Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-21

ancient Huns, without pity. mercy, honor; psyche
logically incapable of telling the truth, consider
ing the rights OF others, and with OF fair
play whatever And yet you hear eonstantly-fo-
the less intelligent of Americans incurabae op-
timists-"Oh. be she has had enough. Her
people never will stand for another She really
desires peace now, and recognizes her mistake n
plungng the world into war-she never dreamed It
would go far But let stop this killing bust
The future can take care of itself anyhow"
II this war finishes with the Hohen1eIlerns and
Prussia in power and an undismembered Austria
Hungary to support, it will be because Of break
down of morale on the part of the allied powers
which let them drift supinely into negotiated
peace, And if Prussia remains in the saddle and
the southern savs have not been permitted to form
strong buffer state independent of crippled and
impotent Austria shall not only be plunged into
another ten years hence bat into hopeless
war. The Generalization that had led our
European allies to consent to compromise would
have their moral fibre such extent that
they would make little than the gesture of
We, meanwhile, should be an armed camp from the
Pacific the Atlantic, with navy three times
its present size. Our present taxes wOald be
with Germany was settled once for all.
Prussia has not altered its characteristics IN
fifteen hundred years; not since the days of Cen
seric AIaric, when the northern tribes of Ger
many under those historic freebooters Rived for
war and the spoiIs of war, and won the honor OF
being with Attjla the most brutal trio in history
The record of Prussia is worse today. Is any
really innocent to imagine that she would
have a change of heart in our time? Yes. when the
leopard changes his spots gold stars of sacri-
flee. She would whip Russia into shape, and them
head down, charge the world again with something
like twenty millions trained fighting men behind
her.
There would be no doubt whatever about the fate
of Europe. We should have better chance of re-
sstance but whatever of conquest, Il
sank the German navy. In any case the war
would drag for years. Now. if the pacifists so
ciaIists, and traitors in midst well as those
weak timorous souls that weep over our men who
delighted to be there and doing their duty
can be sflenced, we stand fair chance of winning
the year by sheer superiority of numbers
and generalship, smashing the military machine and
chasing the wicked ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS
powers that alone responsible for this hideous
scourge, into a limbo from which they will never
emerge
The future of the world literally lies in the hol-
low of hand. At present that hand is fist and
Germany's mean little soul has shuddered and
shrunk under its impact But let those iron fingers
relax before Prussia is on her knees begging for
mercy, and we may well make her present with
impressive ceremonies, on golden platter) of mod
ern civilization, including those side issues
democracy and individual freedom, and have done
with it a compromise peace and Prussia will lick
her chops and sit down to the leisurely task of eat
ing alive.