The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-01
By PAUL GERICK.

is the nation that gives the others
strong cause for fearing it as the one
possible danger to peace.
Deeply imbued nationally with the
love and understanding of literature
and art, the two pre- minently peace
full professions; a nation of city build
ers and city beautifiers such as cannot
be equalled anywhere on the earth;
exalting abstract learning to a degree
higher than all other nations, Germany
yet loses no opportunity, apparently, to
obtrude the ominous ring of the sword
on the councils of the world.
This warlike attitude by no means
emanates only from the military
class" The general idea of Germany
as land that is groaning under mill
tarism is largely incorrect. However
fierce partisan cries may be against
the burden, national feeling about mil
itarism, is periodically in favor of it.
Germany does not feel oppressed by
mitarism. 1t is imbued with it.
For thirty years Germany has been
studying the art of war with the
earnestness and thoroughness of a
nation that prides itself beyond every
thing else on its thoroughness.
1t has developed a war machine that
IS believed by Germans and Britons
and Americans and Russians-all. the
authorities whose opinion is worth
having-to be the most Efficient in ex-
tstence.
The history of it's war-worn past is
not a dim recollection in Germany.
1t is living reality
Wherever a German may turn in the
land he sees fortresses of to-day and
yesterday, monuments to dead and
living military heroes, flags and eagles.
In every town are soldiers. Every
home adjusts itself as part Of the rou-
tine of private life to devoting some of
its money and blood to the service of
the state.
Thirty Years of Peace.
And yet in thirty years-until the
Chinese troubles began-the German
sailor and soldier did not see even the
shadow of active service.
Germany, harnessed for war, briSt-
ling with arms, has had to live on the
recollection of that immense flood of
iron and blood that it poured into
France in 1S70-the victory, that was
as terrible in it's swiftness as in its
overwhelming completeness.
While Germany, the most heavily
armed nation, has been resting in ut
ter, unbroken peace, England has
fought a score of wars, little and big
Russias armies have been engaged
from the Pacific to the Black Sea, along
all the Asiatic frontiers, in wars and
warike operations. s-y
America has fought bloody war year
after year with the Indians, and
scarcely having conquered them at last,
she found the Spaniard waiting and
then the Filipino. France has had her
fierce wars in Cochin China and in
Africa. Italy had her war in Abys-
sinia, and a state-shaking war it was.
Greece and Turkey have foughtsHEven
Austria, with her unsettled Eastern
frontiers and her conbative races, has
had some chance to give troops at
least semblance of action. But Ger
many, with her European empire
said and calm, with her few colonies
administered almost wholly by. civic
officers, has lain in inaction
Therefore, it is not necessary to con-
slider Germany as a belligerent nation
TO understand why her sea captains.
having handled fighting machines all
their lives without an opportunity to
use them, should pound a little Hay
tan gunboat to smithereens and sink
couple of still more pitiable gum
boats in Venezuelan waters.
These We're acts to be traced, not
to a national characteristic, but to
simple human nature.
No one who has lived in Germany
can make the error of considering this
country as an arrogant nation of
would-be fighters. The simple, cor
dial soil life of the people gives the
lie in its every aspect to such con-
ception.
National Pride n Religion.
Neither can one live many months
IN Germany without realizing that the
pride in the lands greatness has be-
come fervid empire-religion since the
splendid days of Versailles when the
uplifted swords of German kings and
princes Saluted the federation.
he whole country is becoming
modern Greece of heroic monuments.
Kaiser Wilhelm statues rise from
every wooded hill. The mighty Sieges
Alice, the Lane of Victory, in Berlin,
gives the traveller only foretaste of
what he may see from one boundary
OF the empire to another.
SaXony, Wurtemberg, Prussia, Han
over Bavaria and all the other king
doms, municipalities and duchies, once
bitter against each other, are one now
IN at least the rapturous devotion to
hero-worship.
Halls of fame, memorial edifices of
all kinds, make almost every German
vista beautiful and impressive. Bis
Hharck monuments are counted no
longer by scores, but by hundreds.
Scarcely an officer or regiment of dis
junction in all the German wars, from
the wars of the Romans to the final
french war, lacks a monument some
where
LEIPZIG is working to make a great
MIL 200 feet high, plant it with forest
and crown it with a mighty building
10 commemorate the Battle of LEIPZIG
IN 1913. 1t is to be declared a nation
ally holy place, and hundreds of Ger
man cities have contributed money
toward it.
The town of Goerlitz on the Neisse,
III RUSSIAN Silesia, away off in the
Southeastern corner of the empire,
ana having a population of only 60,0On,
mas just completed a magnificent Hall
VI Fame, at a cost of a quarter of
..Hilllon of dollars, all contributed by
me citizens. ~
ms truly noble edifice is entitled
70 rank with the finest architectural
eCuleVements of a land that has the
NIest public buildings in the world.
II lies on a hight at the right shore
VI the Neisse river, from the shore
u which broad flights of stone steps
.eso to it. The entrance is through
great portal with four stone col
uInns. On the sides of the portal are
eMo great groups of figures, Peace
ana War The building is crowned
"ilh a golden dome bearing on its
9uBIhrllt the imperial 'rown.
beautiful reliefs and bronzes orna-
T uent this face of the building. The
b idil OF Fame itself is sixty-three feet
Eel .rl.1 cfu