The Denver Jewish news., 1923-08-30
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Cor
respondence from Berlin)

Germany is busy making preparations
for the celebration of the fwenty-ffth
anniversary of Bismnrk's death. 1t Is
to he n day of national mourning and
of national pride. The whole of Ger
many will do honor to her great states
man and hero Professors and polite
ians. authors and intellectuals are going
to village. telling the people about their
Bismarck. how he lived and what he
achieved for their country. Scores of
books are being published about Bis
marck- memoirs and letters, bio
grnphies and interpretations. The news
papers are full of articles about him.
1t is comprehensive that it should be
so. especially under presentday cOndi-
tions in Germany. Germany is living
through n period of humiliation. the
enemy is mt her gates. The enemy is
powerful against her. The Ruhr Is oc-
cupied by the French. Germans are
fleeing from the occupied territory. Ex-
hausted by nine years of war. demor-
allied by their terrible defeat. the Ger
man people no longer possess the dis
cipline which such situation re-
quircs. There are internal disputes,
there are party conflicts, there are
rivalries between the different states.
Poverty is Hunting every higher feel
ing, even the feeling of patriotism. OF
love for the Fatherland. There Is m
orgy of blnckmail. of forgery. of CON
spiracy Plots are being hatched to
separate Bavaria from the Republic,
SchIageter, n daredevil who did not
hesitate to risk his life in the Ruhr,
carrying on nm active campaign against
the French has been betrayed by his
own comrades by two fellow officers.
for sum which amounts to about five
dollars. The whole Germnn people has
Ieen knocked senst.less. ''-''
One could understand. therefore. the
German intellectuals selling on this
bismarck anniversary in order to re-
call nobler period, to inaugurate a
Bismarck cult. to comfort by its means
the people. to raise the fallen spirits
of the natiOn. DO not despair. Ger
man nation" we can imagine them say
ing. "Once before you have fallen low.
You were disrupted. scattered piece
meal. and there came mnn-Bismarck.
was his name-and he Joined your
broken parts together. He united you,
he strengthened your spirit and fashion
..r sftn mt s1,s fntA
Leld the world in his hands,
One could understand It, If it were
But this Bismarck cult is not quite
so simple MS one would think. If you
listen carefully to the things which are
being said about Bismarck. you will
discover that tremendous change has
come over the spirit of the German peO-
pie. 1t is no longer the German people
of 1914. This talk is of an entirely
new Bismarck, one whom the world
has never known before. 1t is said
that nations create their gods, and their
heroes in their own image. This new
bismarck which Germany is creating
now is the surest evidence that there
is n new Germany today. or at least
renewed Germany.
bismarck has been much more for
Germany than great man, much more
than masterful Minister. or SUI
prcme diplOmatist.s He has been more
even than Luther and Goethe. those
4 fx,r,f fr;t, Of lao %
pie Bismarck has been lengendnry
figure. ii heroic myth. The Iron Chan
cellor is MS much legend in Germany
as. say, the Flying Dutchman. Dur
ing n whole generation, II tremendous
legend has. been weaving around him.
There is not n German home in which
his portrait is not displayed. You see
him in front of your eyes, cold relent-
less man wrought of iron and steel.
There was nothing of flesh and blood
about rim. He spared no man. Mercy
was something he could not under
stand He never hesitated Mt blood
shed. He was the man with the mailed
fist, with the hummer of Thor in his
hand, and on hil; mighty anvil he
ground the foreign nations to dust and
his own he hammered into mighty
force He commanded his people to
count only upon their own strength.
Also he taught them never to forgive.
Only slaves forgive, he said. He told
the German people that they had been
chosen to he Lord of the world. to dom
mate other nations. to ride over the
universe He was the personification of
"Deutschland JTeber Allcs.v destroy
Sweep the enemy from your path.' He