The Meeker herald., 1919-11-15

been defeated and so much water has
flowed under the bridge since the
armistice was signed ayear ago Tues
day that we have almost forgotten the
mental state of the country during
those fateful years from l9l4until the
close of the terrible struggle. This de-
feat OF the imperial German empire
we accept quite as matter of fact
now that it is al over. and yet during
these years Of conflict picture was
constantly presented to the people OF
military power almost supernatural
in its efficiency, in its organization, In
the wonderful detail of its perfect
mechanism. 1t is possible that such
pictures, brot back from Germany to
US by men like Girard, were correct
representations of the military ma
chine as these men saw it. Moreover
the picture was accepted az absolutely
true by the highest American mill
tary authorities, and in part accounts
for the colossal expenditures of the
government on military undertake ngs
that had scarcely begun to FUNCTION
when the war came to an end.
"To make the contrast all the great
er the majority OF writers and public
speakers appeared to delight to dwell
on the assertion that Germany pos
sessed about all the military and or
ganizing ability that EXISTED in the
world in other words, that nobody
could make war like the kaiser. There
WAS, in all soberness and earnestness,
belief in the hearts OF millions of
people not in any way in sympathy
with Germany that the three most
wonderful and terrifying figures in the
world were William Hohenzollern,
then called kaizer, and Generals Hin
denberg and Ludendorh. England
was supposed to be muddling and
pudding old granny with no general
ship or capacity; France 'bled white
and incapable OF holding her own
against superior German military,
genius. while as for America, it was
that republics cannot make war aud
that Germany, and Germany Only,
had the secret OF perfect military; or
ganizstion, q smooth running I'D achine
so terrible in its efficiency that the
whole world might we'll trs,mb4e.
ut is refreshing, now that u year
has elapsed, to get the clear light OF
truth on this whole suF1ject, to b a able
to appreciate at CO trae worth the
strength and the weakuess of the Ger
man system, and the German milf
tary machine. The mott dangerous
propaganda to which this country
was subjected during the war WAS an
overesti!nhtton OF the power of this
machine and an underestimate OF the
sire ngth OF the allies.
some of the historic documents that
~ih utterly dispel some Of the delu-
sieas as to the strength Of Germany,
even in the days al her greatest mill :
tary successes, Is the remarkable vol
ume written by General LpdendorH,
giving the true inwardness OF the sit
uation. The mighty dictator OF Ger
many bluntly admits, In the first place
that the allies had the best leadership,
and gsiHs more deeply into systems,
that the three great denocracies
Great Britain, France and the United
States were in u better position to
make war than Germany. In intro
ducing one of its instaliments of Lu-
dendorHs memotrs the New York
World says:
Zone Of the things that stands out
most clearly in I.udendortf's writings
is the lack of cohesion under the i'm
perial system of Germany. The de-
mocratic British Empire and the
French and American democracies
were able far better to centralize
rnthority In the making Of war
"Ludendord In to-dsy's chapter
gives vivid idea Of various influen-
ces which he had to combat, even
though Hindenburg aud himself had
been given practically dictatorial au-
thority rs a means Of saving Germany
in the crisis to which she had been
brought in the autumn of 1916 Jeal
ousy between states, between the
military and civil Government and the
Emperor's own household, jealousy
within the army itself-all Of these
made for friction which he never
could overcome In the days of his
utmost power"
1t is the dictator Of Germany him
self who destroys the picture which
has been painted OF imperial g er,nany
in the days when she was supposed
to have risen to full stature of the
giant, and when the perfect military