The Washington times., 1931-11-23

Because we were duped. I tell
you, duped as even yet we
hardly realize; because we were
misused, h eously misuSed.
They told us it was for the
Fatherland, and meant the
schemes of annexation Of a
greedy industry. They told us
it was for honor, and meant
the quarrels and the will to
power of a handful Of ambi-
tious diplomats and princes.
They told us it was for the
nation, and meant the need
for activity on the part Of
out-of-work generals"
Patriotic Twaddle
He takes Rahe by the shoul-
ders and shakes him. Cant
you see? They stuffed out the
word patriotism with all the
twaddle Of their fine phrases,
with their desire for glory,
their will to power, their false
romanticism, their stupidity,
their greed OF business, and
then paraded it before us as
a shining ideal! And we
thought they were sounding a
bugle Summoning us to a new,
a more strenuous, a larger life.
Can't you see, man? But we
were making war against our
selves without knowing it!
Every shot that struck home,
struck one Of us! Can't you
see? Then listen and I will
bawl it into your ears. The
youth of the world rose up in
every land, believing that it was
fighting for freedom! And in
every land they were duped and
misused: in every land they
have been shot down, they have
exterminated each other! Don't
you see it now? There is only
one fight, the fight against the
lie, the half truth, compromise,
against the old order. But we
let ourselves be taken in by
their phrases; and instead of
fighting against them, we
fought for them. We thought
it was for the Future. It was
against the Future. Our future
is read; for the youth is dead
that carried it. We are merely
the survivors, the ruins. But
the other is alive Still-the fat,
the full, the well content, that
lives on, fatter and fuller, more
contented than ever! And
why? Because the dissatisfied,
the eager, the storm troops have
died for it. But think of it! A
generation n n hila ed! A
generation of hope, of faith, Of
will, strength and ability, so
hypnotized that they have shot
down one another, though over
the whole world they all had
the same purpose!"
Passion and SObs
His voice breaks. His eyes
are full of passion and sobs.
We are all standing now. "Lud-
wig" I say, and put my arm
about his shoulder.
Rahe takes up his cap and
tosses the stone back into the
case. "Goodby, Ludwig, old
comrade!"
Ludwig stands facing him.
His lips are pressed together.
his cheekbones stand out. You
are going, Georg," he STAN.
mers, but I am staying. I'm
not giving in yeti"
Rahe looks at him a while.
It is hopeless" he says calmly
and adjusts the buckle of his
belt.
I go with Georg down the
stairs. The leaden dawn is al
ready showing through the
door. The stone steps re-echo
and we come out into the open
as from a dugout. The street
is empty and gray. It drags
away from into the distance.
Rahe points along it. "All one
long fire trench. Ernest" He
indicates the houses: "Dugouts,
every one-the war still goes
on-but a dirty. low-down war
every man against his fellow"
We shake hands. I cannot
speak. Rahe smiles. What's
troubling you, Ernst? It's not
a war at all out East, you
know. Cheer UP, we're soldiers
still. And this isn't the first
time we have parted"
''I think it's the first time we
have really parted, Georg," I
say hastily.
He stands there a moment
longer before me. Then he
mods slowly and goes off down
the street, spare, calm, with
out once looking around. And
for a space I still hear the
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