New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-10
CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
The British Answer to Bernhard: A Trumpet
Call to Kingdom and Empire Scan
dnavia at Home-Other Reviews.

Lord Roberts's warnings. unheeded I'M
I'll the hour of the outbreak of the war.
Great Britain, after five hundred years
of wars for her empire. he says, mas
reached the point where she has de-
veloped the desire 10 expand no more,
but to consolidate and harmonic what
she holds. But to realize that ambition
of peaceful internal growth she must
fight at least one more WARMTH Ger
many; and perhaps others thereafter.
For, SAYS Professor Cramb, Germany Is
not her only enemy, nor perhaps her
most dangerous one. Writing before
the war. he did not hesitate to point to
the steadily growing rivalry with Rus
STA. studiously ignored now. Quoting
Demosthenes, endeavoring two millen-
hiums ago to rouse Athens TO her dam
gers. he eXclalms:
How much more insistent at this
hour. how much more imperious,
challenging to every Engllshman
who cares for more than the days
transient interests, have become
the words Of the Greek orator:
Rouse yourself from your leth-
argy! Cease to hire your soldiers.
Arm and stand in the ranks your
selves-as Englishmen should, And
or. victorious, yours shall be such
victory as nothing in England's
past can exceed or rival"
Ii is to Treitschke. unknown in Eng
land, of course, that Professor Cramb
ascribes the German attitude toward
England. the fanatic faith in the mis-
sion of the German Empire to supplant
the decaying British realm in the desti-
mics of the earth. The theory Of Great
Britain as the robber nation of history
is not, however. to be credited to the
German historian, as Professor Cramb
does i'm these pages. That view has
been held by Continental historians,
Spanish, French, Dutch, Danish. since
the seventeenth century. Treltschke.
however. made it an integral part OF
the thought of modern Germany. A
Saxonian by birth. he believed IN the
mission of the German race to the
world. Of Prussia as the leader OF Ger
many. of the HohenZollerns as the
leaders of Prussia. The race which
overthrow the Roman empire and
emerged from the dark ages with the
dominion of Charlemagne IN its hands,
the race which at the beginning of the
modern era ruined the realm OF
Charles V to battle for a religious
ideal. the race which thereafter
dreamed and thought while England
conquered. was now, at last. TO realize
by its reawakened martial qualities the
aspirations toward world dominion
never altogether forgotten during
g..
This was Treitschke's message, list
enod 10 avdly after the triumph or
1870 until il became part OF the ma
tional consciousness of young Germany.
one can only admire the
fairness with which Professor Cramb
he's stated the case Of his country's
greatest rival. even as one is impressed
With the moderation of his presenta-
zion of Great Britan's position, fam
ING though it be with noble patriot
ism. He does not hesitate to tell his
unpalatabe truths. AS
Lord Roberts has said: There are
things i'm this book which Will cause
surprise and pain" Professor Cramb
pleaded for a revival OF the martial
spirit of England, not for new conquest,
hut for the maintenance Of what she
has done for herself and what she has
civcn TO the world. And in the retro
spect his book sounds a prophets call
lie saw that the conflict was inevitable,
and he repeated Bernhardi's cry. as
applicable 10 Great Britain as TO Ger
many: World dominion or rum
There was no other choice:
Avoiding war and tacltly &C
Guiescing in tho role of submis-
sion, England may adopt policy
of concession to an enemy whom
she breads, and, one diplomatic