The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-02-25
German Efficiency
(By Hausburg Liebe OF The
Vigilantes)

The average man of those whom you
meet in city or country Will tell you
that the Germans are a little more
Their remarkable for their everlasting
efficiency | used to think that too'
Int now | think that the Teuton Is
a thorough man rather than an ellici-
emf man. In large measure, elllcl-
ency means being original, having IN
ventive ability, the ability to take the
initiative; it means being able to NIL
unlocked for breaches instantly.
The German, generally speaking, IS
a sort of cut-and- dried fellow. he IS
a man of presidents, and not big on
taking the initiative. He is a most
thorough developer OF somebody
else's ideas; but, save for suDter-
fuges, excuses, diplomatic" trickery'
and underhand and shameless meth
DDS of waging war, he is not much OF
an inventor. His submarine, his air
plane,-well, just what is he using in
this war; for which he spent forty
in preparation, that he himself IN
vented? A few kinds of poisons,
perhaps.
To be a Unorougn man is not to be
an efficient man. An imbecile may
be thorough at one thing or another.
AS for efficiency, the Entente Allies
= Including America, if you please,
are more efficient at real war than
the Nations comprising the Central
Power. The Entente worked won
ders, miracles, judging by precedent
considering the short space of time
they had for preparation. Germany
had had forty years, you know.
1t was thorough though purely
theoretical, reasoning that told the
Teutons that they could cross Bel
GUM, roughshod and unhindered
crushing Belgium and her spirit, tt
take Paris. But they didn't do it. B!
all the German rules Of the war game
they should have won at the Marine
and yet they didn't; and at Verdun
that crucible that made heroes, thu
defenders of the right again achieved
1.-THE impossible. German efficiency
It's sort of fish story.
Speaking of heroes, you'll find he
roes under the British flag, an;
French heroes, and Italian heroes
even Russian heroes, and even Amer
lean heroes-of course you re
member that American who, befor
the United States declared a state O
war with Germany, went up Vim,
Ridge with a small edition of OF,
Glory knotted. to his bayonet,-bu
where are the heroes of Germany?
Airmen? All airmen are super
brave men. Hindenburg? He il
merely an inronsouled war lord.
The efficiency closest lies in tn,
work of their vast secret army, tn,
army that defeated Russia and almos
whipped Italy-I mean the German
rpropagandists, dynamiters, incendia
ries, professional paciflsts. spies, etc
Germany counts more upon this lat
ter-named force for the conquering O
America, than she counts upon he
armed forces!
A writer in recent issue of tn
Saturday Evening Post speaks of thi
secret army, and says, in effect, tina
there is but one organization that cal
successfully fight it, and that this or
ganization is made up of the every
day citizen population of America. Il
this he is eminently correct. Tn,
Everyday citizen needn't be vested
with authority. When he sees any
thing that looks like German work
he can simply report it immediatel,
to the authorities, or even to the nos
master We should keep both eve
open always for work of this kind
You-you, yourself-can be a pa
triot and do a great big bit right here
Will you do it? America need if
God knows America needs it, lest I'll,
Great Pagan whose war slogan i
"Gott mitt uns" put the grip of Kul
tur on America Got mitt uns,'
Which means, of course. God will
u.s." In truth, l am a wicked man
but have not seen the day when
could blaspheme the good Almight,
like that.
Watch always, brother; no matte
VINO you are, or where you are, watcl
always If you would help save Amer
lea from the crucified Belgium.