HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 177, 5 January 1915, Page 6

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

FORMER GERMAN WAR. TREATMENT OF DENMARK. - WILLIAM, "TI-IE DASTARD." Dunedin, Saturday. It has been truly said that history repeats itself. In (liis connection, although the British press to-day has some very condemnatory things to say of the German Emperor, and his people, if one goes back 50 years to tho time of the Ger-man-Dan:.ih war, it is found that just as bitter, and perhaps, more bitter statements ■were made of the then reigning monarch of Germany by the British press of that day. In its issue of February 13, 1804, London Punch, after the bombardment of Missunder, called tho troops of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia "incendiaries," "miscreants,'' cried "slmmc" after them, and wishes "the survivors bad luck." The ensuing number spoke of tho band of robbers engaged in the spoliation of Denmark, anil of "the atrocities which the brigands have been perpetrating." A week later Punch, referring to a letter addressed to the Editor of tho Times, by the late Professor Max Muller, wrote:—"Every Dane that is slain in the war now waging is murdered. His murderers are the German people in general, and the rulers of the t two German States in particular. Hisi blood is on the head of Franz Joseph of Austria and William of Prussia." On lApril 9, 1804, Punch, on the occasion of the GTth birthday of King William, wrote: —"It is possible that lie does not ask himself when the curtain shall have fallen on the last act of a life which thus winds up with the authorship of a host of murderous atrocities." In later issues, Punch addresses King William as "Old Dastard,'' regr«ts that he "who has murdered tens of thousands goe9 about unhanged and gallows five." and replies to the bestowal of the Order of the Black Eagle on Prince, Alfred, the opening lines of which run as follows: Take back, and in thy dastard's face, Aa hard as England's might can fling, Thy badge that would a dog disgrace; Thou oaitiir that art named "a king." Aa mentioned, these condemnations were passed 50 years ago on a similar course of action being followed by Germany towards a small State as is now being followed with Belgium. The sentiments contained in them are every whit as applicable to-day, though another William now reigns in Germany.