Evening star., 1921-02-27
Menace of Militarism and Mon
archy Seen by Harden in Re-
cent Prussian Elections.
BY MACMILLAN HARDEN,

BY MAXlMII.1AN HARDENs
Germany's Foremost Publfcist.
By Cable to The Star.
BERLIN, February e6.-With
lowered but still clanking vizor
and with heavy fist, the militar-
istic and monarehistic will of
Prussia is knocking at the wood
en- door of the German republic.
Will 1T hold or break? That is
the most important question con-,
fronting the German people to-
day.
We read today that at the new
election for the Prussian parlia-
ment. five and one-quarter million
votes-which is more than one
third of all votes 'given-fell on
monarchistic candidates. and OF,
the three million constituents of
the center Catholic party. and
even among the badly beaten dem
ocrats. there are great numbers
who long for a return to the old
.egime. Next to this occurrence
Che oscillations OF the scales OF
power moved by the election fade
90 unimportance. and every one
seems Indifferent to the question
whether the larger national So
cialistic rhiddfe-class party, which
was able to assert itself against
the two radical groups Of bolshe-
viks and mensheviks, will again
help the government bear it's de-
lights and it's burdens.
r X X
In order to better understand
the situation, it is well to turn
the dusty pages Of history and
study the rise of Prussian power
Old Prussia was represented by
barracks. kept scrupulously clean
by the most dutiful and Industrious
military red tape of officialdom
and functionally supplied with the
necessary recruits. Out of these
barracks came the army which con-
quered Silesia and gained for the
empire of Frederick the Great the
right to rank among the foremost
powers Of Europe.
The object of this state was to
secure, by force of arms. new ter
ritory for expansion, and to in
and merchant in the growing coun-
try to such an extent that the rul
ing powers would forever be safe
against any attempted rebellion.
d The state purposed to carry out
these means through the old spirit
of patriarchism, embellished only
by practical common sense and a
dominant will, which reduces poll
tics as well as independent ideas
into a religion conceiving the mon
archy and the state as sacra-
mental unity.
After the collapse of Napoleon
new Prussia seemed to arise.
From the west Freiherr Won Stein
of Nassau brought mild liberalism
and municipal autonomy, and
Scharnhorst of Hanover applied
the theory. of universal military
service {at first proclaimed by
Danton as protection against
the menace of French revolution).
AS a result of these ideas the Ger
man people arose and cast on the
yoke of the Bonapartes. Because
OF the fact that victory did not.
bring the expected fruits-Scharn-
horst having died and Won Stein
having fallent into disgrace-the
longing for the'higher ideals of the
state did not reach its goal.
Hemmed in by the restrictions OF
the old European powers. the Prus-
SLAMS again found themselves
forced to use the sword to insure
the growth required by their tre-
mendous vitality. Barracks which
once had housed mercenary troops
we're rebuilt to suit the require
ments of an army recruited from
the people. And ah=-the technical
imp1enents of modern industrial
works were placed at the service
OF the Prussian authorities Tor
their free use. and not. as pro-
claimed tgnorantly or sianderous-