The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-09
FIT PRECEDENT FOR HUNS
BY H. c. EVANS
Downright 1879

On Board the Magnetic White Star
Line.-Somewhere there is an old
print lis it in an old school history?)
of Bismarck at the conference of Yer
sailles (1871).
He is standing erect at a table
pointing at a map. His jaw is set,
his expression firm. He is debating
terms of peace to France. He is re-
making the map of Europe. He is Gre
ating the German empire. He is en-
deavoring to make the world safe for
autocracy. The French conferees sit
about the table detected, and for the
most part, silent. Whenever one OF
them spoke Bismarck snapped like a
bulldog. The Sorrow of Jules Faure,
afterwards president of the French re-
public, excited Bismarck's merriment.
He laughingly accused Faure of paint
ing his face to give himself an ap.
pearance of profound suffering. When
pity was asked, Bismarck replied that
pity has nothing to do with politics"
Then he would whistle a merry air;
then become violent and hasten the
parley. The German legions were
around him, camped just outside of
Paris. Bismarck was debating terms
to France. They were:
/. The payment of m billion dol
lare indemnity.
2. The ceding of Alsace-Lorraine to
Germany.
3. The German army to march
through Paris.
Already, while the German army
was surrounding Paris, and while the
srmistice was on, Bismarck had re-
fused to deal with any officials. He
required a general election in France,
and that the newly elected parliament
should establish a government and ap-
point conferees. This had been done.
AS the French pleaded for better
terms Bismarck's attitude became
more insulting. The first two demands
were finally conceded, and the French
pleaded to be spared the browning
modification of seeing the victorious
Teuton army march through Paris,
Bismarck became furious. He strutted
up and down the room, smote the ia
BILE and exclaimed:
at is very good OF me to AXE the
trouble to give you so much time. Our
conditions are ultimatums. You must
take them or leave them. Henceforth
| shall no longer speak French.
will speak plain German"
When the French ~endeavored To
prolong the conference he burst out
with:
81 see quite we'll that you have no
other idea than that of beginning the
campaign again."
Submission was the only solution
Everything was agreed upon, and the
French delegates were to return the
following day to attach their sigma
lures. When they returned Bismarck
kept them waiting three hours before
he summoned them. He entered con
temptuously whistlng, his face beam
ing. Having signed he remarked:
This, gentlemen, is the death OF the
beast" Three days later the triumph
ant Germans marched through The
streets of Paris led by a young lieu
tenant named Barnhardi. He after
wards became the exponent of war, Of
German barbarfty. His writings be
came text books for the Germans. He
taught that militarism, that force, rath
er than law and love and reason
should dominate mankind. He upheld
monarchy against democracy, and be
lieved that God Almighty had especial
ly selected one man to rule over mil
lions, excluding the millions from :
J voice In their OWE affairs.
Lieut.. Bernhard became a general
He was killed IN battle last year OF
the fields Of Flanders.