Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-18
Keuogg's Post Mortem On Germany

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. Few people are in a better position to perform q
post-mortem on Germany than Vernon kellogg. who was
one Of Mr.. Hoover's right-hand men in Belgium and
knew German frightfulness. arrogance and Official bru-
tally At its very worst and at f%irst-hand. Acting re-
Gently in the same humane capacity as a food expert
for the central empires as he formerly had for Belgium.
In an Investigation Of their actual needs he has been
in a posdtion to study Germany in defeat and meet Ger
man omcialdon humbled and not in a position to brow
beat or insult him as it did when it was grinding Bel
GUM under Its heel; 1t is therefore fog him one Of those
revenges Of time that must indeed be sweet to 4 man
Of his sense Of justice and breadth of character. In
these days. therefore, when pro-German ex-pacihsts
passive in everything but in their violent attitude toward
those who differ with them. are bewailins the cruel
treatment that is being meted out or is to be melted out
to the poor, defeated Germans, 1t is refreshing to read
Vernon Kelloggs article in the current Atlantic Monthly
on Germany and, the Germans as they are today, for
there is no maudlin sympathy on Mr.. Kelloggs part with
the unrepentant Hun, who still believes in brute force
as a means Of getting what he wants today and what he
hopes to secure in the future.
Mr.. Kellogg's article, which throws a picturesque
Light on the changed attitude of certain brutal officials
that he knew, is most interesting. His pen-portrait Of
Under Secretary Of State Won Braun, whom he inter-
Viewed this winter, with our own DR.. Alonzo E. Taylor,
Of the University of Pennsylvania, who also knows the
German at its worst and has a poor opinion of him. is
particularly cutting. For of the under secretary. who
was one of the chiefs who deceived the German people
oil through the war, MI. Kellogg, in noting that "ohacial
lying seems to be the great German national sport"
says. IT think Under Secretary Won Braun lied less TO
us in Berlin in February than he lied to the German peo-
pie and the world during the war" Mr.. Kellogg then
goes on to make an elaborate study Of the way in which
the blockade. so lied about by Won Braun, was effective
ooairet orpoop durip- r "a - -opr <ho
things. he exposes the humbug Of the claims made on
and clothing and all sorts Of commodities were marvels
Of effectiveness and quite as good as the things they
stood for. AS a matter of fact, Mr.. Kellogg shows this
was all CANNON and spinach and that the claims which
represented the German chemists are possessing all the
magic arts of the old alchemists, and, as it were, by the
mere wave Of the wand Of Albertus Maenus or PARCEL
sus evoking food supplies and textiles out Of nothing.
was simply part of the official lying propaganda. And
as to lying. Mr.. Kellogg points out that Kurt Muehsanns
book, How We Were Lied TO-" is one Of the most inter-
esting documents ever issued, since it is a book "of damn
ing revelations of German official lying, German onacial
stupidity and German culpable ignorance Of facts.
This indictment of German lying is timely, since the
Germans are now at it again and are being assisted over
here by PROFESSIONAL paciftsF, who from the first have
been against preparedness lnd were quite Willing to let
Germany win the war and dominate civilization and are
now trying to help it out of it's difficulties. MI. Kellogg
has no sympathy with the attitude Of the anti-prepared-
ness. defeatst-pacifis groups, and as to tho poetic justice
Of Germany's downfall he writes:
Hence a. pacifst, or hater Of German min.
tartsm. or believer in the chastisement Of Ger
many FOR the unspeakable woe sac has worked,
whichever I am, or all that 1 am, I can find some
satisfaction with the web the Fates have woven.
1 have seen German-made horrors of Belgium
to see the self-nade horrors of Germany. I
have seen the Beledums and French struggling.
almost hopelessly. it seemed, as they were driven
back and ever farther back by the f1eld-gray.
locust swarms; and yet I have seen the king
como back to Brussels and a French general
ordering the terms Of Germany's self conducted
humiliation. I have seen destroyed Ypres and
wrecked SCISSORS: but I have seen Vienna dead \
IN life and Berlin begging for bread. I have
seen that mills Of the gods do grind. This may
sound vicious; It is really only human. And
It Includes the thought that such justice Il need
Cd to help bring the light into the dark places
Of this world. b,
With this post-nortem most Americans will agree.
and It = well to read Mr.. KelloEg's conclusion in these
days whsn the whines from Germany clog the cable. .nd
disturb even the peaceful air.
THAT BANK BILL AGAIN
HHouse Bill Nol1s, which creates a Bank Of North
Dakota and makes It possible for the state to engage in
the banking business. is one Of the Nonp.rt1san Leasu.