The Washington times., 1918-09-22

amazing parauel mas been Drawn
~ between William II. Of Prussia and
Genseric l., King Of the Vandals,
who overran great part of the civilized
Roman empire in the fifth century and
committed appalling butcheries.
Genseric belonged to the same epoch as
those other infamous marauders, Attila the
Hun and Alaric the Goth.
This parallel is drawn by Poultney Bige-
low, who was formerly a college mate Of
the German Kaiser and 10 known az his
torian OF modern Germany. None is better
fitted to characterize the Kaiser. His last
book is entitled "Genseric, King of the
Vandals and First Prussian Kaiser" and Il
published by G. P. Putnam's Sons.
So close is the parallel between Genseric
and William II. that II reincarnation Is
possible one would say that here Is clearly
a case. The ancient Vsndals lived in and
near Berlin, and Genseric was born not
far from Potsdam, the famous home of
William II. and the Hohenzollern dynasty.
In almost every phase of their lives the
similarity is astonishing.
'HGenseric, the first Prussian Kaiser"
writes Mr.. Bigelow, was born about four
centuries after Christ, In that swamp and
sand district of Brandenburg where now
stands the palace of Potsdam.
The barbarian hordes who prowled
about the frontiers of civilized Europe in
the third, fourth and fifth centuries differed
little from their descendants who fifteen
centuries later swarmed across the Rhine
and destroyed sacred monuments in France
and Belgium. In general the Prussian
Baltic, which in our time furnishes the
most docile and prolific subjects of the
Kaiser, was famed for corresponding rea-
SONS in the declining days Of the Roman
empire.
To-day the name Vandal is preserved
etymOlogically in the language and fea-
lures Of the Vends, or Wends, who occupy
the spongy headquarters Of the river Spree
and are regarded by the rich burghers of
Berlin as a prolific source Of wet-nurses.
These people speak the language Of their
Vandal ancestors. It has been my fortune
to study at first hand the chronological
peculiarities of every regiment in the Ger
man army from the French and Belgian
frontiers to those of Russia and Bohemia,
and however loudly the Berliner may bel
low his claims as Wiz Deutsche!' he car
ries in his face and manners the brand Of
Vandalism-which God has done for the
security of the rest of mankind.
"Genseric became King of the Vandals
when his years about equalled those of his
illustTiOus avatar, William H.: that is to
say, about thirty years of age. We behold
him now taking command of an army that
has for the past twenty-five years been
pushing and pillaging southwark from the
spongy deserts of Northern Prussia to the
banks of the Guadalquivir in the sunlit
paradise of Southern Spain, which he
naQed Vandalusia in honor of his tribe"
The Vandals did then as their success
sOrs have done since-they sold their ser
vices wherever they could find a pur-
chaser; they made promises which they
kept when convenient; they pressed on
through the distracted provinces that are
now Belgium and France, and, thanks to
the fact that other German tribes were
pressing at the frontier, the year APT found
Genseric at the port of Tarifa. not far
from the Rock of Gibraltar, gazing across
at the mountains of Morocco and meditat-
ing a move that would fulfil the promise
made to his brother Germans Place in
the Sun!
Is it then strange that fifteen centuries
later William II. should proclaim his right
to an African empire from the Indian
Ocean to the Atlantic-a solid central posi-
ton from which he may dominate the rest
Of the Dark Continent as he now dreams of
dominating civilized Europe from Berlin?
"Genseric from boyhood up" an his
torian tells u.s. had occupied his vision
airy moments with planning an attack upon