Omaha daily bee., 1918-11-12

o'NPNAiNSuS
Seemingly acquiescent in his movement for
international and harmonious action for justice
divorced from physical force, he was secretly
preparing to crush the governments he so will
fully deceived. Broken by the monster of his
own making, he has abdicated his throne, given
over his autocratic pretensions, and has fled
from his country, to seek in an alien land re-
fuge from the people he misled and betrayed.
In Germany, the acme of precision and
order, where scientific efficiency in government
had reached its zenith both in theory and prac-
tice, discipline has been cast down. Subjects,
long deprived of any sort of natural expression
of individuality, suddenly find themselves their
own masters, and primitive passions are lber
ated. What will be the tale from there may not
now be guessed at. 1t is possible that the Ger
man people, long habituated to direction from
above may be found more amenable and can
adapt themselves more readily to the new order
than did the ignorant masses of Russia; it is
also within the range of reason to expect some
thing like repetition of the excuses that have
followed the transition in Russia. This may, of
course, be obviated by the presence of allied
troops, who will be especially charged with
the duty of preserving order, and under whose
care any terror let loose in Germany will be
short-lived.
For France and Belgium the day means more
than possibly can be conveyed in words With
the beast tearing at their threats, these nations
have battled all these weary months for life, for
the right to exist Their people, Irrespective of
condition, have been subjected to such awful
treatment as may only be whispered. UnAinch-
ing they stood, preferring death to submission,
expanding all effort, hating at no sacrifice, to
preserve the only things in life worth living for.
Now that the night has passed, and they have
come into the clear, fair light of new sky, who
can express their exultation, their emotions of
joy, or give voice to the thanks that must arise
For forty years they trembled while the Hun
made ready his weapon for their destruction;
each morning dawned day of anxiety lest
it might be the one that would call them to de-
fend themselves or miserably perish That dread
will no longer brood over them; they can now
take up again their peaceful work, renew as
far as possible broken life, and under Gods
providence move forward to the fulflment of
destiny of noble aspirations gloriously real
ized Liberty will not perish from the earth
while France and Belgium stand such splendid
exemplars of its beauties and inspire freemen to
its preservation.
In all the world there must be such feel
ing of relief as only can come when great
calamity is passed Just as Germany has ter
rifed its neighbors in Europe by its contumacy
and perpetual attitude of bullying, so it has
affected all the world. No nation has been i'm
mune from its insidious efforts to undermine all
| governments other than its own. Its futile spy
system permeated and poisoned the whole fabric
of civilization Its peaceful penetration"
| sought the downfall of all its rivals in COM
merce and industry. deutschland uber allies"
passed from fine phrase into living, deadly,
ideal, and was sought with elaboration and
persistence unequaled in pursuit of evil in all
the worlds history. And that, too, has passed.
Americas part in the war has not been all
some might have wished. Hesitancy to fairly
meet the issue for two years, unremitting eff
forts to preserve impossible neutrality, for
bearance when provoked beyond reason and al
most beyond endurance at last gave way to
action, so fierce, so irresistible, that the end
was brought sooner than might have been ex-
pected. Our share in the war for the last nine
teen. months has made up magnificent record
Y of stupendous achievement Even the Germans
admit we achieved the impossible, SURPRISING
in our acutal accomplishments all human cal
culations. 1t is yet too soon to write history,
but we have made it, and sometime what we
have really done will be more fully compre-
hended by the world. Our rejoicing in the
victory is as sincere as our entry to the war was
whole-hearted.
But victory brings responsibility, and just
as the triumph is great so is the obligation laid
upon US. We have worthily borne ourselves in
war; let us now highly resolve not to forfeit
any of the gains of that experience by unworthy
conduct in peace. If we do not SO bear our
selves, the dead who sleep where peoples blow
on Flanders field" have died in vain.