The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-09
Il KAIsER,s E

The ex-kaiser had a rude, a tragic awakening from his
dream, In that dream he vsualized world empire for himself,
the nations bowling down before him and bringing him annual
tribute; German arms victorious all over the earth, the German
language the universal tongue, and the kaiser the ruler and
administrator of the earth.
He awoke to find himself powerless, pauperized and an
outcast, the %trappings of royalty torn from him, his navy gone,
his merchant marine gone, his countrys trade gone and eco
nomic ruin staring it in the face. His people, who had so much
faith in him, stunned, starving and not knowing which way to
turn or what to expect, and looking upon their fallen idol with
contempt and hate.
What adds an intense bitterness to the cup is that his great
army, which he spent fifty years OF an active and a treless lie
to build up, is reduced to a paltry 100000 soldiers, useless tor
conquest, revenge or recuperation; his forts and ~strongholds
RACED or in other hands, and himself at the mercy OF a victorious
enemy.
He believed so strongly and firmly in himself and the
invincibiity of the German sword that he was wont to comment
on the mistakes of Julius Caesar, Philip Of Macedon and
Alexander the Great, always insisting that he would be charge
able with no such errors. '
World empire he considered within his grasp; the logic Of
the situation insured it to him. His country was rich and pros
porous, and growing richer and stronger every year. From
man he had nothing to fear, once his navy equaled that OF
England; but in an evil hour he invaded Belgium, thus chal-
longing God by violating his ordinances.
Then his doom was sealed. His people did, not think So,
and much of the world did not think so. Many of his, deluded
people fail or refuse to realize the truth even at this time. The
ingrained and grounded faith Of fifty years is like the old idea
Of the elephants joints, met made for flexure," and will not
bend. The great shock came; the irresistible force impinged
on the immovable body, and the worlds wreckage showed him
the fragile nature OF his dream picture. ST.
His poisoned gases and poisoned propaganda. his 'subsea
assassins and all his scientific fiendishness avaled him nothing,
and with an army OF S,UOOUOO men he was helpless, naked and
defenseess, and had to seek security in flight and copcealment
from the eyes of men.
Ills dominions have been reduced, dismembered and seques-
tered, and his crown thrown into the scrap heap, and instead
OF beng a world %conquerQr, he stands at bay as the great world
criminal. His beautiful dream has had a rude ending. The
laws of man may be broken with more or less impunity; but
whose breaks the laws of God must answer for it.
All men OF imagination have dreams-night dreams and day
dreams; but perhaps to no other man came dreams and visions
OF the night as they came to William Hohenzollern And no
one had such a tragic awakening. Pity? MOI The piiless
II deserve no pity, and receive none. His ideals seem IA have
been the duke of Ava and Attia, "the scourge Of Cody and
the name of either of these may be used TO point a moral or
adorn a tale" William has fallen from his high estate and he
fell far; today there is none so poor as to do him reverence.
lie is universally condemned, hated and despised, and the
hostile thoughts OF millions OF people sending their arrows
against him from all angles and points of the compass must
make OF the atmosphere that surrounds him a shirt of Nessus,
70 annoy and torture him. What is to be done with him the
high court before which he will be tried must determine; but
no punishment can expiatc his crimes.
One thing is certain; his dream of empire is over, never
to return, and his partnership with God is dissolved
Young men dream dreams and old men see visions and tbe
vision which William now beholds is tragicaly terrifying