Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-18

4 speeches and writings because we
| knew that military catastrophe would
place Germany at the mercy of her
| enemies
Insidious Propaganda Resumed
The insidious propaganda of the Ber
/ lin foreign Office has resumed with ap-
4 parently unlimited funds. Pan Ger
/ man newspapers. like the Wezer lei =
| nng and the Deutsche Xeitung. are
again taking up and seriously discus
/ sing Admiral Won Tirpitz's famous
plan Of forming a vast organization of
. German Americans in the United States
/ in order "to influence American politics
/ in n sense favorable to Germany
/ 1t is true that the Pan Germans are
not the governing party in Germany.
/ But they never. at any time, were the
governing party, and yet they always
| cxertcd decisive influence, as the his
/ tory of the war shows, over the ulti
mate policy of the German Government.
/ 1t is not otherwise today, for in the
| same measure as the Pan Germans and
| prusSian militarists regain their cour-
age the attitude of the Berlin govern
mcnt toward the Allies is growing no.
ticcably bolder, influenced also by the
/ knowledge that the victors strength is
steadily declining, while Germany is
rapidly recovering hers, and soon it
will be but n step from this increasing
boldness to open, impudent proyoca-
ton.
Let there be no mistake about this:
1t is only France with her strong night
ing army still massed on the German
border who is keeping the peace Of
/ Europe today. Were it not for France,
4, ..l Ill Al ~, tn nF
ruinOus cost and the natural longing of
her war worn veterans for demobili-
zation, is maintaining q really efficient
force under arms. the German hOrdes
would return tomorrow and sweep like
tidal wave over the Rhine and into
AlsaCe Lorraine.
| | am not pleading for standing
armies and there is no more feryent
apostle of universal disarmament than
myself. but such is the situation today,
through the failure of the Paris peace
makers to accomplish the preliminary
act of all disarmament, the abolition
of prussian miitarism. The progress
/ sivc military decay of the Anglo Saxon
/ nations has not escaped The keen eyes
/ of the Berlin statesmen; its signs have
been eagerly noted by them. and the
Prussian militarists entertain only feel
ings of contempt for the skeleton divi-
sions left by Great Britain and America
in the occupied German territories.
France, and France alone, is mounting
guard over European peace on the
Rhine.
How long will she be able to do it,
menaced as she is by bankruptcy which
only the problcmatical payment of Ger =
many's war indemnities can avert
How long will her splendid soldiers
remain fortified by their patriotism and
pride of victory against insdious so
cialist agitation?
There has been some speculation re
Gently about the probable date of Ger
many's next military aggression against
the liberties of Europe. Cardinal Mer-
Of Liegc. General Leman, estimates
that. the Germans will make their new
onslaught in about fifteen years.
There is "A much simpler solution OF
the question, and the German attack
may come Il great deal sooner. So long
as the French. army remains intact. its
patriotism and martial spirit unim-
paired, Germany will not risk another
war. But when the strength of this
army also dwindles or yields to So
schcmers confidently expect, then in.
deed will the day" dawn once more
the terrible day of a new vast con,
iiict. which the statesmen who SHAPED
the destinies of the world in Paris
, cialistiC diSintegration, as the PrussiaI
+ failed lamentably to prevent.