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Show ' (By C. D. McNeeley) r TRYING TO SHIFT RESPONSIBILITY The breaking down of the central powers has caused a move on the part of the rulers to shift the responsibility before the final crash comes. The trouble commenced with the defeat of the German armies on the western front. This frightened Bulgaria Bul-garia and she asked for peace, but the king of that country knew well of the atrocities his soldiers had committed in Serbia and Greece and he knew that there was trouble ahead for some one after the fighting was over. Therefore he quit the throne and left the place to another king. The new king took his seat, but when the occupied territory in Greece and Serbia was evacuated evacu-ated the extent of the outrages and plundering of the Bulgar soldiers became known to the world and the second king was not willing to face the music, and he too stepped down and out and left the old throne vacant with no candidates applying for the place.'' " V '" " ''' The collapse of Bulgaria was followed by that of Turkey and then came Austria. And the young emperor of Austria fled from his throne with all haste, carrying with him such jewels and valuables val-uables as he could get away with. He was not willing to stand the gaff. Count Tisza, the great political leader of Hungary, who was a strong supporter of the Germanic plan of war, was assassinated in hi3 own home by three enraged soldiers, and many of the other autocratic leaders, who are satisfied with their heads are trying to get away before they are called upon to atone for the crimes they have instigated and committed. All of middle Europe is now in a turmoil. The people know . of the desperate crimes Which have been committed and they know that the day of reckoning is almost at hand. Therefore many of them have decided that the kings and potentates shall pay first. As a result the peoples in tre defeated countries are full of revolutionary ideas and are getting ready to finish up their former dictators. And the condition is decidedly unpleasant unpleas-ant forthe crowned heads. : " . The very men who in the summer of 1914 could not wait a singleday for the discussion of measures which might have averted the war are now on their knees pleading for peace. At that time they did not care how much suffering might result from the execution of their, selfish plans. They were sure they could i'win and that was all they desired. But now that they are crushed they are not only afraid of the people against whom they, have been fighting, but they are desperately afraid of their own; people and are trying to find safe places in which to hide. By their insatiable greed they have .not only lost all they had, s , hut would now be glad if they could escape captivity or death. "- With Austria, Turkey and Bulgaria out of it, the war is nearly over and the big unfinished task is that of assessing damages dam-ages and devising means under which the peoples of enemy countries shall exist hereafter. , v., M to to I iteTf |