New-York tribune., 1918-12-10
Co-Criminals With the Kaiser

Macmillan Harden says that William
ii was mere tool in the hands of the
military party. That doesn't lessen his
culpability. 1t only indicates that there
are many other Germans-thc real rul-
ers of Germany-who ought to be tried
when he is tried. Tirpitz was more re-
sponsible than any one else for the
piratical submarine campaign. The inner
military circle of 1914 devised the policy
of "frightfulness. Ludendorff indorsed it
and continued it when he came into
power.
The military and naval terrorists were
ably seconded by the industrial terror
lists. The Rhine Valley iron and steel
magnates were as eager as the miitar-
lists to embark on war of spolaton
They were the Dollar Pan-Germans
They wanted to get hold of the Briey
ore district and to absorb the iron and
steel industries of France and Belgium
The Socialist Council of Mulheim-a am
Ruhr has just arrested August Thyssen,
the "iron king" of Germany Taken into
custody with him were Fritz Thyssen,
Edmond SHINES, Herr Becke, Herr
Wirtz, DR.. Kitchen and Herr Stenz-all
prominent manufacturers in the Diissel-
dorf district. They are to be sent to
Berlin to face charges of high treason
Possibly they are accused of trying to
betray the Socialist republic and to re-
store the ex-Kaiser. If the Soviets don't
make short work of them, the Allies
ought to put in claim on their pres
ence before the tribunal which is to
punish those Germans who "wiled the
war"
Thyssen and SHINES belong to the
group whose rapacity and thievish in
stincts were exposed by Dr. Wilhelm
Muhlon in his famous DIARY" In an
entry on September 5, 1914, he wrote:
Once more a conversation over the dis
tribution of the booty after the war 1t
occurred in most intimate circle of the
most distinguished iron and steel "rob-
Der barons." | still quver with shame.
These modern German ndustrials are
nauseatng. If the English have pursued
the politics of nation of traders, then
the Germans, according to the view of
the masters of the iron and steel indus
try, must outdo them in unblushing spoil
alton. Even foreign private property must
not be spared, in so far as coal and iron
deposits and great factories and enter
prises concerned
One gentleman argued very earnestly
N that Germany should Immediately annex
ID Belgium, as Italy recently annexed Tr-
~ poll, In order that the Belgian problem
should be excluded entirely from future
peace negotiations. AT the same time he
favors an unqualified and very extensive
appropriation of all big industrial and
other private establishments.
This speaker strongly emphasized the
fact that his industrial colleagues, like
Thyssen, SHINES and Kirdorf, were using
all their influence to put through the dras-
tic policy outlined by him. These gentle
men had already taken steps with the Inn
perial Chancellor to have an industrial ex
pert attached to the German government in
belgium, who should inspect all indus
trial establishments and inquire into all
industrial values in Belgium and note
what Germany could use for herself
There was nothing in their CON
versation or in their thoughts but force.
material wealth, new territory to develop,
discipline and methods of exploitation.
NO idea which would justify an extension
of German rule, no benefits and no con-
sideration to be bestowed on the con-
quered In short, no magnanimity They
want to lie in the beds of other people,
and don't mind being called barbarians
for wanting to do so.
These greedy industrials, including the
Krupp munitions concern, intrigued to
precipitate war in which they fore
saw enormous profits to themselves
They were inspired by hope of gain, as
the mihtarists were inspired by dreams
CT military glory. All were guilty to-
gether and all should answer for their
crimes before an Allied court martial.