| Show DAILY HASKIN LETTER lETTE German Unity By FREDERIC FREDERI J. J T. T Prominent Jurists representatives of the lending leading press associations of oC the German Ger- Ger man tian newspapers and foreign correspondents correspondents dents crowded tho the court rooms at Strassburg Strass- Strass burg JUIE during tho trial of ot the officers who o ohad had figured In the revolt rO at Be Dc- Besides sides tho the keen Interest In the points at Issue regarding th the proper relationship between the military and ami JI civil tl tJ them thero liras as as much tense speculation concerning tho the probable after aUel cn effects e ds of ho the Incidents rho Tho excitement with which the ho German papers ad lad commented upon tho the trouble between Iho rho and the people of ot mn the affair In tho rho yes jes of ot the world orld Into an all ominous sign of or general discontent Sinco tho the formation of or the tho In 1871 two questions have been boon asked h by writers of or other nations often otten enough to havo lavo become conventional These are arc Can Prussia hold tho the Empire together and When and upon whom will the now new nations nation's wonderful military machine be used The Germans themselves cR raise these questions with tragic seriousness In Inho tho ho heat of each fresh political combat though hough now with decreasing vehemence as aM tho the lines of or division arc coming more strongly to bo be between feudal and class privilege go and a democracy of or industrial workers and business men These e questions ques questions ques ques- lions were raised again In comments upon tho case As an exemplary answer an nn- it must bo boo admitted that thit t tho rho empire has has' scrupulously kept tho the peace and has steadily knitted tho ho bonds between her states ever eer more Intimately and firmly Spain O teat Great Britain France Russia and the United United States were unified d much earlier than Germany where In fact the thA process I of founding a n. great reat empire Is still proceeding how successfully cannot always alway al- al ways way rightly be Judged bv by the tong tonn of or leading articles In tho powerful native dallies Twenty six States The German empire is a confederation of t twenty six states and po political II I units It t Is composed of tho kingdoms of oC Prussia Saxony Bavaria and the STand grand duchies Baden Hesse burg burg Schwerin Sti Saxe-Sti Saxe Welmar elmar Mecklenburg burg and Oldenburg the tho duchies Brunswick Saxe Sae Saxe Alten burg C Sane Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Saxe Gotha and Anhalt th the principalities tics Schwa Rudolstadt Re- Re Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe and Lippe the free ree towns of Luebeck Bremen Bremen Bremon Bre Bre- men mon and Hamburg and the imperial territory territory territory ter ter- ter- ter of Alsace A theme of German poets and writers rs and an nn ideal which animated tho the students of ot tho German Gennan universities from Crom the tho downfall downfall downfall down down- fall of ot Napoleon to tho the time of or realization realization realization tion in 1871 1811 the empire lre united Germany German was the greatest fruit of the Franco- Franco Prussian war the culminating of foreign policy As Aa a result of ot tho the war tho the South German states stales Joined with tho the North German confederation tion of which Prussia was WM tho the dominating power to form fonn the empire in 1870 and andon andon andon on January Januar- 1 18 1871 the king of Prussia was proclaimed German emperor at V er sallies sailles tiam The office of ot German Gennan emperor was made trade hereditary in tho the reigning house of Prussia that of ot Nature Fertile Ground round German nature is a Il most fertile ferUle ground for Cor schism from whatever creeds philosophies or tenets Thero arc are thirteen parties par- par tle ties tics more moro or less represented In the Imperial Imperial Im Im- diet and probably twice as many kl kinds ds of ot politics When half halt a dozen Ge Ger- Ger tn mans ns meet there are six brands of or politics poli poll politics tics in bitter blUer conflict Amalgamation of ot these various party viewpoints and of r the tho Interests of ot the several oral distrustful states into a workable government has been one ono of ot tho tiro problems which the Imperial Im hn- perla I government ha has had oar always before 1 it Exaggerated interpretation of or the sparks struck in the clash of ot factions Inthe in inthe inthe the adjustment of ot government gO control Is Isone Isone Isono one ono of ot tho the grounds for a IJ recurring fc rear fear u for Cor the stability of or the tho empire Another phase of ot Internal fermentation I lit In tho the empire which has received much sensational interpretation is that of ot the rapid development ot of tho the Social Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic party part Examined according to the lie acts and teachings of ot its leaders this party gives ves little evidence of ot being the revolutionary ro menace to Germany Cerman that many critics have considered it 1 The he fact factor of or the die close cote dependence e of one ono class upon another has become so 50 self evident c in this n age c of or community national and In Inv In- operation co that a spirit of ot democracy has permeated through all nn the countries of ot tho the globe The German Social SocIal Social So So- cial Democratic part party means that this spirit of ot democracy in tho the empire has outgrown man many antiquated feudal forms The Social Democrats a are aro 10 uniting toda today not for the subversion of or tho the empire but bul but for tor the expansion of or privilege liege and for the gradual elimination of ot a residue of ot preJudice prejudice dice handed banded down from rein the tho middle ages aes Tremendous Tax Burden Hitherto tho the empire has been able ablo to obtain the passage ot of Its military and naval mn-al budgets notwithstanding the tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre burden of ot taxation imposed upon tho too people for thc the maintenance lInce of or the worlds world's greatest military or organization and und fierce competition with the powers iu in the thc of or Its Geri s 's sI s position a n virile nation shut shute in h bj by other I virile tm nations demands same ome uch guar suar of Ilc her Integrity and her people I realize this thle though the they rumble crumble about the tax ax ra rates Similarly tile the tremendous thrum n upon the tho lands land's re resources by the loss loas of ot from one to three years tar of ot the thc H es i of ot all of or tho tiro country's young oung men from productive work while ser serving ln their apprenticeship to as conscripts In to tho the army or navy y Is borne ly and at the came ame time criticised severely Wealth and Growth Returned Bismarck the nations nation's hero conquered the thc thirty Y year yeura war b by Ute the success n of ot othI hits his hI plans plan in to the l' l Franco Franco- Prussian war Ith tills this accomplishment wealth wenith and t Growth return i to tn Germany Although the thc land has an Inferior agricultural 1 soil soU coal climate structure ph configuration configuration and geographical position possesses pos pos- se es no colonies worthy worth of ot tho name and Is hampered b by aristocratic forms forma feudal institutions and sharply defined denned cIa clam privileges German Germany has become on one of ot tho the foremost manufacturing commercial commer commer- cial and carrying countries of or the world worM In her fort forty years jears un of or establishment establish establish- establishment ment she has created ed vast wealth where before was poverty Jo while her prestige aRIL as aR asu asu u IL nation has hall J grown rown until she stands on ona ona a L Par with tho thin greatest powers Hor assets ns- ns sets f have huc b ben cn her unity the tho peculiar ullar German Idealism Implicit I belief hi lu will wilt I her ence cne patient application industry and science I I |
