The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-11-13
GERMANY'S LESSON.

THE densest boche must know by this time that the In
yincbIe German war machine" has sustained crush
ing defeat been wrecked overwhelmed and thoroughly put
out Of commission by the Of surrender That defeat
In itself together with the guarantees exacted by the
armlstice terms precudes the possibility OF any early
sumption Of hosts and goes far toward preventing any
similar effort in the future But the lesson Germany has
learned in this war goes much further Few residents OF
Germany today venture will accept Bernhards teach
ngs OF the advantage and usefulness OF war in fulfilling
nations destiny Fewer still will cling to the doctrine OF
those German philosophers who taught that might makes
right whose creed based the atrocities which made
Germany pariah among nations.
Nor will the divine right ofngs have further standing
among the Huns The defeat and flight Of the kaiser cad
not his power alone but the influence Of his kind Those
who followed bindly for long, have something OF
the light; enough It certain, TO forecast definitely
that they will again be ruled by auocracy Blunders
apt to follow; such cruel and costly mistakes as so
often characterize revolutions But they will al least be
errors Of effort by the people and the illusion Of meek
submission to those who rule but for selfish ends
II apt to take years Germany Of the barbarsm
and brutality which have been ncucated by the whole leu
tonic system of thought education and training It Is
tain be generation before the Germans win back
the friendship or even thc contdence OF the Wofd men
who know the frghulness OF Germans at will not
soon forget forgive, now that peace has come With
the salesman who offering German for sale,
will come also the thought that he was perchance baby
killer that he certainly Of nation which practced
such savage And that will make the future difficult
for the Germans. They deserve all that, OF more.
But such treatment will further impress the lesson of
the folly Of war and particularly the peril OF the Prusian
type OF war which throws chivalry to the winds and stakes
its fortune on the power Of evil in all its most shocking
forms. The forces of right have prevailed against that
evil and even the Germans know by this time that
the standards OF civilization must be maintained and that
their one chance regain lost prestige to conform tc
those standards and quit for all time the false teaching
which led their land to ruin,
How complete that ruin learn from many sources
and added details OF the wreekage win be coming in TO
weeks. By single stroke OF the pen her nave
melt away great armada which was afraid to fight
after one taste OF the prowess OF her foe The army
gone deprived of the bulk Of lis artillery, ordnance anC
stores The great commerce ceased to be when
began, and industries have waned a result Her land
transportation system toutA model has cracked
under the strain Of war and lack Of material, for
struction. Her people hungry, and her man powe
sorely depleted But Germany ha, lost than that
something e" tangible but more vital than th, maters
list Germany ha, lost tA respect Of all decent people
ard to regain ii will be harder than to rehabtate he