One of the most remarkable features in German life is the indifference with which the average German subject regards the autocratic State in which he exists. There is no escape from the fact that the Germans as a nation have not only a superior culture, but by reason of their philosophical training and temperament are conscious, more than most peoples, of the true principles of liberty. Yet notwithstanding that, and that philosophically all Germans aspire to liberty in its widest and highest significance, as citizens they are content to move and have their being as mere pawns in the hands of a despot. They seem to submit to authority as though it were the one inevitable political condition of things, and the submission is so unhesitating and unquestioning that its tragedy occasionally merges into comedy.
An event occurred in Germany about eight years ago which one would have thought impossible of occurrence in any modern civilised State, but which in fact shows that the German people and German officials are prepared without hesitation to submit themselves, not only to authority, but even to the mere appearance or assertion of authority.
A working shoemaker, of a rather dilapidated type, by some means or other happened to obtain possession of the uniform of a captain in the army. He was hard up and wanted money. He probably weighed up the possibility and the results of obtaining it by ordinary crime such as house-breaking or theft. At any rate he came to a decision which showed that he had a profound knowledge of his countrymen in their capacity of submissive citizens. Arrayed in his military attire he left Berlin and arrived at the town of Koepenick, about twelve miles from Berlin. This town had a population of about 20,000 people and possessed all the paraphernalia of local government, including a mayor, treasurer, and the indispensable town hall. The "captain" having arrived at Koepenick, proceeded to a drill yard and commandeered from the authorities, without any one questioning his bona fides, a squad of about a dozen soldiers. These men he took in charge, made them load their muskets and fix their bayonets and marched them to the town hall. He then, in the presence of a large and increasing curious crowd, invested the town hall with his soldiers, entered with one or two and placed the mayor and the treasurer under arrest. Thereupon he required these officials to hand over to him all the money of the town they had in hand, which was a very considerable sum. They did this without any sort of hesitation. He then said he must arrest them and send them to Berlin under escort. He must go back to Berlin by train himself, but would there rejoin them. He called the local
