Evening star., 1918-11-19
The Yellow Streak.

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Germans, led by their military mas
ters, set forth to conquer the world.
They were supremely confident that
their aday" had come. They swag-
gered across the Belgian boundary and
into France with brutal indifference
to the rules Of warfare and the laws
Of humanity. They advanced accord
ing to schedule and when that sched-
ule was suddenly upset BY Joffre at
the AaYnc they were astounded. They
could not understand how it was pos
sible anything could stay their prog
ress.
For nearly four years they fought
on practically even terms with their
opponents, who grew in numbers and
gained in confidence even when the
hour was darkest. Some of the shrewd-
er of the Germans wanted then to quit
and secure the best possible terms for
what they were frank enough to say
would he merely an armistice pending
greater preparations for a more ad-
vantageous start. Their overtures
were unheeded. They intrigued Tur-
key into the war, and then Bulgaria,
and tricked Russia into collapse. But
by that time their blundering brutal
ity had brought the United States into
the contest and the scales we're def
nitely and finally turned against them.
Now they have lost the war, these
asupermen," who were SO gallant and
brave four years ago. But how
changed is their attitude! Where is
the splendid quality Of these twen-
tieth century vikingsi Where is the
courage they showed in their attacks
upon the people Of Louvain and Ter
monde7 Gone. Absolutely gone. The
"supermen" have quit eravenly. They
are whimpering and wailing and beg
ging for mercy.
We have a phrase in this country
that aptly apples now to the quality
of the Germans in defeat. They are
showing "the yellow streak" They have
shown it, indeed, at times during the
war. They showed it when after pa
tiently enduring their lawless bonn
bardment Of unfortifed English and
French cities the allies Visited them
with reprisals in the Rhine valley.
They screamed for remission, protest
ing against the barbarity Of bombing
places Of no military importance.
Deliberately these wretches starved
the peoples Of the lands they occu-
pied in their advance, taking from
them even the food that was sent to
save the perishing millions of Bel
gians and French. Now they are beg
ging for food, even before the ink is
dry on the terms of armistice, not ask
ing for it in spirit Of contrition for
their sins, but as a right. They were
beseeching q remission of the terms
they sought and accepted before the
first moves were made in execution of
them, moves marked by repeated acts
of violence in defiance of the truce.
They are not ashamed to take the bene-
fit of remission Of hostilities while
they are urging, almost demanding, a
lessening Of the conditions upon which
it was based. !.
Not g word Of contrition has been
uttered by these people for the bar
barities committed by their representa-
tives in war. They come forth now
seeking mercy without Q whisper of
repentance. The women who appealed
to American women for a tightening
of the armistice terms uttered NO word
Of pity for the millions Of women and
children who were subjected by the
German armies and the German states
men to the foulest abuses ever per-
petrated upon helpless humanity.
If there had been the slightest
token Of remoRse OF acknowledgment
Of their sins against mankind the pleas
Of the Germans for succor now would
elicit more sympathy in this country.
Do they think we are without memor
les herei Are they 50 deluded by
their own hardness of heart that they
attribute their own seltishness to all
ethersf They may be fed, a. . means
Of preventing the anarchy which may
result from their own misdeeds, but
the food that goes to them will be
accompanied BY contempt for their
yellow streak" that now shines forth
so glaringly in the light Of day.
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