Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-06
HOW WAR SEEMS
TO AN AUSTRIAN
A Blasting Exposure of the
Workings of Milital'ism by
a Man Who Is Part of 1t

one Of tic most moving books written
about the war is published this week.
II Is "Mru Ia War" Icy Andreas Lat
zio, an officer iu the Austrian army.
II is to be hoped that this is only
"a peu name, and that the author
identify is well concealed from tho
chiefs OF the Tcutunic military ma
chine otherwise We fear that the gal
lant man who wrote this superb book
will face firing squad. 1t seems TO
Us Tar the most vivid description Of
the uudCscribabC horrors and degrade.
tiOns Of war that has come into print.
And it is "a remarkable proof of the
growing disgust and hatred Of tho
Hohouzolleru uvcrlordsh'p which is fast
spreading, in the dual Kingdom. Prob
ably the author Is II Hungarian. At any
rate he makes no attempt to conceal
his hatred Of the insane AMI cold
booded ambition that unclaimed the
turlcs Of mankind and threw busy aud
! happy peoples into thC red net Of war.
Llt1Ao describes "a number OF tu-
c:dcnts on the AustrU-ltaliuu front and
H'S book shows the helpless quiN Ncring
souls Ot men Cuuieshed IN the thunder
ana calamity of 'Nc struggle, suffer-
ing. bleeding aud rOtting at the word Of
"a comfortable bureauCrat iu Berlin or
Vienna. Fearful and appalling as this
book IS TO read, II must he read by every
hone-, citizen who -earua 20 do his
share IN lifting humanity out CT this
tragic Welter Ono Of the most ap-
nealWg Sketches ~ the volume ia.that
entitled "Baptilm Of Fire" u which
ne irlddic-aged lliud-hclrtcd Austrian
captain cOuceNes q bitter hatred and
, contempt for tlia Keen young leu
t"uan. becuus. ;nc latter uaa no un-
ld"rStandinR or sympathy for tue suffer
lng5 Of thai" poddihg, patient com-
{ pany Of lHndgturmcr.. Young Lieu
tenant WeiSlcr EI'bly prating of the
mems oath 10 their Fstho7!uud and
7 Emperor curses and hounds the men
/ on to action, ard the captain, sick at
heart, feeling in himself the echo of all
/ the dumb pangS and plcadinEs of his
/ men, knows that II is the lieutenant who
is playing the part of the hero" ac-
4 cordug to military standards But for
( himself his soul rebels against tho
/ old patriotic phrases. How can he
utter TO his men the prescribed "dulce
. - Cccurum est pro patria mori
Captall Ma--crucr was ashauoa )
. r"al physical nausea at the part h- had
jpat played oSercamu him. What was
, there l"tt for these simple people 10 do
tnca" bTlc1iA' 'ers and contractors and cul-
daily toll. had lived without y!..on into
I the tuturr--phlt was there left Tor thom
TO, TO- a2 "hien the sran4 tolL;f iih. Learned
! Soldeu stars OF his collar, assured them
worthy thing TO shoot Italian bri,ilalcrs
! and farm hands into fragments, They
/ iod them on, led thNun against his inner
! conviction. because o. his pitlrul coward.
Zee. and asnrd them % oo gourasgous and
/ them iuto IT, had abused thnr confidence.
! had made capital Of thcir love for thoir
. 70. q
. ~" a"r'ir" Of ..a th'rg va. chan.
back home sai, plitH. While Il lac stuck
10 ihe truth Inc n'Ii"7ea iu moro was %"
wall and sho,.
Mud finally. when captain and lieu-
tenant are bp.h killed by tho same
Italian yhcll. Murachuer dies happy be-
cause Inc Las seen NeiNler's face, in
its death agony, reveal its first sign Of
humanity and understanding Of suf-
fering.
The man vino wrote this book has
done q magnificent and fearless service
for humauitw ana democracy. 1eSu-
monies such rs these will do much e.
help struggling and sorrowing humanity
to win It's way to higher and happier
levels. Little by ltt'e, day by day, we
| are learning how III" tide of anger and
DISCUS; t. rising In the heart of many
u man who has been made Il tool by
the Hohenzollern cahal But II win not
last. We wonder II the Al-Higheat will
ever see these words of Latzko:
We used to speak with horror Of the
! tyrduts Of the dark ages, who threw help
| less nru and women TO the lions and
! tigers: but now is there one Of US who
/ would not mention them with respect in
! comparison with ths rulers who are At
/ present directing the struggle between
I men and machines. as though Il were
ruppet show az the end of telegraph wires,
| and who are animated j! the delightful
lf.V ttP lITl ffL ~
! oUtlast thc uuomr's supply Of steel and
l-UrH