Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-25


been. and they still remain,
SubserVient people and ohedi-
ent by nature. They have
never experienced proper
revolution The only revolution they
have ever had they called the "Refor-
nation" as though ashamed of the
more violent word. They have always
been ready to defend themselves from
external attack, but scarcely ever
from internal assault.
Thus it is not only criminal but i'm.
beetle to speak of the stab in the back
which the revolutionary people are
supposed to have dealt the victorious
army. The number of resentful So
cialists was very small, and until the
Autumn of 1918 they were certainly
not strong enough to overthrow a
monarchy
And even as late as November s the
Socialist leaders were proposing to
the last of the imperial chancellors
that the crown should be transferred
to the Kaisers uncle and that he
should rule as regent. A few days
earlier Ferdinand of Bulgaria had been
clever enough to abdicate voluntarily
In favor of his son, who rules today.
Wakes Up i'm Doubt.
But Scheidemann, the imperial min
lister, woke up on the morning of No
vember 8 not knowing whether he
would" proclaim a German republic at
midday or not.
But even in those days, when Will
helms prestige was irrevocably
shaken, devotion to the Prussian mon
archy was still enshrined in every
heart. 1t was the person and not the
dynasty that had to be overthrown.
Wilhelm's flight provided the finish
Ing blow. No one could understand it.
Something heart-breaking and incredi-
BILE to the Prussian mind had hap
pened.
The King. the chief war lord, the
ruler who had always appeared before
his people in uniform, had actually
run away at moment of danger,
leaving his lighting army behind. 9
1t seemed as if the spirits of Fred
erick and Wilhelm must turn in their |
graves at the news of such a betrayal
But even more astounding was the
fact that in the course of eight brief
days every one of the % German
princes had given up their holdings
and their titles without opposition
and without struggle. Not a single |
shot had been fired from their castles. |
Not an arm had been raised in de. |
Tense OF their ancestral crowns, their |
majesty and their possessions.
Thus the German thrones were left !
to collapse while their owners de- |
parted without struggle.
And today no one returns to claim |
them--a sigfiincant fact, and one that |
explains why the return of the Hohen-
zollernS is impossible for many years |
to come, and probably forever. For
the man who loses one battle can al
ways hope to retrieve his position
next day. But he who runs away finds
1t extremely difficult, both morally and
practically, to regain what he has lost.
Old Rivalries Remain.
A further reason may be found in
the perpetual rivalry that has always |
existed between the royal houses of |
Germany. 1t is true that the old jeal- |
ousies between the Hohenzollerns and /
the houses of Saxony, Bavaria and |
Wurtemberg will still remain.
Already toward the end of the war |
the latter were suspected of secret |
negotiations with the Hapsburgs for |
the German throne.
And it is quite impossible in real |
life to copy the circus trick of mount |
ing and riding six horses at a time |
while dynastic jealousy forbids one to |
mount while the others look on. And |
SO the unity of Germany remains, as |
always, impossible of achievement.
The third reason why the Hohen- |
z0llernS cannot return Is to be found |
in the fall Of the house of Hapsburg. |
These cousins became firm friends
and allies of Prussia during the last |
so years. But today it is impossible |
TO imagine that the Hapsburgs will |
ever return to their former position, |
while as rulers Of a small Hungary
they will not command any more |
power and influence than medium
sized German principality. Thus the |
impetus for a revival is lacking for !
ever.
The fourth reason is provided by
the attitude of the Kaiser himself. /
the chief parsonage in the drama /
Thank God that the foreign powers /
have not made a martyr of him.
Nothing has damaged Wilhelm so
much as his second marriage, which |
took place very quickly after the |
death of the Kaiserin, that popular |
lady whose life ended in such great
unhappiness.
This hasty marriage and the sale |
Of his Memoirs" to what some people |
still call the enemy alliance" Fein- !
bund) has destroyed all confidence in !
the strength Of character OF the de-
throned Emperor.
Weakens His Case.
He has weakened his case still fur
his so-called private property and by
the efforts he has made to get as
much money as possible from the new
republic.
For If the Kaiser, together with the
other princes, had made the magnfi-
cent gesture of giving up half of their
joint fortunes, say, in favor of the ex.
service men, then they would have
gained great treasure of moral and
su1 10 lHr nj |, t. .,1l
have provided them with a starting
point for their return.
The fifth reason why the Hohen-
ZollernS are unlikely to return is that
in many parts of Germany the Junk
ers and the reactionaries have been
restored to favor. AS long az they
remained resentful in the background
on their estates, without spirit, with.
out influence and without hope for
their sons, so long were they ready to
combine together to restore their
King, since he was the one man from
whom they could hope to obtain every
sort of appointment. from rural coun-
cilor to minister of state.
But today, owing to the deplorab le
lack Of strong leaders, or. in other
words, owing to the inadequate politi-
cal education of the German people,
their star is again in the ascendancy,
and they see no reason why they
should curtail their own power by
the return of King for whom they
have no further use.
Lack of Real Talent.
xastly-and this is perhaps the
most important factor of all-there is
he remarkable lack of real talent and
ability among the possible claimants.
There are at present at least 90
sons alive of the dethroned German
l,rinces and not a single man among