The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-27
THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

Won Hertng has delivered a speech before the main
committee of the rechsag which is obviously intended
as message to the allies 1t is probably meant as an
appeal to reason, in the hope that by moderate and
nOnprovocatve statement the ground may be laid for
peace negotiations. Peace is what the Germans are
clamOring for Peace is what they demand by threass
which growing louder and deeper, causing the gov
eminent to give heed to the internal conditions which
may produce volcano more terrible than the enemy
at the gates
Count Hertings statement Of the German point
of view is probably able and logical as could have
been produced by any in Germany If there is any
basis for agreement upon facts, or any evidence of
recognition of responsibilities or any accurate approach
toward meeting of allied and enemy minds, it must be
in Count Hertlings address, for it exists nowhere
else in any German mind thus far disclosed Does the
German chancellor present his case in such way as to
dispose his adversaries to discuss the subject with him
further?
Unfortunately for the German people, this spokes-
man Of their again guilty of utterng such
fragrant falsehoods such distorted and monstrous per-
versions of facts known to all men, that he closes the
door to any exchange of views which requires mutual
confidence in the bona des of the parties concerned
Count Hertling actually has the hardihood to re-
peat the lie that Russian mtarsts drove the weak car
into mobizng the army and thus compelled Germany to
take the defensive. He actually that documents
dere discovered in Belgium which convinced the Ger
government that France was about to violate Belgian
neutrality and march against Germany. Therefore, he
argues Germany compelled to break the written
law in order to obey the "other law the law Of self
defense" He harks back to the violation of Belgium
and refers sadly to the universal hatred of Germany
which resulted from its invasion of the little kingdom
But twist and turn as he will he does not succeed in
presenting prma facie of German innocence
German offers and threats to Belgium during the in
yasion, which spurned by ndomtable King Albert
are set forth by Count Herng with such an apollo
lief in the story he is concocting
The most offensive utterance in his speech however
is when he tries to show a conflict between the demo-
cratic claims of the allies and their treatment of Greece
They are never tired of condemning our march into
Belgium he says "but they pass over the oppression of
Greece the interference with that countrys internal
affairs and the enforced abdicaton of its king as if they
were matters of course"
The allies oppression Of Greece! Let Greece step
forth and testify Where Greece now? On which side
is she fighting? While the traitor King Constantine
and his Hohenzoern wife trying to betray Greece
there were riots and revolution When the allies came
the of the Greek nation and forced the traitor
to quit the throne there opportunity for Greece
to assert its wishes 1t thereupon joined the allies
and fighting vaanty against the two treacherous
present king of Greece not Hohenzolern puppet like
the king of Finland Germanys Vaccinations against the
Greek people on a par with the malevolent plans
aimed at the destruction of other nations and with the
exception of Belgium and Serbia no backer record has
been made anywhere by Germany than in Greece. It is
against just such assaults upon liberty that the allies are
now carrying the war to the bitter end
Germanys spokesman has tried to make out case
for Germany upon which the civilized nations might look
with some forbearance. He has failed. The imperial
chancellor himself, the political handspring of the EN-
pre, the center of all the best information and trues
iueds hdt Germahy may possess is shown by his own
words to be falsier enemy to truth and justice
man who has no conception of honor among nations
The world cannot treat with such man or with gov
eminent guided by such man, for there is no common
ground upon which to meet He belongs to the regions
Of evil a relic of barbarism He is blind man lead
ing to ruin nation of the blind.-Washngton Post.
Plans for 800 meetings in cities and towns of