The Washington herald., 1918-08-16
Breakdown Everywhere.

Read Maximilian Harden this morning. Read
what he says about Prussia. His paper, Die Zu-
kunft, is published in Berlin. the stronghold of
kultur. Imagine what would happen to an Ameri-
newspaper that dared to print corresponding
anti-natonal sentiments in New York. Chicago or
Washington. Its plant would be wrecked before
the ink of the press dry and its editors would
have to seek the safety of police station to pre-
vent violence being done them.
Harden, the Socialist, has drawn an Indictment
against the Prussian autocracy which enemy has
surpassed He says that 'the soul of modern Ger
many" be summed up in the words, down on
your knees" He adds: "The old Prussian spirit
has conquered the German spirit has subdued it,
has reduced it to slavery and has its dominion
been fatal than today. The bad taste of
modern Germany is represented by this Teutonism,
which has the whole of history against it. Its very
soul is dominated by this idea of bondage.
= you think that the British and Americans are
such as the conservative papers represent them.
They have proved themselves to be very different
at the User, at Arras, and at Dormans. They have
shed the best of their blood, spent hundreds of
thousands without dreams of conquest, simply for
their ideals Does this in any way correspond
with the picture you have drawn of them?"
Then read what a neutral Swiss paper says of
the changing situation in Germany:
Germany can only, under the most favorable
hypothesis postpone for still short time the
Western front decision which will be unpleasant
for her. The submarine has been failure and has
been the means of bringing the United States into
the war. Germany has lost from economic point
of view She is condemned to die as a nation, as
she is excluded from the league of nations Aus
tria-Hungary has exhausted herself She can only
try at the last moment to save her existence by
transforming herself completely.
an the East the plans of Germany falling
to pieces and Bolshevism is tottering Turkey is
a prey to anger and despair, and the Gar of Bull
garia who allied himself with the central powers
against the wishes of his people, is very seriously
i'll at Mannheim.
an the central powers famine in necessary food
stuffs is becoming and terrible and no
of force any longer assure salvation Even
if the offensive OF the entente could be arrested
inevitable issue would be perhaps retarded, but in
no way modified Thus little by little all neutras
who following events arriving at the same
conclusion The defeat OF Germany and her vassas
is certain"
Read what Spain has to say about Germany.
Her government is being forced against its will to
come to a rupture of relations with Berlin. Read
what the Russians are thinking and saying and do
ing. Read of the fires of revolt among the Czecho-
Slovaks. OF the formation OF republic in the
very heart OF the central empires.
Germany is at last coming close to the point
where she must face the hideous truth. The en-
tire world is turned against her. She finds closed
door everywhere; the prestige of her civilization,
her scholarship, her achievements, and her arts,
gone for generations to come. She finds herself
face to face with the fundamental flaws of her
character. Only by changing that character, only
by bitter penance for her past arrogance and her
past crimes by sackcloth and ashes, can she reach
the Day of Atonement.