Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-08-02

Washington Post of Sunday last.

washington fOSt OF sunday last.
Fours years ago today the two murder-
GUS heads of the houses of Hohenzolern
and Hapsbure gave the word which they
fondly hoped would mean the humiliation
of Serbian independence and the extern
sion of the German empire to take in all
middle Europe from the North Sea to the
Persian Gulf. Franz Josef was in his dot
age and in the power OF William II. Aus
tria-Hungary was, in fact, only dynasty,
an army, and corrupt system Of politics
dominated and directed by Berlin. For
twenty-five years William had plotted for
the day when he might crafty his tower
ing and half-insane eeotism and at the
same time expand Germany at the expense
of neighborine nations. He thought the
opportune hour had arrived when the Kiel
Canal was completed and the assassina-
ton of the Austrian crown prince gave
Austria chance to stimulate just and
aveneing anger.
What an appalling roll of calamties and
horrors followed the fatal decision of these
crowned assassins What an inextricable
coil OF misfortune and disaster surrounds
the master conspirator as he moves to his
doom
The war was to end within few days.
A few hundred strokes were to dispatch the
principal victim II Russia should inter-
fere. few weeks at most were to be snf-
ficient to disable and humble her. The
German murder machine was vastly more
powerful and efficient than the unsuspect-
ing world could know. All possible con-
tineencies. II was thought. had been fore
seen and provided against. II France
should not remain neutral under threats,
then France was to be attacked and slaugh-
tered. These strokes we're to terrorize the
world and keep such possible enemies as
Great Britain and the United States at a
safe distance.
The fifth year Of the war begins today,
and the German war lord is further from
victory than he was on July 28, 1914. He
has seen millions of his people slain,
starved. manned, and captured. He has
seen his empires commerce and industry
paralyzed. his house and his people abhor-
red throughout the world. and nation after
nation rising in blazing wrath, determined
to exterminate the system he personifes,
or die in the effort
Serbia was crushed. ii is true, but not
until Austria had been beaten back by the
gallant little nation, which only succumbed
when the Austrians were reinforced by
Germans and the blackhearted Bulgars
who drove knife in Serbias back while
they had an oath of friendship upon their
lips. But the program OF easy nation
Staying miscarried Russia was not in
undated and not beaten. Paris was not
taken in week or a month or year.
The weeks and months dragged on. and
the German emperor gained nothing sub
stantial except new enemies He became
more desperate as horrors accumulated |
and his empires fate became more and |
more involved. Finally he dared to strike
fairly and squarely in the face of the
United States Of America, which was a
nation that he knew to be peace loving
and peace-abiding. and absolutely void OF
offense toward him or his empire When
he forced the United States into the ranks
OF his enemies he set the seal of extinc-
ton upon his military system and invited
the humiliation Of his empire and dynasty.
The mills of God grind slowly and ex-
ceeding small. The tortured world deems
IL many years since peace reigned and
every day of war is another turn of the
screw that racks humanity. But the end
is worth the agony, for the end is and
must be the determination of mans OPP
preston of man. When the war ends there
will be no Hohenzollern holding millions
of human cattle in terror Of slaughter.
There will be no emperor or king who
dares to assert that he holds power by
divine right or by any other right except
the consent Of the people. The nations
that have been held in bondage by the
corrupt emperors Of Austria Hungary will
be set free and aided to establish their own
governments Belgium will be rescued
from the paws Of the beast that has de-
filed her beautiful house. Serbians will
60 back to their home with Joy and thanks
giving. Poland will rise from her sorrows
and shine once more among the nations
1t is not as bountiful uncle that the
United States has determined to fight ill
these changes are made certain. 1t Is be-
cause these changes must be made II
liberty is to abide in the United States or
anywhere else in the world. II Is for lib
erty itself, not liberty in places. that
America has drawn the sword Of destruc-
tion.
The years Of the war will not be many,