The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-12
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


London, Jan. 1--we still shrink
from facing the facts regarding Ger
many. We prefer comforting theories
to disagreeable actualities
This is convenient. but it is not war.
Thru Dutch, Swiss and Scandinavian
channels which serve filters for
the alleged news Germany would like
to have the world believe, we again
hear the old familiar word "crisis'-
political ''crisis'-food "crisis," ct
cetera.
In view of our inclination to make
the wish father to our thoughts. let
personal or otherwise, of these
"crises."
All Bow to Hindcnburg.
Hindenburg is supreme dictator Of
Germany Ludendorff is the actual
generalissime under Hindenburg.
whose popularity is now so great that
practically anything can be accom-
plished by invoking it.
The kaiser has never been so much
in the hands of the military despots
as he is today. He is emperor no
longer by divine right-but by grace
of the great God Hindenburg." The
crown prince is a thick and thin sup
porter of Hindenburgism.
Chancellor Hertling is Hindenbul g s
political manager.
Z OrelEn secretary huenlIndGn Is
permitted to do only what is ordered.
His Brest-Lilovsk tactics. far from ir-
ritating Hindenburg, were dictated by
him-and are alterable if and when
Hindenburg decides is necessary.
Kuehlmann will go or stay, according
to Hindenburg's pleasure.
Reichstag Same as A. Years Ago.
The reichstag today is precisely
what Bismarck founded forty-seven
years ago-merely an imperial dehat-
ing society, where the peoples repre-
sentatives blow off steam and can call
the government without police inter-
ference. Its only vestige of power is
in the voting of funds-which duty it
has performed dutifully.
The only untamed independent So
cialists number % out of a. member
ship of 397 in the reichstag and they
are the only ones who ever oppose
war credits
The government haggles with the
reichstag party leaders merely for the
purpose of saving itself of the trouble.
The food situation was probably
never so bad-but it is not critical to
the breaking point. Regularly near
the middle of winter comes the
starvation" story out of Germany
The coal shortage has undoubtedly
been aggravated, but the way the Ger
mans have stuck it out so far indi-
Gates they will survive the present
winter discomfort.
Million Prisoners Make Munitions.
The German army is unquestionab bly,
war tired. The German nation is war
weary-but this applies also to 9TH
ers There is probably no more pop
ular growing in Germany than here
Munitions trains continue to roll to
the west and Germany is making
aeroplanes. submarines and shells at
a rate hitherto unequaIled. Two or
three million prisoners are all making
munitions in one form or another.
As to the possibility of a revolution.
lIeine, the keenest student of Prus-
sian psychology once remarked that
revolutions in Germany were impos-
sible because verboten."
This is cynical-but it is literally
true. The machine gun awaits every
German with revolution in his heart.
Liebknecht, the only Prussian who
would ever lead a revolution is now
in penal servitude.
The Germans won't stop fighting
until we make them see that mill
tarism and war don't pay-that is
when we are able to impose peace on
a defeated German army and pavv