The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-26
MILITARY RIVALRIES
CAUSE OF HATRED
Eminent Harvard Historian Explains Underlying Causes of
Great European Conflict Mutual Distrust Between Ger
many and England Slowed Seed Producing Harvest Of
Bloodshed.

Americans. OF all people, in the
present crisis. need a knowledge of the
causes. conditions and probable out
come of the titanic European struggle,
gays DR. Albert Bushnell Hart, the
eminent Harvard historian. The wheat
former of the Middle West. the cotton
planter of the South, the banker and
business man of the East. all are vital
" affected and should acquafnt them
selves with the direct and immediate
significance Of the conflict.
To that end DIR. Hart has himself
prepared an extremely interesting and
informing volume. written wholly
from the American point of view,
which answers more clearly than any
thing published so far the questions
Americans are asking and really ought
20 know. He calls his volume The
War in Europe" II is to be published
by ID. Appleton & CO.. New York, in
about week.
In seeking the cause of the war
DIR. Hart is not content to accept the
statements which each of the waLrsrs
nations has put forward as its rea-
SONS why war was the better choice
Of two evils He goes to the root of
things and digs out all the deep un-
DERIVING cause.-the race hatreds. the
commercial iealousies. the religious ri
yalries, the political divisions, and
other factors which have been as fires
smouldering beneath veneer OF di-
pIomacy for decades and even centu-
ries. To understand the war one must
appreciate all these factors
Hatred OF Two Nations.
One of the queerest conditions for
Americans 10 understand Is the deep
race hatred which has developed be-
tween Germany and England. France
and Germany have always been ac-
knowledged enemies. but the hatred
between Germany and England Is a
thing of recent date. The English
ST God by and saw the French abject-
Fly defeated in 1871. without interfe~-
| ing. Bismarck and Disraeli acted to-
Gether cordially in the settlement OF
the Balkan question in 1878. The
mother OF the present German En-
peror was a daughter OF Queen Vic
tcria.
Suspicion between the two powers
which ripened into hatred goes back
to the beginning of German navy
about fifteen years ago. which put the
English to the expensive task Of keep
ing up navy which should at all times
&C az large as that OF Germany. COM
bined with that Of any other power in
the world. The English thought that
| the Emperor William sympathized
with the Beers in the South African
War OF 1890. The Germans felt that
the English were unwilling to give
them fair chance in Africa and took
the side OF France in the compiled
items over Morocco. Somehow in both
countries people at large caught the
idea that tire other fellows meant them
harm Nevertheless. we have the
best of documentary evidence that
Cor some time up to the actual decla-
ration of war the Germans were trying
hard 10 come to an understanding
with England. and through England
with France. SO as to fern a block
in western Europe.
But these national dislikes are weak
In parison with the hatred felt
between Austria Hungary on the one
side and Servia and Montenegro on
The other.
Intense Military Rivalries.
Another vitality important factor.
which has increased natural ill-feeI-
ing, DIR. Hart thinks. Is the universal
military service which now obtains
throughout Europe. az result OF
which every boy as he grows up is
taught that his country Is getting
ready to repef the attack of some In
rading nation.
War feeds on war; every battle
leaves behind it something to avenge
ne presttge OF uefeatinR an army +,
the ambition Of the comma n ding gem
erals: the desire for an opportunity
Of distinction. all play their part In
wishing country into war A new
pace was set in 1893 by the unexpected
success of the Balkan allies against
Turkey Emperor William at once an
nounced that the results of the war
compelled him to enlarge the German
army; and he pushed through a spe-
cial war tax of l lie per cent on the
property Of Germany. France took
alarm, made preparations for a three
year service, and called up unexpect-
edly early \ whole class" or year
of recruits, These preparations made