Catoctin clarion., 1918-08-08
Germany Must Be Beaten
Before 1t Can Be Decent.

before IL Odn Do DCCCHC'
Being an incurable optimist, | have
been among those who, since the begin
ming of the war, have inclined to exag-
gerate the Importance Of the democratic
forces in Germany. However, my rose
ate expectations have recently suffered,
in Switzerland, very severe setback.
Every German democratic exile in Swift
zerand, without one single exception,
emphasized to me with the greatest clear
ness that only decisive defeat OF Ger
many's forces could begin the work OF
building German democracy. have
in mind four men in Switzerland with
whom have been on terms of the most
intimate companionship. For evident
reason | shall designate them by letters
of the alphabet.
A has been for many years one OF the
most distinguished leaders in the indus
trial life in Germany. His conversation
may be briefly summarized as follows:
''Place absolutely no hope in any party
or in any class, within Germany. There
is no considerable group in Germany
which understands democracy. The Ger
man people are growing accustomed to
war losses. Losing the third or fourth
son causes less suffering than losing the
first. Any suggestion that the war is an
evil is met by the answer: Are we not
better off than the others? Are we not
fighting upon enemy territory? Have we
not won every battle?' The number of
people in Germany that respects any
thing but force is utterly negligible. For
20 years have wished to join demo-
cratic party in Germany and work to-
ward disarmament, anti-imperialism and
republican institutions, but there was no
such party for me to join. | would have
joined even the smallest group. But
there was no group which had the cour-
age to organize. Upon the masses OF
Germany, capitalists, professionals and
wage. workers alike, economic success
and the new found wealth have worked
like black curse. The acquisition of
wealth merely destroyed the soul of Ger
many. Why, can you believe it. the very
soldiers who had been most Hospitality
entertained as individuals by the French
women and children of the occupied dis
tricts went and burned down the very
houses in which they had ate and slept
before their retreat last year. When |
tell that to my German friends they
shrug their shoulders and say, Such is
war am hopeless, utterly hopeless,
about Germany. Only complete defeat
can give her new beginning.
When came to say good-by to A the
day before left Switzerland, he walked
part way back to town with me.
eff you go on as you have begun they
will confiscate your property in Ger
many" l said.
'Let them have the stuff" said he.
'In the end they willget you and hang
you," replied.
"They may do that, too; should be
as happy dead. The mans heart is COM
pletely broken, Nothing that could say
during the many, many hours had with
him ever put smile on his lips or joy
full note in his voice.
is profound scholar and a jovial.
good fellow. This man, possessed of
wealth and having married into Junker
family, has enjoyed life after the style
of healthy burger of Munich.
'Of course, in Munich" said to him
'you have at least some of the old South
German love of life for its own sake"
you're wrong" said he, 81 was the
only man in South Germany who loved
life for its own sake. That's why had
to leave. There isn't thread left of
the old cultural life of Germany. Poetry
is dead and real music is on It's last legs
People think of absolutely nothing but
getting rich individually and brow-beat-
ing other peoples nationally. The whole
population of Germany would be willing
to go out on simple marauding expedi-
tiOn for no other reason than bringing
back the loot. Don't think that you can
talk to them about freedom and have
them understand you-yet awhile. You
must beat them down physically first"
c is Socialist from South Ger
many.
Il am just now," said he, writing a
history of the German mind. The mod
ern German is Liberal or Socialist in
the same same sense as he is Hegelian
or Nitzschean or Christian. That is,
he accepts certain system of philosoph-
ical thought because it satisfies him and
gives him an answer to the riddle of the
universe. But he never dreams of ap-
plying any of these philosophical princi-