The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-04-18
Or. Aonzo Taylor investigates Conditions in Land of Hun-Same Old
Gang in Government 0ffces-Take Attitude That They Are
Much Abused Nation Believe Themselves
Guilty of No Misdeeds.

German people would have taken the
spoils and admit hat they would have
eVled terrible peace terms on their
Vanquished enemies. Now they are
defeated they refuse to shoulder any
or the blame for the situation. And
they are going to believe that they are
abused if Alsace-Lorraine is given to
France.
Believe Selves GuIItless.
The widespread belief hat the Ger
mans themselves are guilty of no mis-
deeds Is being emphasized by a new
school Of writer's who first came into
prominence about the time President
Wilson gave the world the covenant Of
the league of nations at Paris. What
astounded Americans in Germany in
those days was the fact that these
very writer's admitted with perfect
candor that Germany intended keep
ing Belgium permanently, had Ger
many won the war.
Topics such as these occupied the
German mind when the peace confer
ence was making its preliminary sur
vey of European affairs. While Ger
man papers printed columns about the
probable outcome of the peace con-
ference there were 23S, 600 men i'm Ber-
lin without jobs drawing a pension Of
six marks q day from the govern
ment. In Hamburg the pension roll
mounted to $4,000. Both figures rep
resent a state Of unemployment sew
eral times greater than the worst
periods Of industrial depression Ger
many ever knew before the war.
The men were being paid just
enough to live on, and as a conse-
quence would not work.
Hate for Kaiser.
Among the intellectual circles in
Germany the blame for the silent re-
belliOn Of the workmen, their refusal
to work, was placed on the military
party-On old Won Tirpitz, and on Lu-
dendorf, and some more of the war
lords. The kaiser and his son., the
crown prince, were generally despised.
Both ran away when trouble started
and were hated for that. But the peo-
pie Of Germany were not disposed to
blame either the crown prince or the
kaiser for starting the war.
Both of them lack the brains to
plan q war;" was the common express
sion heard on the streets and reflected
in a number Of the newspapers.
nnptnr Uo ulnr bod ono rnnnVoI n~
PLANTATION for Germany's strangely per-
verted state of mind.
Germany today is suffering from
an intense moral disintegration," he
declared. you see it in a dozen diff
ferent phases of German life. Men
who served in the army and are now
demObilized, though still in uniform,
will leave their families for days at a
time-simply wander off without
warning. They seem to have lost their
sense of responsibility toward their
families.
"There are comparatively few pro-
ducers In the population, most Of the
people being %spenders; spenders Of
the governments printed money.
"In the Berlin playhouses shows are
running which are of such a low moral
level that no American postal author
ity would permit eve private letters
to describe some of the scenes. Be-
fore the war such shows were not per-
mitted.
"RObberies have increased greatly.
The people blame the b%olsheviki, but
know In their own minds that these
crimes might well enough be commit
ted by anyOne-because the increase
in crime is one Of the notable phases
Of life In Germany today"
In all Germany there is no danger
Of a rehabilitation of the military ma
chine, according to Doctor Taylor.
This view is verified by other Ameri-
cans competent to judge, who have
just returned from the other side Of
the Rhine.
Without desiring in any way to an
tagOnize the French, who are carry
ing on an active campaign preaching