The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-06-22

which had the effrontery to claim that
1t was simply Gods chosen instru-
ment to work his Will, Contemplate
the gentle one of Bethlehem whom
the Prussian processes to revere as
God-wading in the blood of man
kind! Contemplate Christ In a Prus-
sian helmet, with q Prussian sword
and Prussian manners! Contemplate
William Hohenzollern, Won linden
burg. Won Ludendorff, Won Mackinsen
as disciples of him Of Gethsemane and
Calvary!
One must go back to the darkest
period Of the dark ages to find similar
effrontery-to Alaric and the rest who
claimed, as William of Prussia claims
In all his published Fluctuations to his
armies, that they were doing the will
of the Almighty, that they were march
ing onward with God"
1t must be peculiar mentality that,
in this day and generation, could have
the arrogance to advance such
claim-and queer, q very queer, peo-
pie that has the mentality and docility
to accept such rot--and actually be-
lieve it.
Dates Back to Ancient Rulers.
Go back to the Prussian nationa,
hero Frederick the Great, "Old
Fritz" as they fondly call hinn-as
contemplate bully and sneak and
blackguard and liar as ever lived.
Would he have turned back from an
avowed purpose to make America
pay the cost of this war" if he were
victorious? Did he ever turn aside
from any purpose If he could effect it
by force, by chicanery, by lies, by
bluff, by dishonor, by any crime? His
tory--at least Prussian history-gives
him the title of "Great," but in the
civilized sense there is nothing great
about him except meanneSs of charac-
ter and Of action. He was, when COM
pared with his contemporaries, a sue
cessful warrior, but lie, like the pres
ent Hohenzollern, had for that time a
marvellous army which was prepared
to strike and struck. Magnanimity or
any other Of the attributes of great
ness he had not at all. even the tradi-
tional kingly honor which is assumed
to be the heritage of Il throne. was ut
terly wanting to him; and his chief
claim to live in history is based on the
| fact that he robbed woman; that
without cause he made war en- Il help,
less queen, Maria Theresa, and de
spoiled her. Of province, and cyni-
cally boosted to all the world that he
has caught her helpless and so stole
what he desired. Moreover, he gloried
In the infamy.
Bismarck. who ruled while his stu
pid sovereign reigned, deliberately
forged altered as he put it--a tele-
| gram Of that king, and so forced
France into war and robbed her Of
billions of money and two provinces.
And William the infamous was sim
4 ply running true to form and trying to
Guido the shameful examples of his
predecessors, when, absolutely ready.
he forced the present war. Have we
forgot that the toast for years at every
Prussian officers mess, drunk stand.
ing and with cheers, was "To the
day." meaning the day that Prussia
would rule the world and the other
nations were but her vassals.
Admit They Have No Honor.
One may well ask these trusting
| Americans how they can lull them
selves into the fatuous security of
trusting Prussias intentions and
honor, when Prussia herself says
frankly she has no honor, no inten-
tons but the exigency of the moment
and the purpose of her government
that solemn treaties made have no
binding effect on her, are made only
| for the moment, are but blind under
cover Of which she can mobilize her
forces-a ruse de guerre-and to he
strapped when the moment is ripe for
action.
Would America, think you, be such
bastard?
Yet your trusting American still
| persists in his foolish notion that
Prussia, in its dealing with America,
will be actuated by American ideals
that Prussia thinks as prussian In
Europe but as an American in Amer
! lea.
Gold help US if the actual testing of
this supreme folly ever be brought to
these shores.
Some years ago, on his FIRST visit TO
this country, Prussian of high, very
high military rank sailed up New
York harbor in dense fog. Sud
denly the fog lifted and the towering
buildings of the mighty city burst
upon him. For q moment he was
speechless-and when he spoke 1t was
softly. with the covetness of anticipa-
ton:
"God," he said, what city to
loot "
Loot! 1t was the true Prussiah
running true to type. Loot was his
first thought on beholding for the first
time the metropolis of the western
hemisphere-and loot will be the
Prussian's only thought If ever they
land an army on these shores.
Is there no need, think you, for us to
keep the Prussian III Europe?