The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-22
JUDGING REAL HUN
CONDITION PROVES
HARD PARIS TASK

CONTINUED from First Page.l
ago American officers attached to a
mission in Berlin found their quarters
moved to IN upper floor Of the Adlon
as a measure Of protection, Toward
all the allies there has been a marked
change in feeling In the last two
months.
Soon after the armistice Americans
walked freely in Berlin There was no
sign Of passion. Blu now the old
hatred, 50 strong during the period Of
the war, is making itself felt again.
BY contrast the Germans have al
ready recalled Be%rnstOrff to position
Q. influence and propose to send him
TO Paris ~ the peace delegation be-
cause. as they frankly say, OF his WELL
known ability TO manipulate American
things. More than one American mis-
sion that has gone to Berlin in recent
days has found itself pushed toward
a meeting with Bernstorff. which II
has only escaped by absolute refusal
TO see a man guilty OF such crimes
against their country. This Bernstorff
detail is indicative Of how little change
there is in the German attitude or the
German conception OF The kline Of meth
cd necessary TO employ with other ma
tons,
This leads 10 another. observation
made by all visitors to Germany, name
ly, that the old gang remains in
charge. h leaders of the new national
assembly are the men who echoed and
re-echoed the militaristic ideas during
four years OF war. But bureaucracy Is
not changed, II continues to function
and its sympathies are all with the
old orders, Foreigners coming In com
tact with some high official Of the old
order are frequently treated to an ex-
position, Of the disgust and shame with
which the men trained In the old order
work for the revolution. But exactly
as is the case Of the Russian bu-
reaucracy, the German civilian en-
ployes explain that they have to save
their salaries and they hope by staying
at their posts TO contribute TO a restora-
ton OF the old order.
Here one finds an ominous suggestion
OF parallelism with recent Russian his
tory. For a considerable period during
the Russian revolution the old bureau
crazy could keep Its place. II stayed
at its desk and in the same way the
duma continued to function and even
increased its area of activity In "a man.
ner comparable TO what the national
assembly at Weimar il doing, But in
Russia two years ago and Germany nov
the soldiers and workmen's councils
function alongside of the national as
sembly. One hears little of them out
side Germany, but they are preserving
htlNh tAAGAStNts EANA AAub AiANH Ihllu-
ence apparently awaiting a favorable
moment to assume complete control.
Like Russians.
Another detail which suggests Russia
IL the very great reluctance on the part
Of the masses Of the population to 20 ID
work. There are 2ss, 900 men in Ber-
lin alone drawing unemployment ra.
tons and h other day, after a heavy
snowstorm, a call for volunteers to &c
to work with shoVels with a promise
Of payment of $3.50 a day, enlisted only
80 volunteers. The same phenomenon
is reported in Belgium. But in Ger.
many this refusal TO work presents q
very much more serious problem. 1t Ii
extending and spreading, and therefore
accommodating the material out Of which
Bolshevism may yet start a new confla'
grafton.
As to the revolution Itself, an Ameri,
can recently returned from Germany
gives me an admirable statement. u Il
regarded by a majority Of Germans al
having been nothing more nor less thar
a fake.
There are two great reforms whicl
the German people as a mass mean 4
be demanding. First, a complete chang
In methods OF taxation which will plaC,
a portion OF the burden Of the taxation
I"upon the shoulders OF the wealthy, thu
supplying an equitable division OF tax
alton between the rich and poor, and
second, a complete Matchmaking or syn
dlcatlzlng Of the great industries
These two things were the main plank
in the socialistic platform, Come L
power. the social democrats have total
ly failed to do either and the men VIII
were leading the social democratic par
ty In the new national assembly ar
moving away rather than toward sue
} reforms,
} The election at which the recent ma
: tional assembly was chosen was con
, Quoted honestly, but with no clear APP
probation on the part Of the voters a
/, to the meaning OF the thing, and tn
! whole vote of the women was cast in
l conservative direction under the absc
! lutte control OF clerical Influence. al
lthis oddly enough was true both
+ the Protestant and Roman Catholic dis
, trlcts, The women voted as the priest
e and the pastors advised them. Acros
e the Rhine In the occupied district
$ French officer told me that In u
Palatinate In many cases Germans can
h to the French officers and asked the
o how they should vote.
Now one has TO set against this
o these many signs OF dlsinteuration az
disorder, testified to BY all traveller
another circumstance which Is eScitiI
equally universal attention, namely.
4 return Of the old arrogance, the old d
81 flanee, the thing that puzzled the wor
r before the war and aroused II durtF
4 the conflict,
a After the period of detection immed
ately following the defeat the Germs
% was for a moment a contemplate Gre
y ture. He was stunned, He whtn
e. where he psed to buster, He was a
n feet where once he VAS arrogant, !
l. American civilian recently return
+, from Vienna supplies an Interest,"
Is account OF the transformation, VIII
- - -. a.. NFNA.nn Ia talla1 NRtih IAf
/ mans, with correspondents coming G
ir Of Germany, and read the pro-Germ
~ Austrian papers and was more a
more Impressed as &C many others ma
been by the fact that all this testimo
indicated Germany did not regard h
self IA beaten.
Intelligent men explained to him Il
~ Germany got out OF France beoaI
she wished to shorten her lines; q
abe was In no way peaten mllltar
but, on the contrary, came to the CT
oluslon that II was time to stop Z
therefore quit, Her economic sltuat
nc was bad, tho morale low, the Bolshe
TO- propaganda and the effect Of the bio,
ii. AIDE OF the civilians are held responsl
for the armlstlee. The army did
al lose the war. The revolution and
gu civilians behind the lines were resp
slble.
Arrogance Growing.
rps Like everyone else TINS comments
vat reports "A growing spirit OF hrroga
&C. becoming more and more evident, =
led ticularly in the north OF Germany,
re- he calls attention TO the fact m
The toned above that though the moder
The socialists were victorious on the {
Of the returns, the majority Of the :
les ular officials and many Of the unc
ins scc~retarieA are stu In office n II
of the same old spirit that Is realty ~
cry ing them, Ebert, Scheidemaun
Noske are outMardly ngents Of soc