HOME TO ROOST.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1918, Page 3

HOME TO ROOST.

FRIGHTFULNESS FOR BERLIN. TERROR IF WAR FAILS GERARD ON GERMAN LEADERS. Speaking before the League for Political Education in Carnegie Hall, New York, former Ambassador James W. Gerard, in an address entitled "German Leaders of To-day,'' said regarding prophecies that the German people will revolt against militarism, and so end the war:

"There is no possibility of a revolution in Germany until after the war, and the i only if the war is a German failure. When the men in the ranks, who have suffered liorribbj distress in the trenches, come back —unless it is with a German victory—they will rise and throw the rulers out as a failure.

"And if they do rise then," said the former Ambassador to Berlin, with emphasis, "because of their greater brutality, their greater beastliness, which exceeds that of nil the other peoples of the earth, they will make the French Revolution look like a Methodist Sunday school picnic. "It is because the military) party realises that they are willing to fight on in the hope of ultimate victory. They, have learned to fear what may and doubtless will happen when the people know that Germany has been defeated." 'TOOLS OF THE MILITARISTS." The men in political life, the Ambassador said, were, outside possibly of the Conservation element, so-called, mostly of humble origin, and were perforce sycophants and the tools of the militarists. "There can be no freedom of speech, for these meil all know that if they displease flic Government they will get into immediate trouble. If they are not liable lo military service their sons and brothers may he, s.o they do not care or dare to express themselves openly. Hence even the Socialists are not independent, for they do not dare say anything that will cause trouble.

"The military are ever ready and prompt to squelch any public expression of opinion adverse to the war. For instance, there was a night when the people of Berlin sought to have a meeting, and although it was authorised the police quickly divided the streets in squares and when the people tried to form and march would drive them back. "I had a pass which permitted me to go through these squares, and I asked many men what was the object of the meeting. But the men only looked at me suspiciously and would not tell; but final iv a boy blurted out that the people were there to demonstrate that they wer e tired of the war, and wanted to protest to the Government, but were not allowed to do 90.

NO TRUTH TELLING PRESS. "Germany has no great independent papers to tell the people the truth, such as we have here. The nearest to this is the Tages Zeitung, edited by Count von Revtntlow, who is extremely violent against America. His organ and the work of the militarist crowd have brought about a decree of hatred of the United States that can scarcely be comprehend. This is all done to a cookedup public sentiment." As to the political situation in Germany, and the party leaders, the forme* Ambassador said of Schiedeman and Diesknecht that the former was not important, and lacked entirely the vindictive utterance of Liebknecht, who is now impiisoned. "Liebknecht was a small lawyer who eked out a modest income by writing articles for Socialist papers. He was a member of the Reichstag—the Imperial Debating Society. He is a small man. with a shrill, almost feminine voice, and was somewhat of a joke when he de. claimed in the Reichstag. "Liebknecht, however, did not lack nerve. He criticised the Covernment freely, and it was decided to get rid of him.

"The Centrists, such as Erzberger ol Bavaria, while not cvtreme supporters of the military system, say no word against the Government as it exists. They come from a Catholic country, and keep hands off. But the Conservatives stand back of the military power, and it stands back of them."