t Kings, but what they do, which burdens
countries, and the most burdensome, act of any King is to load his
country up with non-productive, threatening, and expensive war
machinery.

The Real Peril.

I fear that the American people as a whole have visualized only
slightly, if at all, the real peril involved in this contingency; but I
cannot feel otherwise than sure that soon they must awake to the great
danger that militarism and navalism may be imposed upon them through no
fault of their own.

American impulses trend away from armament toward peaceful development
along industrial lines, but even now political leaders in Washington
begin to see what may be coming. The propositions which already have
been made for considerable increases in our naval and military forces
may be regarded as only the forerunners of what is to be expected later.

My sympathies and interests, in other words my patriotic sentiments, are
definitely American. I must repeat that I am of German origin, and that
as regards the present struggle I am pro-German, yet it would be
impossible for me to say that I am anti-English, although I am
anti-Russian for reasons that are obvious.

I already have expressed the belief that the complete humiliation of
England would be disastrous to us. Now, it seems to me that if Germany
should be completely successful, if she should be able to wear out the
Allies, break down France, hold Russia in check, and cripple or even
invade England, (which many German leaders actually believe can be done,
incredible as it may seem to us,) Germany would acquire a position such
as never has been held by any nation since the beginning of history. Not
even the power of the Roman Empire would approach it.

The advance which has marked the development of every means of
communication, transportation, manufacturing, &c., since Rome's day
would give Germany, in the case of such an eventuation, a power which
would have been inconceivable to the most ambitious Roman Emperor. It
would make her a menace not only to her immediate neighbors, but to the
entire globe.

Could she be trusted with such power? Notwithstanding my personal
sympathies, which I have taken pains to clearly outline, I must admit
that I cannot think so. The German character is not only self-reliant,
which is admirable, but it readily becomes domineering, particularly
when in the ascendency.

In the role of a world conqueror Germany would become a world
dictat