The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-23

up her destiny. Germany thereupon
determined to complete her work CT
world violence. Eight times between
1870 and 1914 she attempted to re-
light the fire. In 1878 the Intervention
of the Gear of Russia. backed by
England, was necessary in order 10
preyent Bismarck from repeating his
crime In April, 1881 Schnoebele.
commissary of police at Pagny on
the Mcselle. fell into an ambush laid
by the Reich. Europe was reused by
this act OF prevoeation and Bismarck
was obliged to release his prisoner.
In November OF the same year there
followed fresh threats and provoca-
ton. Bismarck. thanked" and dis
missed by his master. nevertheless
left as a legacy to his successors his
principles and methods. In March,
1905. on the morrow of the disaster
of Mukden and thinking our Russian
friends harmless and out of the pic
ture. william IL INDUCED In the
theatrical proyocation OF Tangiers. In
June the German menace became SO
intense that the French government
was Obliged to dismiss It's minister of
foreign affairs. NJ. Delcasse In re-
Spouse to demands from Berlin. In
1906 Germany bullied us at Algeclras
where we were trying to benefit by
the good offices of the American
government. In 1903 she sought u
quarrel with us In Morocco over
three deserters from the foreign le-
gion. In 1908 Austria, backed and
even pushed by Germany, seized Bos-
MIA and Herzegovina.
Narrow Escape
We came within an ace at that
time OF the long war from which we
have recently emerged. In 1911 the
German war vessel Panther dropped
anchor before Agadir. To this new
provocation France, more than ever
devoted 70 peace, to a peace which.
alas! had come to be composed but
of humilAations and concessions. re-
piled by abandoning part of the
Congo to Germany. The author of
these lines was not responsible for
that. Intimidation. demonstrations of
force-nothing during those "a years
was spared us. France was under the
perpetual menace of German cannon.
Bismarck had in 1875 seen two coun-
tries, Russia and Great Britain, COM
ing to our side. Against France,
therefore, he decided TO create a
group assuring him mastery of Eu-
rope. On October :, 1879. he signed
the treaty with Austria Hungary; ON
May 20. 1882, the treaty with Italy.
The Triple Alliance was complete.
Germany was at the head of no.
5000 men who from the North
Sea to the Mediterranean cut Eu-
rope in two. commanded all the lines
of communication and imposed their
with Germany had become the center
of Europe and employed all her
neighbors against that country whicn
she had ever regretted having let
survive after 1871.
simultaneously the military
strengthen Germany grew in formid-
able proportions. In troops, material
and munitions the armed camp across
the Vosges became the most power.
full in history. France. held back by
its feeble birth rate and by an op-
position refusing to see the danger
ahead. followed long way behind.
Each of her defensive moves was,
however, received in Germany with
general Indignation. 1t is France
which is the provocative force. II
is she who dreams of re-establishing
her dominion by blood and iron. She
is responsible for the directing of
manual labor into the forging OF In
struments of death, for the fact that
military budgets held back the appli-.
cation of social laws for the better
mont of the working classes. The
national state OF mind in Germany
had become monstrously out Of focus.
A form 1t Nietzschean mysticism
had descended upon the entire ma
ton. Universities. schools, news
papers. hooks, did nothing but exalt
Deutschland ueber allies" Germany
created BY God to bring It's particular
form OF civilization to the world IN
general. under the aegis, naturally. Of
the Hthenzollerns and OF all the bis
and little Junkers of Saxony, pa
varia and Prussia The world re.
preached them for their bafbarity.
But they were merely proud Of IL.
They pretended to represent the
primitive virtue of the younr and
strong races in corrupt old EuropA.
They had their own god, in their I'M
age-the old German god. They
had their science. their art, They
were Ike an immense tribe Of those
Teutons who. 1000 years before. b.
blood and iron had sought TO reren.
crate the world in the dsstroyinR
Trembling with De.pssr
When the war OF 1914 was inflicted
upon W. by tho German agrreusion
Amcricans then IN Europe can
scarcely forget tho faot), France re-
soetvsd tho conflict with religious mo
ton, and trembling with despAir.
Germany saw rcd. Not Z German
but shouted "Hoch." a. II tho bur-
den OF peace had suffocatsd him ali
too long. NohismeR, wcrkmen,
kavnnts. bureaucrAts. even socialists,
threw themselves into the combat
with fury prepared 10 throw their