings or deluded followers have
fallen to advance the fortunes of their
ruthless masters, and other millions
have fallen defending their rights
against the wilful aggressions of the
brutal and faithless crew.
For the Hohenzollerns have ever
made it a cardinal principle of their
no nation one moment longer than the
keeping of faith served their selfish
purpose.
Humanity, honesty, unselfishness
truth, honor, are words the meaning
of which is unknown to the Hohen-
zollern tribe.
The first 400 years of their career
was so successful that at the end of
the period they found themselves rul-
ers of Prussia and their chief was alb
solute ruler of Prussia under the title
of "Elector" and Prussia was the most
powerful of the numerous govern
ments which made up the Germany
of that day.
In the brutal Prussian people the
Hohenzollern had found tools fit to
do their bloody deeds which was their
method of accomplishing their pur-
poses.
The Great Elector" as the Prus-
slams call him was master scoundrel
and by lis shrewd villainy added large
ly to the possessions of the family dur
ing his long reign of over 40 years.
His son took the title of King of Prus-
STA but only ruled q few years and
was succeeded by his son who for 40
years held Prussia under as brutal q
government as that of any HohenZol-
lern before or after him, and that is
saying a lot.
Then came Frederick. known as 'the
Great" This Frederick was as brave
as lion, as cruel as Jack the Rip
per-" as thievish as Pagan, as big a
liar as Metternich or Tallyrand and
altogether was about as fine a sample
of the high-born scoundrel as ever
sat on a throne. But he was an able
general and after desperate and bloody
wars added Silesi, which he had torn
from Austria, and a large section of
Poland to his dominions He built up
a powerful kingdom to which his sue
cessors added only another section of
Poland until after the downfall of
Napoleon. In 1915, Prussia received
as its share Of the spoils the Rhine
country; half Of Saxony, and Swed-
ish Pomerania. This made Prussia
easily the great power of the Germanic
tribes, but Austria by reason of
longer history had long held first place
and was the nominal head of the Ger
manic Confederation. This did not suit
the Hohenzollern book. as that de-