Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1919-01-24
CHAPTER XIV.
The German People.

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The German People.
The oath of allegiance which every
( German soldier and public official
takes binds him first to support the
kaiser, with his life and his money
4 and then the fatherland.
That is what the kaiser referred to
when he said, in the course Of an ad-
dress to a body of recruits at Pots
dam:
Body and soul you belong to me.
II I command you to shoot your IA
theirs and your mothers you
must follow my command without a
murmur."
The same thought is involved, Of
course, in the kaiser's invariable use
Of the possessive pronoun, first person,
IN talking of the German people. He
always says my people," never 'the
people," The worst feature about it
is that not only does the kaiser pro-
eeed upon the assumption that he owns
the German people 'body and SOUL"
but the people themselves are willing
to admit it. The Germans are the most
willing vassals in the world.
Veneration and awe of the kaiser are
bred in the bone of the Germans. Even
among the socialists, who are not near
~ as opposed to the monarchial idea
3as Is commonly supposed, there is
strong sentiment of loyalty toward the
emperor. True. the socialists are
5elamOring constantly for the reform
vote and other political changes, but I
doubt very much whether-before the
war, at any rate-any large percentage
OF socialists would have seized the Op.
portunity to dethrone the kaiser had
It presented itself. Certainly. any such
attempt would have been speedily
smothered by those who remained
loyal, even without the aid Of the
military. -,.s t't-
~ AZ long as the kaiser is able to up
hold German. 8 place among the ma.
-tions Of the world, so long will his
people uphold him. They will stand
behind him as long as he goes forward {;
they will repudiate him as soon as he
turns back. They will acclaim him in
triumph, but will not tolerate him in
defeat. The kaiser himself realizes
that mis- tenure of Office rests upon
victory. The war was started for the
Gake OF world dominion; 1t has been
continued solely to save the kaiser's
throne. s.
Coming into such intimate and fire.
luent contact with the kaiser, I had a
wonderful opportunity to observe the
relations which existed between him
and his people. .....
The conduct Of the people since the
war affords no safe criterion of their
normal views and sentiments. The
activity of government agents and the
power of the inspired press exerted
such a great influence on the feelings
sf the people that any outward signs
81 enthusiasm which they displayed
must be literally discounted. The
in favor of tine kaiser
and his leaders since tine war have
been more or less artificial, the crowd
being worked up by government agents
and the press accounts have invariably
nagnified them. Before the war, how.
ever. whatever acclaim the kaiser re.
-eeived from the public came spOnta-
Aeously, and was for that reason OF
greater significance.
] know that whenever the kaiser
called at my Office great crowds gath
cred outside to catch a glimpse of him
when he came out. They waited pa
tiently, sometimes for as long as an
hour, for the sake of greeting their
emperor. Their conduct on these Oc-
easions showed very plainly that he
had a strong hold on their affections.
The kaiser was their idol, and they
were ready to suffer any inconvenience
for the sake of doing him honor.
II It was customary for classes Of
school children to be taken to the Tier
garten from time to time to study the
groups of statues of the kaiser's an
eestors in the Sieges Alice. They usual
y passed my house on their way to
their object-lesson in patriotism. Some
times, when the kaiser was at my
house, have seen these children halt
ed In front of the place to await the
departure, their teachers, no
doubt, feeling that the youngsters
would gain greater inspiration from
q feeting glimpse of the living mon
arch than they could possibly derive
from prolonged study of the statues
Of his departed ancestors.
Most of my patients knew that the
Raiser visited me, and they never tired
Of asking questions about him. 1t was
almost impossible for them to believe
that they were to have the privilege of
sitting in the very chair which their
kaiser had occupied.
sDoes the kaiser actually sit in this
very chair?" they would ask in incred-
Blous tones. "DOes he ever talk about
Please tell me what he said
- last time he was here"
A new German Office girl whom had
engaged attracted the kaiSer's atten-
don, and he was gracious enough to
shake hands with her. After he had
left the girl held out the hand the kali
Ger had grasped and said she wouldn't