The Washington times., 1918-09-22
The Astonishing
Parallel Between the
Ruthless Potsdam
Barbarian of the Fifth
Century and His
Successor of To-day
Pointed Out by a
Distinguished
American Historian

plumber. When William II. sent his troops
to Pekin. to a people who embody the
gentle precepts Of the Buddah to their
most pacihcistic conclusion, he used this
language:
And a. one thousand years ago the
Huns under Attila achieved a fame that
still lives and Ills the world with terror,
so let Germany In China appear in such
frightfulness that no Chinaman will ever
dare again to look . German In the face"
The Germans plundered and DESTROYED
In the land Of Confucius with an efficiency
worthy Of their great heroes, whether Hun
or Hohenzollern. The wells became choked
with the corpses Of Chinese girls who pre-
ferred death to the clasp Of Christian
Prussian.
Genseric cut on Rome from her vast
granary In Northern Africa. Attila chose
the line Of the Danube and the Rhine;
broke into what 10 now France, DESTROYED
the beautiful buildings Of Rheims; in short
behaved there msch a. his descendants
are now doing In this fair garden Of Eu-
rope-dotted then a. now with villas,
works Of art, monuments to municipal
prosperity.
Attila crossed the Rhine after the
slaughter Of Chalons, but evidently his
German followers, and particularly his
0oEnen Wb8onb pAoo nlSn Win plunQer,
spread the report Of alleged victories and
concealed the number Of his dead. The
Prussian II the most docile of soldiers
under the lash, but the most turbulent of
mobs In the forum, and we may assume
that Attfla knew his Prussia and acted ac-
cordingly. On the retreat from Chalons
he massacred his hostages and tore to
pieces two hundred young women by lash
ing their limbs to the wh!fletrees and
then lashing the horses.
In the early Summer of ass Genseric
anchored at the mouth Of the Tiber With
him anchored . strong feet manned by
the best Of his Vandal and Moorish war
riors; also many ro0my transports for a
return cargo Of booty. He had long been
preparing for this eliminating stroke and
chose this hour when the holy city was
torn BY civil disorder and palace revolu-
ton. The beautiful Empress Eudoxia had
been left q widow through the murder Of
her husband, and had been compelled to
marry his successor, whom she rightly sus-
pected Of having connived at the bloody
work. But he In turn was murdered within
three months; and the hour of his death
was that In which Genseric marched from
Ostia to the Vatican. Genseric entered
the capital Of the ancient world without a
blow-even as . guest. Alaric had been
there forty-hve years before, but only for
q week; and, besides, Alaric was young
q mere beginner a. compared with Gen.
seric. Alaric, moreover, had only a wagon
train, where the Vandal had cargo space
capable Of transporting an almost unlim-
tied quantity.
The work Of pillage was, therefore, more
conscientiously done than In ass. Lists
had been prepared beforehand; and after
the soldiers had wearied themselves with
the usual rape and slaughter, Genseric set
to work systematically to strip the city Of
everything that could be converted into
coin. Pagan temples and Catholic churches
yielded their stores Of gold and silver Or
nament, and o third religion was laid IN
der contribution when Genseric seized the
temple spoils Of jerusalem which had been
brought In triumph by Titus nearly four
centuries before.
For half q century Genseric scourged
Northern Africa-and for yet another half
century after his death his descendants
continued this Prussian process Yet in
spite OF scourging and dragonnading and
efficiency Of the most modern kind, Ger
man colonization succeeded no better In
Vandal times than in those Of his Hohen-
zollern imitators.
THE followers of Genseric," says Mr..
Bigelow, in a very eloquent passage, were
llh6 tue lOllOHcIS VI IL Today
they penetrated to all parts of the world
as spies, but they rarely penetrated into
social circles where the word gentleman
has any meaning to the initiate. The
Prussans under Genseric, who suddenly
found themselves masters of a wealthy
Roman province could enjoy the warm
baths in a luxurious villa and the Moorish
women who administered to their appe-
titles. They relished as barbarians the
privilege of debauching girls OF ancient
lineage in whose families their fathers
had been servants.
They delighted in being waited upon
by slaves Of higher breeding than them
selves, and who can paint the joy of
North German, strutting ferociously among
a people compelled to make way, and sa-
lutte him as master. One must have
visited German colonies in order to ap-
preciate the feelings Of these Vandals
when stretching their limbs at leisure
amid the palaces and palm groves of Car
thage and contrasting their present enjoy
ment with the past misery of their lives
in the swamps and forests of Branden-
burg"