Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-11
VALE. CAESAR-VALE!

An announcement, said to be official, has been made
in Berlin, and transmitted to the United States by way
Of Basel, Paris and London, to the. effect that the. en-
peror of Germany has abdicated., Attendant details in
dictate that the announcement is correct, and that the be-
ginning of the end of autocraey has been successfully
made: The right divine of kings to govern many has
once more been exploded. and. there is now every reason
to hope that the German people. rudely and slowly
awakening from it's slumber, will recognize that the first
obstacle in the way of real and lasting governmental re-
forms has been definitely removed 7
Particulars Of the significant event are still lacking,
but judging from the confused reports OF the past week,
it seems clear that Kaiser Wilhelm has not abdicated
without compulsion. A tenacity for clinging ron to
thrones and apparent glory has always been a charac-
teristic trait in the house Of the Hohenzollerns. and he
evidently saw no reason for deviating from a tradition
which had resulted in his dynasty remaining in power
many weary years too long: The statement issued by
Prince Macmillan Of Baden at the time he announce,
that a Socialist had been appointed chancellor of the
regency, would indicate that what has happened was
preceded by perhaps violent strife, for the prince says:
THE victory for which many Of us had hoped has
not been granted to us. But the German people has won
this still greater victory over itself and over its belief in
the right of might"
Coming at the time it does, such an utterance is, In
deed, significant, for it betrays a complete and unreserv:
ed conversion to faith in political and humanitarian
ideals which has been rare IN Germany Tor a long tme
past. 4
The German people should not forget that the mi
tiative to take up the fight resulting in what Prince Max
imilian calls victory over ITSELF" came from the great
democracy on this side of the Atlantic. When President
Wilson in his address to congress on April 2, 1917, en-
phatically said that he wanted no hostility to the PEG
pie of Germany, this sentiment was misconstrued to some
extent in this country, and scoffed at in Germany.
Tim has shown that the reforms which may now
be Imminent among the Germans. had their real inception
in the United States. The future form of government
may not be a duplicatio nof the American system, but
there is more than a probability that the underlying ides
will lie akin thereto.
AS for the emperor, no one feels pity. The civilized
world has gradually come to believe that he, although
surrounded by liberal and progressive ideas which he
however, did not want to understand, was really a me
diaeval incarnation of the Spirit of Evil, and the attempt
which fervid religionists have made to picture him a
Anti-Christ have been so numerous that they have merit
ed at least passing interest because they betrayed tn
nature of the sentiment prevalent among many millions
There is..on the other hand-even among Germans
a growing belief that the kaiser is a paranoiac, and ha'
it not happened that Max Nordau is an Austrian, h
would undoubtedly have included Wilhelm in that bril-
liant gallery of highly gifted insane persons whom h
portrays in his work on Degeneration" Lombroso-
perhaps the most eminent of all students Of the ,relatiol
between genius, crime and INSANITY, would nave peel
richly rewarded by analyzi1g the fantastic soul of tn
emperor whose crown now lies in the dust.
It may be that the fate Of Nicholas Romanoff j
awaiting Herr wilhelm Hohenzollern, but it may also b
that there are men in authority under the new regime i
Germany-who are discerning enough to realize that tn
most fitting place for the man is in a. padded cell ii
some insanity asylum. Left to enforced solitude. and de
prived absolutely Of means Of communication with tn
outside world, it may be that the erstwhile .peror Wi
have an opportunity Of lingering many yearsdn that stat
of anguish which is said to come even to paranoiac
when they are isolated, and which would be more choic
and more appropriate punishment than any swift execu
ton would be able to inflict upon the greatest crimina
of the age.