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Show THE CITIZEN 4 tion, militarism, imperialism and diplomacy committed in the thirty years preceding the war, are to be numbered as causes of the conflict, then none of the great powers of Europe can plead not guilty. It was to be expected that William Hohenzollern, as the chief protagonist of the war on the German side, would not go down into the grave without attempting a personal justification. And it is quite natural that lie should seek in remote events the causes of a war which, so far as the immediate events were concerned, was clearly the work of Germany and Austria.' The bad conduct of our allies since the armistice may have prepared the way or a kindlier reception of the memoirs than they would have received when the deposed emperor was the target for universal execration. But justice requires that the blame for one of the greatest crimes of history shall not be misplaced. The fact that some of our allies are seeking by almost the same imperialistic means to establish a selfish world domination such as the German junkers dreamed of for more than a generation, must not blind us to the fact that the German government was the principal cause of 0 weakened the war in 1914. At the last moment Austria-Hungar- y and was willing to accept international mediation of some kind, but Berlin was abdurate. It would be tiresome to run over the old story and to compare the events of the last days of July and the first days of August, 1914, and fortunately with the chronology furnished by the it is not necessary. William Hohenzollern does not give us one new fact concerning the events of that period, granting, of course, that censorship has not deleted some important statements from his chronology. ex-kais- er, -- The fundamental weakness of the former monarchs ar is the weakness all of us noted in the arguments of German dip during the war. They were forever talking about what the alii tended to do. The iron ring was of the substance of this stuff. The iron ring was about to crush Germany, thereforeP many was forced to wage war. And another fantastic feat this argument ran thus : Germany invaded France Belgium, because the allies were about to invade Germany Belgium. In the court of history guilt will be fixed on the nation t! and not on the nations that, in the opinion of William Hohen: were going to do. It is true that the allies began as soon as war was declare sanctify their motives with idealistic eloquence. Great Britain fighting for little Belgium just to keep her plighted word and Fr, was fighting for civilization and humanity, we were told ad libitur?! infinitum. But what difference did it make what they were for, or thought they were fighting for, if, in reality, it wa$J?vS many and not they that caused the war? and of j?; ?? We can understand the irritation of the Germany people generally at the efficiency of allied propagas?; It was was better than Germany propaganda even if it wast? Kn , pounded largely of misrepresentations and high idealizations. toe Great Britain and France were fighting to save themselves b, destruction. They had to fight because there was no way outcjpvr except surrender. The English people were fighting to retain power and their freedom and they didnt care much about thef: dom of any other people except as material for propaganda. unc . ex-kais- TAR AND FEATHERS er IN KANSAS MENACE TO LIBERTY P- - IP0? if t It cannot be argued that in these piping times of peace the Xlthq When the young men of Kansas mob and tar and feather their political opponents we are reminded again that eternal vigilance is partisan Leaguers are a menace to a fepublican form of govemicj: f If those who have grown up in the traditions, in Kansas. If they are an economic menace they can be combarjpef the price of liberty. and defeated by the usual method of political agitation. Tar sort associations .and customs of freemen are so misled that they will feathers never yet overcame q, principle. The people of Kansas elic free of use violence to deny their fellow citizens the rights assembly not snuff out socialism with a feather and tar is apt to add toreg and free speech then, we may be sure, something has gone wrong flame. We have nothing to say in defense of Nonpartisan princip with the training of our young men. We should Americanize some We have seen those principles almost wreck one of the Dakotas s of our native born before we try to Americanize the alien. At this distance it is impossible to sift the evidence in the Kansas we have seen them prompt such leaders as Townley to disloyal utt:? rivalry between the Nonpartisan League and their opponents, but, ances in time of war. But the war is ended and the example oijpa after all is said, the evidence could not possibly justify mob violence, ruined state ought to be better than violence to suppress the Leap; he St nor could it justify officers of the law in their refusal to protect in Kansas. It is a strange phenomenon in a free state that the young Kit members of the Nonpartisan League from violence. of should resort to the methods of war in times of peace. , It looks Ej d g However dangerous the leagues principles to the Kansas and however disloyal some of the utterances of league a very great peril to our institutions, for if the younger generation ca and patience necessary a leaders, the people of Kansas who resort to violence are doing Kansas cannot display the themselves more harm than they can suffer at the hands of the the political struggles of a free people, if they feel that they mtj s KaflN league. They harm themselves by harming the cause of liberty, by resort to violence as a means of settlement, the citizens of flouting the constitution of the United States and bv suppressing free have lost some of the qualities essential for the permanence of rept, lican government. assfembly and free speech. 9 r. well-bein- self-comma- nd - PROFITEERING PLUMBERS IN ROLE OF PUBLIC BENEFACTORS t, The master plumbers of Salt Lake prepared a masterful ordinance to ram down the throats of an humbled people. Had not our master plumbers, in their dealings with individuals, browbeaten, insulted and overcharged whomsoever it pleased them to deal harshly with? They found the individuals so spiritless, so cringing, so thoroughly stamped into the earth, that they flattered themselves that they could put through any ordinance they approved. But the worm turned. The common people, tyrannized over by laundry trust, plumbers trust and other soulless combinations it greed, revolted. They stormed the city commission with rotcfo They shook the foundations of the city hall. The city commi'Sionq thought that the Wasatch fault was again faulting. t j Now the masterful plumbers have been goaded into explanation At no time did they intend to take away the right of tin holder to tinker with the plumbing. True, such a provision was1" corporated in the new ordinance, but it is a provision of tlie ex I |