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Show KAISER AS AN AMERICAN. Kaiser Wilhclm is a strong-willed, domineering, overbearing egotist. In his own opinion he is always right. AH who differ are always wrong. To his selfish ambitions he would sacrifice his people and his country. Ho nlight send his whole family into war, even offer to go himself, as an evidence of loyalty to himself, and incidentally in-cidentally to his' country. But he would not hesitate to sacrifice everything, every-thing, even his people and the prestige pres-tige of his government, to gratify an overmastering mania to rule or ruin. That he has sent six sons to the bat-tlefront bat-tlefront does not make the kaiser any more of a statesman, a sane leader, or a spokesman for humanity. His six sons fighting for the fatherland father-land do not make the kaiser any less a disturber of the world's peace or a menace to his people. Were he an American, instead of a German, the kaiser would set his own ideas above those of every one else, and would insist upon being the dictator dic-tator of his party or of the country. If the American people did not see fit to entrust him with leadership in time of war because of his intemperate intemper-ate arrogance, he would naturally criticise criti-cise every act of the accredited leader. The more sueessfully others might conduct a war, the more the kaiser's envy would be aroused and the stronger would be his opposition to all that was said and done. He would be the absolute dictator of his adherents, in office or out, and would assign them to their various roles of opposition, in both secret slander and open attacks. He would interfere in peace negotiations negotia-tions and counsel repudiation of all conditions con-ditions not dictated by himself regardless regard-less of lives and treasure wasted through personally directed partisan filibustering. ' "Look at my sons at the front,'1 he would say when chided with insubordination insubordi-nation or rebellion. "Am I not exposing ex-posing them to the same risks of continued con-tinued warfare to which I subject the rest of the army by ray .introduction of discord at the conference of allied powers!" pow-ers!" And it would be even so. For he would sacrifice friends, relatives, country, coun-try, party organization, everything, to the reckless demands of his domineering domineer-ing egotism. That his party or country coun-try lyad honored him would make no difference. v It is fortunate for this republic that the kaiser is not an American. It is fortunate for the boys at the front that the kaiser is not an American. It is fortunate for our harmonious international in-ternational alliance that the kaiser is not an American. Were he a native born citizen of this country he might do all these characteristic character-istic things and remain at large. He might even get some applause for so doing, strange as it may seem. But if be were an alien resident, or a partially 1 naturalized citizen, he would be sent promptly and rroperly to an interne camp whether his pockets were full of Liberty bonds or his service ser-vice flag covered with stars. It is not what a man's sons do in this war it is what the man himself does to help or to hinder the government. govern-ment. From this we must balance his account for good or ill. But isn't it fortunate that the kaiser is not an American? |
