Catoctin clarion., 1918-11-14

Inc German people, lot d SehSidI'o''
the obedient and submissive servants OF
their war lord, for more than four years
his plant instruments in ravaging the
world, have spoken new word, and old
Germany is gone. From the confused,
sometimes conflicting and often delayed
advices from Germany in the past week
it has now become apparent that William,
Emperor and King, has been stripped OF
his power. He is now plain william
| Hohenzollern, fugitive in Holland
With his fall topples into ruin William $
mad design to rule the world.
Little is known of the situation today
in Germany, for that country is IN the
first DAYS of it's new adventure. | is
not clear whether the oldregime has been
permanently dislodged, or whether the
new authorities, with the unscrupuous
adrotness which has long marked Ger
man politics, are merely sacrificing the
chief fgureheads of Kaiserism i'll the
hope of obtaining an easier peace. lt
appears probable that no onel in Germany
knows, and that it is still to be determin-
ed which of the contending elements will
gain the upper hand.
Revolution is spreading rapidly, and
! from the fact that Socialist Is now
Chancellor it may be gathered that the
object of the revolution Is not merely the
quick ending of the war, but the com
pletely severance of the political ties
| which still bind the nation with its past
For the Allies the problem has chang
ed The countries which fought Ger
many and her vasSals for more than four
wears have emerged from 1t completely
triumphant, but within the borders of
! the countries which menaced the peace
of the whole world stalk revolt famine
and anarchy The worlds next task may
! be to restore order in the deSoIatCd CEN
tral empires 1t may be the lot OF the
forces who have successfully contested
Germany's greed for power to save her
from the fate she imposed on Russia
| Likewise, help will have to be given to
Austria-H II ungary, Bulgaria and Turkey,
whose ruin Germany wrought.
The German Empire was the last OF
the great autocracies whose fall marks
the real significance of the war. In Rus
sia, Austria Hungary and finally in Ger
many irresponsible power gave way be-
! fore the irresistible forces Of democracy.
Germany, holding on to the last, kept up
! the hopeless struggle until Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg 5 prophetic words, early
| in the war, came true. The side with
the strongest nerves, said he, would win.
1t was the crumbling Of the home front
which made it impossible for Germany,
notwithstanding her great armies In the
field to carry on any longer.
The collapse of Germany brings the
eclipse of the German idea of the state,
as opposed to the doctrine of individual
rights, to which the nation clung with
hardly dissenting voice until recently.
Under this regime there was developed
nation of which miltarism was the
embodiment, which murdered and plund-
cred, needless of the rights of individuals
and made terrorism a matter of studied
policy. This terrorism was directed =
gainst not only individuals, but against
nations; against not only hostile nations
but those with which Germany was ofil
cially at peace. Its system of espionage
corruption and violence extended over
the world 1t was eXempitied by The
plots carried out in this country under
direction of the government for the de-
struction of munition plants and ships
before the United States entered war
and by the effort of the German govern
ment to embroil this country, then neut.
raj in war with Japan aud Mexico. Nc
capital of Europe was free from German
secret agents in the years preceding tht
war, and the nations lived in growing
dread of the huge military machine which
Germany was building up, to the accom-
paniment of the Emperor boastings o.
the shining sword and German toasts
to "Der Tag" in voice, which echoed a
round the world.
The virtual ending of this greatest oI
conflicts has come with dramatic swift
ness. Four months ago today the Ger
man military power apparently was at 1t
height. The unchecked forces of tn
enemy had battered their way through
the French and British lines until Pari
was in danger and the British were fight
ing with their backs to the wall to pre-
vent themselves from being forced int
the sea. Late in July the word wa'
thrilled with the news of an Allied count
er-attack between the Aisne and tn
Marne. The Germans were hurled bacl
along the whole sector, and since tina