n begin to profit from the
withdrawal of Russia from the war except, perhaps, in that
important factor--the release of German troops from the Eastern
frontier. But as time passes the Germans may use food from
Russia to bribe northern neutral nations into an alliance with
the Central Empires.

Revolutions are contagious. In 1848, the movement started in
France spread all over Europe. The burdened horse on the road
evinces a tendency to get out of hand at the mere sight of
another horse cavorting about a pasture. The Germans are in
blinders and driven by heavy hand, but forgotten as liberty is in
Germany, the German Michael, the peasant chained to the soil, the
hard-driven, poorly paid worker of the cities, at least, will
exhibit a spirit of uneasiness, when across the line he sees
Ivan, the Russian moujik, capering about, free from restraint and
running things at his own sweet will. The yoke fits tight to
Michael's neck, the German Kaiser drives hard from his All
Highest Place; but no Emperor seemed more secure than the head of
the Romanoffs, and the very fact that the chains of the yoke seem
so strong may make the driven cattle all the more ready to toss
the yoke aside when knowledge of power comes to the lower castes
of Germany and Austria.

* * * * *

On the question of war Prussia is a civilisation as different
from that of France, Great Britain and America as is China.

Ministers of the Gospel, professors, poets, writers, teach war;
the necessity, the glory, the nobility of war. Long before
Nietzsche wrote and Treitschke taught war as a part of the
Prussian creed the teachings of these mad philosophers expressed
an indigenous feeling in Germany. It is not some abstract
belief to be studied. It is a vital, burning, ever-present
question which affects deeply, intimately, every man in this
world. For until the Prussians are made weary of this belief and
converted to a milder life, there is no woman in any corner of
the earth, however remote, who may not have to see her son or
husband go out to die in the fight against Prussian aggression,
who may not, if this fight fails, be dragged away with her
daughters to become slaves or endure that which is far worse than
slavery.

[Illustration: REPRODUCTION OF A POST CARD CELEBRATING THE
PROWESS OF THE ZEPPELIN, SOLD IN GERMANY]

[Illustration: ZEPPELIN POST CARD OF PATRIOTIC SENTIMENT SOLD IN
GERMANY POPULARIZING THE AIR RAID ON DEFENS