The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-20

N-Ae AO- cA8h hNWsR1bGAo p" CAC = NAee-N
OF strategic lies" had been wholly
dependent upon their government for
facts"
During this long debate Giseia
sat at the head OF the table.
rigid and wRtehful. when
she was not iercsly arguing; Mimi
Brandt Csprawled in an easy chair.
satirical and slangy. enveloped In smoke:
Helolse. very pale and the first to be
convinced. sat with her little hands
eierched against her cheek bones: Ann
Prentiss. unsnakenly cool. quiclc and pre-
else; the moro brilliant Mrs. Toby Hash
ing her beacon light into recesses dark
ened these three years Jy systematic
lies but incapable of the tiual stupidity.
That long argument need not be repro
duced here. All the world has made up
its mind about Germany. knows her far
BETTER than as yet she knows herself
II was the deliberate effort. OF the
americans to force these three inse'li-
gent Germans, one OF them leader OF
the first importance. to realize that their
country stood 10 the rest OF the world
for lying, treachery. cruelty. brutality.
degeperaey. bad sportsmanship. ostrich
psychology; above all. that she had for
feited her place among modern and
honest nations
When these facts had. been hammered
in. Mrs. Prentiss moved on TO the two
cardinal facts for whose elucidation the
rest had been mere preamble: that
the central powers were beaten and
knew IT, but were determined to 60 on
sacrificing the manhood Of the country.
reducing the population TO the ultimate
n1iseries OF mind and body rather than
yield: and that the only hope Of obtain
ing mercy from the entente allies In the
ineyitahle hour Of surrender was to de-
throne the Hohenzollerns apd establish
a republic. a.
Otherwise as a nation they would cease
to exist and their last fate would be in
hnltely worse than their present.
German RepubIIe welcome.
A German republic would be welcomed
into. the. family Of nations and receive
friendly: and helping .hand from every
one OF the great adversaries. whose
prestige and wealth were stili mistaken,
and who all desired to preserve tho bal
ance Of power In Europe.
ABOVE all might they rely upon the
United States OF America. the friendly
hints of whose President had been sys-
tematically distorted by the anxious
Psn-Germans still In the saddle; who
would cheerfuily witness the loss Of
every drop OF the peoples life blood
rather than their own power.
a conquered empire that had been
hypnotized to the end by the monster
criminals of history. whose word no
man would ever take again, would
be q mere collection OF enslaved
states for generations to come: the
choice, would show no mercy.
Britain could not be starved. The
submarine. war, whatever its devas-
tations, and the vast Inconvenience
IL had caused. was a failure. Il
And the colossal wealth OF the
United States in money, in food. in
menl
Who knew her resources better than
Gisela who had lived in the country
for four years and found it an absorb
ing study, who had continued TO read
American books. newspapers, and re-
views up to the outbreak OF tive war?
Well. they were all at the disposal
OF democracy; and as the ententa al
lies. including the United States. were |
already many times stronger than
Germany. how could they fail to win |
in the end, no matter how many mill !
lions OF lives on all sides Germany |
to shovel into Moloeh?
Prepared for German ExeoriatIOn.
All OF these three clever German
girls had been more or less prepared
to hes4 Germany proved q liar.
They knew from British wounded |
that London was neither a fortified |
city nor reduced to ashes: also that all |
the Zeppelin raids on defenseless |
towns put together had been OF less
value to Germany than 4
the taking OF one village In the war /
mountain OF hatred and contempt |
which must be leveled by the quick I
OF her people II they |
would regain their lost intercourse I
with q triumphant world.
Like all the other women who had !
nursed near the front and knew the |
truth, they translated into their own |
cynical vernscular such grandfose
as strategic retreats"
from that OF the Battle Of the MArne
TO those which had been occurring |
on the western front |
since the beginning OF the Somms Of |
fensive in 1916.
GiseIa's mind was complex and
subtle, but II was also honest When
IL yielded a point. 1t yielded Audibly.
1t was during the preliminary discus
sion that she exclaimed:
at Is true-certain things come
back to me-Mlmi. open the window.
The air Is blue and We are all hardy |
and can stand the night air. 1t was
after the Agadir incident that felt
a change. / say felt because l was
so absorbed I'm my work that. 1 had
no inclination for world politics and
never discussed them
up to that time I had never heard |
a hint of war for aggression on the
part OF Germany. :. {. While. as
far back as l can remember. 1t was
taken for granted there would be q
great war some day, ! doubt II any |
but the military party really believed
in it. We thought the time had passed |
for real wars, that We were far too
highly civilized.
War Their Profession.
OF course knew that the military I
party to which my father belonged
would have welcomed a war, for war
was their profession, their game. their |
excuse for being. and heard more
or less talk among my brothers OF
but still I imagined !
that II was merely a defensive Teu-
tonic ideal, just rs our oppressive |
standing army was a necessity owing |
to our geographical. position.
My brother Karl said once-it |
comes back to me, although l had
quite forgotten it-thst Il was futile |
. .Ns- 49, a. 49, a.. -NrN