Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-07-05

AASNS tts
We Americans freely admit TINT we
cannot follow the mental processes
that would evolve such a claim or
would use such methods in war; and
yet there are those of us who persist
in judging what the Prussians will do
to us. II they win this war. by what we
will do to them II we win 1t. Which
necessarily must mean that as soon as
the Prussian has won he will expert
ence change Of heart. abandon his
savage methods. and be converted to
our terms of peace-that victorious he
will forego the Prussian fruits Of vic
tory; will cease to march "onward
with his God" will put his God aside
and be converted to the God of civil
ization. the God Of the Golden Rule
and the sermon on the Mount. the fol-
lower Of the meek and lowly Jesus.
him Of the manager. Of Gethsemane, Of
Calvary.
And these Americans have so much
~ on which to base their trust. SO
much to justify their belief that
America has nothing to fear from Ger
many, because Germany has nothing
to fear from her.
Dates Back to Ancient Rulers.
Go back to the Prussian national
hero, Frederick the Great. "Old
Fritz" as they fondly call him-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 II
by force. by chicanery. by lies, by
bluff, by dishOnOr. nv any crime? His
tOry-at least Prussim 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 CON-
pared with his contemporaries. sue
cessful warrior. but he. like the pres
ent Hohenzollern, had for that time
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 he the heritage of a throne. was ut
terly wanting to him; and his chief
claim to live in history is based on the
fact that he robbed n woman; that
without cause ne made war on a 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 tia 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
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 Mt every
Prussian officers mess. drunk stand
Ing and with cheers. was: ITO the
day." meaning the day that Prussia
would rule the world and the other
nations were but her vasnals. e,
~ A1ss.( yhsy 1>11o ~ Dou1lo
One may well ask these trusting
Americans how they can lull them
selves into the fatuous security of
trusting Prussia's 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 be
strapped when the moment Is ripe for
action. .
Would America. think you. be such
a bastard?
Yet your trusting American still
persists in his foolish notion that
Prussia. in its dealing with America.
will he actuated' by American ideals
that Prussia thinks as Prussian In
Europe but as IN American in Amer
lea.
Gold help us n 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 a moment he was
speechless-and when he spoke Il was
softly. with the covetness of anticipa-
ton:
"God." he said, "what a city to
loot ~
Loot! 1t was the true Prussian,
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 II ever they
land an army on these shores.
Is there no need. think you. for Ms to
keep the Prussian In Europe?
Loot! Think you a mere crossing
Of the Atlantic would change the n.
cial nature Of this hideous beast?
God. what a city to loot"