Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-06
The Groom Princes Confession.

Still smarting under the sting of Chateau
Thierry and nervously cycling the retreat toward
the Rhine, sadder if not wiser Crown Prince
declares:
I'VE speak openly of victory but the word
victory must not be understood to mean that
want to annihate the enemy, but only
that we mean to hold and not let our
: selves be vanquished. / repeat, our aim can
only be to safeguard ourselves.
only to hold own" Was it only to hold their
that the Huns overswept innocent Belgium,
burning, robbing and numbering they went?
Was it only to hold their that they attacked
unoffending Americans the high seas, cast help
less women and children to the engulfng waves
and while protesting friendship for the United
States plotted for it's disruption and invasion?
Was it only to hold their own that they shared
Russia into treacherous peace on solemn pledges
of mo annexations and no indemnities,' and then
with their victim disarmed and defenseless, pro-
ceeded to tear her territorally limb from limb?
Was it only to hold their own that the Potsdam
intriguers of whom the Crown Prince would be the
most sinister figure, if he not the most
despicable, spent forty years in plotting and pre-
pairing the which they exultingly launched upon
a peaceable world?
When the Huns begin to talk about merely hold
ing their own, they turning the corner to de-
feat. 1t was not many months ago that their lead
vowing to hold Belgium in pawn and to
retain every strip of the and fertile dominions
they had stolen in the East. Whenever their
armies have been on the advance they have spoken
in tones of conquerors and in terms of brigands.
Whenever the fortunes of war have veered against
them they have affected moderation and limited
peace. Now that disaster darkens before them and
retribution mutters from the heavens, they
than hypocritcal and seek shelter in pro-
fessions of "self-defense" 1t will not be long,
matters now trending, before we shall hear of
German proffers to evacuate Belgium, and then of
what Berlin would call concessions" to France
and Italy, and still later of proposals to relinquish
certain parcels of German booty in the East. AS
avenging justice draws and nearer, the
Hohenzollerns will become more and more content
only to hold their own" and more insistent
that their war is simply one Of defense, more and
more eager for peace parleys.
But these crafty protestations will not deceive
America and her allies. Rather-wiH they be taken
as symptoms of Germany's approaching de-
feat and as reminders that all-decisive victory
for freedom and enduring peace be if
Allied arms and Allied craftsmanship remain reso-
Lutte to the end. The Crown Princes utterance is
but among many recent revelations of the Pots
dam mind, all foreshadowng the peace strategy
which long will be attempted. But Hohenzol-
lern Germany has much yet to learn before it will
take the sure way to peace. 1t must learn that
the Allies not only potentially strong enough to
win incontestable victory, but that they de-
termined to fight unswervingly on to that actual
end. Prussianism realizes, at least begins
to realize, that it will be overthrown and crushed
unless peace be made through negotiation.
But there will be righteous ending of the
until Prussianism realizes that peace is to be die
tated by the berty-loving, treaty-keeping nations
of the earth And that realization will break upon
the Huns, keen and overwhelming, so soon as an
army of Allied millions starts VIGOROUSLY up
the valley of the Rhine.