The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-15

Among my callers that afternoon was |
q German officer of reserves, a man
for whom I had come to have much
respect. He was highly educated and
there was much good in him, such linn
i~tations as he had being essentially
Teutonic. l had talked often with himi
he used to explain to me the Well
Known German conception Of war as a
biological struggle of the human species
destined to go on foreyer-that misun-
derstanding of Darwinism with which
they had dosed their muddled philoso-
ply. Now that this struggle for life
was on between his species and mine,
he was deeply shocked and grieved, and
yet not at all unfriendly.
Sitting there holding his great helmet
between his knees, his face grown dark
and sad, he spoke very earnestly OF the
impending conflict. He had not expect
ed war, he said, as though he mac cause
for grievance, and he assured me ina
America for having furnished munitions
to the allies; America had been Ger
many's worst enemwI for since the all
lies were not ready Germany would
have won the war II America a not
furnished munitions, and enriched her
self in so doing. He said that we had
not been neutral. that We had not in
sisted on protecting our with
Germany, that is, had not insisted on
E~ngland's allowing American ships to
pass the blockade.
| tried to explain to him the theory
of a blockade, but there was no ex-
PLANTATION that l could make under
standable to him. He began then about
the submarines, carefully explained to
me that the German government would
not aecede to Americas demand, could
, not observe the rules as to giving warn
showed itself it could be instantly sunk,
You see," he said, with an air of
happy illumination, the submarine Is
q new invention; 1t changes the con-
ditions OF warfare; the old rules can
not be applied to It; America should
accordingly"
but" / said, do you think that you
a change the rules of the game to
your own advantage while the game
Is going on, just because you are los
He stared at me. He did not see
the point. They have, as l have said,
no games IN Germany, no sense Of
sport, or the sense Of fair play that
sport develops. A disarmed foe, a han
dicapped a~dversary-so much the bet
ter.
1t was plain from the manner Of all
the Germans that | met at this time
that none of them had expected Afneri-
ca to take up the challenge, and that
the German government had not ex-
! pCCicu IL, lOT lHHy Oh COuTSS W6Tt HUI
feflecting the opinion Of Berlin. "A
strong protest, certainly" as Lancken
had said. but no more.
Their state Of mind revealed the pro-
found depths. OF. cynlcism to which their
philosophy OF life had sunk them. They
did not understand America, OF course;
not many Europeans ever had under
stood her. Many have noted her SUPER
ficial defects, as did Dickens and Mrs.
Trollope, and most of those who wrote
books about us after a brief visit to
our shores; the only mes who anpre,
and. long before. the young De Tocque-
vile. But to the others she lay off
there IN the west, dim and mysterious;
and in reply to their snobbish criticisms
there was only the scornfui laugh Of
the Genius Of These States echoing in
tain top, afar in the west, The con-
ventional continual contention, OF us
was that Of a coarse, crude, il-mah-
nered, boorish person, with money TO
throw away The most indplRent is
BID. resumed bv Imagining William Gil
iette playing the part OF d multimillioh-
lire, cold, practical. recklessly generous,
IN immaculate evening dress. somewhat
nonehalantly chewing a cigar, and now
drawing a s~ix-shooter. K charming
lady at Brussels one evening remarked
To me at dinner that II must be most
uncomfortable to live in those sky
scrapers and to be known by a num-
Der.
But the mast unflatterinE c~onception
was that Of the Germans, who thought
US as grossly materialistic az them
selves, end great h~vpotrites in the bar
which. W. SiS not believe, Of he es 81
sehtiai idealisrn Of America thew had
literally M notion. Their view OF hu-
man Society in general was no more
carried d~isilluslon to the noint OF an
extravaSant and utter regation. though
thew lacked the wit of T~alievrand. that
makes cynieism and pessimism agree
AHA.
They we're so lrrbned with the cvni-
cistm that prevailed in European chan
Galleries. for decades. II not Centuries
exposition OF nrincirles and ideas mere
" az some new and rather clever no
litirai camonftage, IT never occurred
70 them to take Ii serfousivt ana, fall
ing 10 ses IN the notes ard speeches
In which that exnositiot had heer made,
tire cArAful, natien4. ORDERLY HEADINGS on
which the great hberai leader was nre-
naring 10 try the ratise ~ humanity
before the bar IT HISTORY. nnahte tn per-
! ceive the point who're the isSnes At
last ware iolnAH trey surpassed he
would 70 On with the idaat exun&itf6u
7 ana ler1n them N continue the realistic
work ~ the submarines.
, We Begin Our Good Byes.
The days that followed were filled
With GOO. bses, went p one sft n %,
house II. the Rue Rpyaie AZ the corner
iNT Ina NifA- HhliAsh. 4 xsnA Old mnAna