Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1919-01-03

Explaining the purpose of this
,etter, Prince Albert writes
Il speak with serenity after
seventeen years of effort to en-
tighten you upon the only path
which would maintain the rival
uations within the limits Of JUS
tice and dignity and would re-
unite in peace the interests of
France and Germany. l speak
with frmness of soul in revolt
against the spectacle of the plot
of force to annillilate law and
honor, all the beauties of civil
cation and all the conquests Of
man over the brute.
1T was open to You to become
the greatest figure Of all time if
you had directed your power to
the injustice weig hing
on Europe and given your high
authority to the ideals Of right,
justice and peace to which mat
kind is eagerly turning. But in
stead you maintained the brutal
customs of a military monarchy
until Germany, which could have
won world power based on civili-
cation, has dragged you down III
its false ideas and blind folly.
Recalling to the ex-emperor
their conversations the prince
says
I was deeply impressed with
the talk had with you when
we iuaugurated the observatory
Ledenberg. When | condemned
the militarism Of the people as
stunting individual development,
you described to me the advan-
tages of such a form purely mill
tary object, because, as you said,
it relieved men from the heavi-
ness of their bearing. This was
your conception OF the principal
end OF a system the application
of which is terrifying the world.
Today in the path of your armies
are strewn the marks of this ed
ucation, which betray your true
end of your profound error.
Although you said to ME one
day that it was not your right to
take certain action which would
have conserved world peace, vet
you told me on the yacht, Meeor,
on June %, 1914, in learning of
the assassination of the Arch
Duke Ferdinand Now | must do
everything over again.
History will recognize in
these two manifestations Of your
conscience the truth Of your re-
sponslbility for deliberate war,
In all interview | had with you
Oh the same yacht, | noted GER
taiu points disclosing your real
purposes. When l said to you
that | believed the majority of
the French supported the idea of
an approacilment with Germany
you answered me with unusual
Yes, but we must
hurry or else it will be too late
and other arrangements will be
necessary to establish the posi-
ton of the nations of Europe.
Here are the Anglo-Saxons un-
erstanding their interests aud
grouping themselves in Joint pro-
lection against the yellow races.
Even this year, President Will
sou, and England have used dip
omatic language. They under
stand also that there is nothing
o do with Germany than to ac.|
:ept her as she u.s.
After thus quoting the emf
'eror. Prince Albert adds:
You afterward talked atI
ength to convince me you had
10 bad sentiment toward France
n anyone aud you remarked to|
ne that You might have fallen
lpon Russia when she was ruin.
d by her war with Japan and !,
Ipon France when 10000 French |
oldiers we're in hospitals. When
answered you that Frances
'acific intentions were shown by
lie tendency to reduce her mill
airy force you had nothing more
o say"
The Prince then relates a sell.
ational conversation in which
he emperor, pointing to a Brit
Ill squadron visiting Kiel, fore.
aw the coming of the war.
"The transformation of YOUR.
lentality became evident to me
l June, 1914, when upon the ,
eek of the Hohenzollern at Kiel.
Oh said to me with irritation as
ou saw the English squadron
'me to salute you. If they :
11iQe me- To me- ke war the uorI1