The Colorado statesman., 1918-06-08

period of the dark ages to find similar
effrontery-to Alaric and the rest who
claimed, as William of Prussia claims
In all his published fellcitatlons to his
armies, that they were doing the will
of the Almighty that they were march
ing "onward with God"
1t must be peculiar mentality that,
in this day and generation, could have
the arrogance to advance such n
claim-and n queer. n very queer, peO-
pie that has the mentality and docillty
to accept such rot--nnd actually be-
lieve II.
We Americans freely admit that we
cannot follow the mental processes
that would evolve such claim or
would use such methods in war; and
yet there are those of us who persist
in judging what the Prussians will do
to us, II they win this war. by what we
will do TO them If we win It. Which
necessarily must mean that as soon as
the prussian has won he will expert
ence n change of heart, abandon his
savage methods and be converted to
our terms of peace-that victorious he
L
tory; will cease to march "onward
with his Cod" will put his God aside
and be converted to the God of civil
ization, the God of the Golden Rule
and the sermon on the Mount, the fol-
lower of the meek and lowly Jesus,
him of the manger, of Gethsemane, of
Calvary.
And these Americans have so much
(D on which to base their trust so
much to justify their belief that
America has nothing to fear from Ger
many, because Germany has nothing
to fear from her.
Dates Back to Ancient Rulers.
Go back to the Prussian national
hero, Frederick the Great, "Old
Fritz" as they fondly call him-as
contemplate Il bully and sneak and
blackguard and liar as ever lived.
Would he have turned back from an
avowed purpose to "make America
pay the cost of this war" if he were
victorious? Did he ever turn aside
from any purpose If he could effect it
ny force. by chicanerv. by lies, by
bluff, by dishonor, by any crime? His
tory-at least Prussian histOry-gives
him the title of "Great," but in the
civilized sense there is nothing great
about him except meanness of charac-
ter and OF action. He was, when COM
pared with his contemporaries, sue
cessful warrior but he, like the pres
ent Hohenzollern, had for that time
marvellous army which was prepared
to strike and struck. Magnanimity or
any other of the attributes of great
ness he had not at all, even the tradi-
tional kingly honor which is assumed
to be the heritage of a throne, was ut
terly wanting to him; and his chief
claim to live in history is based on the
fact that he robbed woman; that
without cause he made war on help
less queen, Maria Theresa, and de-
spoiled her Of province, and cyni-
cally boasted to all the world that he
has caught her helpless and so stole
what he desired. Moreover, he gloried
in the infamy.
Bismarck. who ruled while his stu
pid sovereign reigned, deliberately
forged-altered as he put it-a tele-
gram of that king, and so forced
France into war and robbed her of
billions of money and two provinces.
And William the infamous was SIM
ply running true to form and trying to
outdo the shameful examples of his
predecessors, when, absolutely ready,
he forced the present war. Have we
forgot that the toast for years at every
Prussian officers mess, drunk stand
ing and with cheers, was: "To the
day." meaning the day that Prussia
would rule the world and the other
nations were but her vassals.
Admit They Have No Honor.
One may well ask these trusting
Americans how they can lull them
selves into the fatuous security of
trusting Prussia's intentions and
honor, when Prussia herself says
frankly she has no honor, no inten-
tions but the exigency of the moment
and the purpose of her government,
that solemn treaties made have no
binding effect. on her, are made only
for the moment, are but blind, under
cover of which she can mobilize her
forces-a ruse de guerre-and to be
scrapped when the moment is ripe for
action.
Would America, think you, be such
a bastard? .,r ...-
Yet your trusting American still
persists in his foolish notion that
Prussia, in its dealing with America,
will be actuated by American ideals
that Prussia thinks as a Prussian in
Europe but as an American in Amer
lea.
Gold help us if the actual testing of
this supreme folly ever be brought to
these shores.
Some years ago, on his first visit to