Evening star., 1918-08-10
The Truth Will Set Them
Free, Is Prediction of the
Kaiser's American Dentist.
REVOLT WITH KNOWLEDGE
OF LIES FED TO THEM
Soldiers Will Make Result Certain
by Joining in to Ayenge Wrongs
Done to Them and World.

ny ARTHUR n. DAVIS, d. D. 8.
Copyright, 1915. by tse Mcclure Newspaper
CHAPTER Ns
Will There Be a German Revolu-
Prophesying is a rash undertaking
at best; in these cataclysmic times It
approaches rank presumption.
Nevertheless, the danger of attempt
ing to penetrate the curtain Of the
future lies principally. imagine. in
the difficulty OF understanding the
present. The more accurate our
knowledge of prevailing conditions. at
any rate, the easier 1t becomes to
estimate their probable consequences.
Our views as to the future may
prove unsound, of course. no matter
how correctly we gauge the present,
but certain 1t is that If we start out
with an inadequate knowledge Of the
present we shall make sad mess Of
II when we attempt to appraise the
future.
Germany Of Today.
To foresee the Germany Of tomor-
row, then. we must first understand
the Germany of today, and although
value in the way of prophecy. / feel
that ought to be able to describe
with some degree of accuracy the con-
ditions which prevailed in Germany
up to the time 1 left early in 1918.
The twentieth century has seen such
radical changes in world conditions,
views and aspirations, that I am
afraid history will prove but a poor
guide to the future. In the past few
centuries Germany has experienced
several more or less serious social
revolutions. but 1t would be dangerous
to predicate very much upon those
abortive uprisingS.
History does furnish US, however.
with many Illustrations Of the long
suffering character of the German
people: The dull record OF their ser
Witty is relieved only here and there
by a flash OF that spirit Of independ-
ence and love of freedom which have
ever been the glory and distinguish
ing trait of the Anglo-Saxon race.
We get glimpse of this spirit in
many in the seventeenth century,
when their privations brought on
what was known as the peasants
war" With pitchforks and scythes
they warred on the military and no
bility, and their desperation and sense
of injustice so augmented the power
of their crude weapons that it was
only after the bloodiest fighting that
they were vanquished in the unequal
conflict.
Very little was accomplished in the
way Of social progress throughout the
seventeenth century because OF the
long series Of wars which devastated
the continent at that period 1t was
estimated that by 1850 no less than
70 per cent of the German people had
perished through the ravages Of war,
pesttlence and famine.
Revolts Of 1852 and 1S4S.
The principles of republicanism,
brought to the fore by the French
revolution, took root In Germany snd
bore fruit in 1882 in the shape of a
rather formidable uprising. No less
bach in the Palatinate to demand
emancipation, but Bavarian troops
quelled the rebellion and similar up
rfsings in Frankfort, Bremen. Cassel
and Saxony were likewise suppressed.
Perhaps the most ambitious revolu-
tion in the annals of Germany was
that of 1S4S. when the spirit Of de-
mocracy was rife throughout Europe,
Berlin and Vienna fell to the populace,
but the triumph was short-lived. Gen.
Wrangel subdued the uprising. and
Prussfan troops soon disposed OF other
rebellions throughout the empire One
of the effects of the demonstration
was to secure constitution for Prus-
Sfa, but no sooner was the menace of
the revolution allayed than the con-
stitutfon was withdrawn-which, of
course, was typical Of Prussian state
craft.
But even this comparatively recent
indication Of a spirit of independence
In the German people is of little sig
nif1cance in connection with a consid-
Grafton OF present probabilities be-
cause of the fact that such ideas have
not gained ground since.
When the war broke out in 1914
the kaiser had behind him a united
people who gloried in his power and
were prepared to follow wherever his
ambitions might lead. do not mean
for moment to intimate that there
were not many in Germany who were
and are as keen for democracy as any
individuals in the world, but I am
talking now of the people as a whole
royalty. nobility, aristocracy. junkers,
middle classes, workers and farmers-9S
try revered their kaiser and were proud
to regard themselves is his people,
The U1timatum to Serbia.
I shall never forget the scene in
Berlin when 1t was announced in the
papers that Austria had handed her
ultlmatum to Serbia That evening
! walked up Unter der Linden and
saw thousands OF young men. from
eighteen to thirty marching along
with their hats off clamoring for war.
Mounted police were on hand but
made no efforts to disperse the gath
ering. although no such demonstra-
tion is ever allowed in Germany un-
less 1t Is in keeping with the policy
of the government to permit it.
turned to d gray-haired porter
standing in front of q building and
They want war" he answered.
There's 10000 of them and they're on
their way to the Russian embassy.
Poor fools! I've been through two
wars-against Austria in sc and
against France in '70-and 1 know
learn. too. to their sorrow, before it's
over. There was a time when the
hand of Germany was extended to the
world downward as a sign of friend
ship, but now it is stretched out up
ward to grab all it can get"
This old porter was wise enough to
realize the dangers which those high
er up ignored.
On every hand there was evidence of
elation among the people at the early
prospect of going to war, and their
enthusism continued long after hos
tihties began.
The Germans had been told by the
newspapers that the war upon which
they were embarking was forced upon
them and that the rest of the world
had jumped upon Germany's neck and
was seeking to dismember the en-
pire because it was Jealous Of German
commercial supremacy. They were
HkewiSa urornised that the outcome