St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-06-15

The hour of doom Tor HohenzoA
Tern and for Hapsburg is near at
hand. Napoleon, who was, mainly
speaking, the most clear-s1ghted
statesman of his age, regretted that
he did not put an end to the Hohen-
zollern dynasty, and admitted that his
failure to do so was the greatest blum
der of his career. That blunder has
cost the world more of woe and mis-
fortune than all the mistakes of his
tory. The fateful hour when it will
be repaired is near at hand. As this
is written the armies of the kaiser are
again on the move, and the last great
effort of Hindenburg to break through
the allied lines has begun. Credible
reEert says that the Germans have ap-
propriated five hundred thousand
lives out of their own forces to this
enterprise. They lost almost that
many men in the late unsuccessful
drive. The logic Of this slaughter,
from their point Of view, is that the
war would be cheaply won at the price
of a million men.
One of the significant facts this
war has disclosed is the estimate
which German "kultur" places on hui
man life and character.
We have a reat war i nthis coun-
try to emancipate the blacks. Yet
there never was a time when the SUI
thern slave was not freer than the
German peasant Of today. He is the
most abjeet and most seryile slave
the world eve knew. Apparently, he
/ loves the rattle of his chains. The
jnnker overload bitches him up in
his war machine and drives him under
boot and spur, without calling forth
even a protest from the dumb and pa
tient creature which does the pull
ing. Millions are hurled in massed
formation against machine fire which
moWs them down as the harvester
does the grain-and the poor cattle
seem not to know that they are abus-
ed by their masters. The southern
slave had a value In his masters
eye which invoked his care, and often
his affection. The slave Of 'kultur"
is not eve pitied by his owner. He
goes to the scrap heap with as little
thought for his fate as is given to a
dead rat. One wonders if there is
such a thing as a soul left in Germany
among its ruling classes.
The blind ~servility on the part of
the masses is what has sealed the fate
Of Germany. Enslaved themselves,
they joyfully assume the task of COM
pelling all the world to wear their
chains. And to that end they have be-
gun their final forward march-Which
will prove for them a dead march in
Saul. The half million or more of
German lives which they will pay to
win this time will serve no purpose
save to fertilize the fields of France.
This could be predicted with certain
ty, if the Hun had a million more
to waste. The slave has never
the battle that a free man
Mechanical training may take
him up in regular formation to the
mouth of the cannon, but it can never
fill his heart with enthusiasm and
give his arm unnatural strength.
The most that can be said is that the
army is a we1lregulated ma
chine. Whatever it has accomplish
ed has been by reason of numbers.
When it shall be reduced to apparent
numerical inferiority it will be quick
ly vanquished. Mark this prophecy.
There will be severe fighting, of
course, and here and there the Ger
man lines will advance at points
along the far-flung battle line. This
Is inevitable. Three million men, or
more, are not to be easily turned
back, particularly when they are driv-
IN by the lash, and are sacrificed, as
so many pigs, to the ends of linden
burg. But they will never be nearer
he capture of Paris than they are
low, and when the fighting is con-
even Germany will recognize
hat it is whipped.
Americas part in this great drama
Is fast becoming a leading role. Ger
many comedies that we have turned
tide. Her hatred of the English
already encompassed us. If it
we're possible she would gladly make [
'eace with the Allies and fight us {
.ingle-handed. We ourselves may ]
all TO comprehend what our entrance /
nto the fray mea to Germany, but {
germany does not. It matters not {
What declarations may be made at !
Washington, or what we may formal t
Y propose, the moment America was /
n it became a war between autoc- |
acy and democracy. That is the way
looks to every living being in the
astern world who thinks as much as
duck thinks. He knows that if
iermany wins kings will rule through :
ut the greater part of the East, and !.
! America wins the end of kings is :.
ere. Slave as he is, the Hun knows
bat. and the brutishness of his