The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-20
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

| x41NO < k4AN NY
 I saw a word the other day which struck me as being descriptive of the German Kaiser, although it was not used in connection with him. It was the word "grabtis."
 Now, I do not think this word is in any of the dictionaries. and I dare say it will not be listed even as slang and I am sure the purists will not allow it. but, all the same, it is mighty effective in describing the thing from which Elm peror William is suffering.
 It not only sets out the chief Hohen- zolern trait, but it is the word which gave the Bisma arckian policy In Europe it's great significance. Some words seem to be able to hold in solu- tion many ideas, and to shadow forth many possibilities. "Grabitis' is such a word, and is well worth considering in the light of present-day world condi- tions.
 | many is the only nation which has ever beer guilty of 'grabitis.' for it would be to belle history, and to bring it close home, the Anglo-Saxon has not been backward in practicing it, and as a mat ter of fact, England for a long while has had the habit of picking up continents and loose islands and bringing them un- der her flag.
 But there are variations in the word "grabitis" The English did it in big. impressive way which fires the imagina- tion I have but to mention the settle ment of America, and it's final winning, and then it's loss. I have but to call up the taking over of India. have only to cite the story of Australia, Canada and the inroads in Africa.
 Now, "gribitis" is not the best word to tell the tale of the adventures of Eng lishmen in colonizing, for be it here un- derstood that the Anglo-Saxon has a ge- nius for bringing backward or hostile races into the light of civilization, and ! to many the British empire came more about as chance or destiny than a set 1 tied policy of the rulers in the tight 1 little isle.'
 1 Now, this is no attempt to go deep into the adventuresome spirit which sent the sea rovers of the British isles out into the seven seas looking for places on which to plant the union jack but the story is one to hold the attention of any red-blood man who likes to hear of men who laughed at danger and took 1 into the out of the way places of the world
 : I do not attempt to give the mother country" a clean bill of health for all that she has done down the centuries, but I do believe that civilization has been forwarded by the Englishman's willing nes. to go to any part of the world and govern it, for to govern colonies and keep them prosperous and peaceful is trade, and the Englishman has led the
 world in it.
 Now, I am getting to the meat in the
 cocoanut Teuton jealousy of the Anglo
 saxon power to colonize set up de- lirium in the head of the twentieth cen tury Kaiser, who inherited the name,
 but not the ability, of the Caesars of old
 to bring the world in subjection to the
 feet of Rome. And so "grabitis" became
 a deluson of the Hohenzolierns which
 they fostered under the euphonious title
 Of seeking a place in the sun"
 Now, the mistake which Germany made
 was getting into the colonizing game too
 late, trying to nose in merely as a
 trouble maker, rather than with a de-
 sire to be of service in developing the
 backward peoples, and in her crude at
 tempts at Germanization of the places
 seized she showed her inaptitude to rule
 dependent races, and this only irritated her with the English, who made such a
 glowing success of it.
 do not mean to say that the tribe of
 Hohenzollern was late in the robber
 game, for it was begun in petty pilfer-
 ings. l mean that Germany as an im-
 peral nation was late in getting into
 the imperalistic game of empire, but
 when she did get in, it was with a dream
 that eelpsed even the glories of the 1 Caesars. It was "grabitis'' with big e." 1t was a game of grab from Ser lin to Bagdad
 Sure, the dream was not born over night. It began with the rape of Schleswig and Holsten, it was enlarged
 with the stealing of Alsace and Lor- raine, it became nightmare in the un- warranted raid through Belgium. for ''grabitis' had become the settled policy of the interruptions militarists of the Potsdam band of robbers obsessed by the lust of nholy conquest.
 , I haven't the space to go into how
 "grabtis' among the Germans famed Il b.; the intriguing buccaneers of Will
 helmstrasse was headed to a rupture sooner or later with America, and that it was in the heart of the Kaiser to put to test the Monroe doctrine as soon as he felt that he was in position to do it without having England to reckon [ With.
 , This is the.thng l want to drive home. F Germany knew she could never dominate the world until sine had fought it out