TaÌˆgliches Cincinnatier volksblatt. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1885-1919, 1914-11-17

or not Great Britain should side with
the allies he had already preiudiced the
issne by permitting the British mil.
itary and naval authorizes to arrange
for concerted action with those Of
France. In Germany the emperor act.
ed as the spokesman OF the whole ma
tion. He endeavored in. vain up to the
last moment to stay the military prep
arations OF Russia, which belied the
/ peaceful declarations OF tho ear and
excluded the possibility OF success.
ful diplomats adjustment Of the Aus
tro Russian controversy. When En-
peror William, after having in vain
asked for Russian demobilization, de-
clared war against Russia, the whole
German nation stood behind him like
one man. The endeavor to construct
an intrinsic opposition between the kai-
ser and the German nation 10 futile,
II not disingenuous.
President Butler in his interesting
article. "The United States Of Europe,
maintains "that in democratic state
the military and naval establishments
must be completely subservient to the
civil power. They should form the
police and not the dominant factor Of
any national life.H
Although Germany does not pretend
to be democratic state, yet IL is safe
to assert. that the civil power, repre-
scented by the chancellor of the EN-
pire. Is supreme and that the military
authorities never had to determine the
course Of German foreign policy. The
truth Of this assertion does not require
proof in the case Of BismarckI but
likewise under Caprivi, Bulow and
Bethmann- Hollweg, 1t was the chan
celIor Of foreign secretary who pro
posed to the emperor and carried out
whatever diplomatic moves he found
necessary. The general staff In Ger
many repeatedly sought to precipitate
a preventive war against France and
Russia, and always was baked by the
civil authority and the peace loving
kaiser.
The military intrigues OF the officer
class In France were abundantly ex-
posed at the time OF the Drsyfuss trial;
but In Germany the military caste is
debarred from all political activity.
Even old officers who have gone on
the retired list. although legally en-
titled to take part in the political life.
seldom do, under an unwritten law OF
public opinion.
And how about Russia, with her men.
ace TO all Europe with an army she
confidently boasted was to be 100000
in the course OF a few yearsi VIII
Russia disarm and England disband
her navy and Japan give up army and
navy when Germany has been crushed!
Does any man really believe this!
German militarismn is only a system
OF military organization which, by arm
ing the whole nation and attaining the
highest degree Of technical perfection
and efficiency. renders Germany tho
roughly prepared to resist any attack
and even TO anticipate 1t by a swift
onslaught. The adyersaries Of Germany
who contend that they only want TO
crush German militarism or, still bet
ter, "Prussian militarismp, and not the
German nation, must be reminded that
they are yainly pretending to distin.
guish between two identical things
German militarism and the German ma
ton in arms, ready to fight for its
existence even against tremendous odds.
are synonymous notions. Whoever
wants 70 wipe out the one must also
crush the other. We are told that
Bernhardi represents the spirit Of Ger.
many. He does nothing Of the kind.
He is an extreme indiyidualist fighting
a losing battle against the most finely
organized social state yet devised.
Nietzsche has far more Of following
outside Of Germany than in the classic
land Of social reform and soeiai demo
cracy. As well might Mr.. Hobson be
.paraded az revealing the military spirit
Of North America or Darwin's struggle
for existence be used to show that
England had faith only in pure brute
strength.
In point Of fact Germany Is the most
peaceful Of the great powers. and the
only one that has waged no aggres-
siye war in the torty.tour years since
1870. There is in every land, inelud-
ing our own, noisy minority--clsm-
oring for violence on all oecasicna.
But to any one, who. like myself, has
followed the press Of the United
States, England and Germany. with an
occasional dip into the journalism Of
Paris, II Is simply ridiculous to com.
plain that the tone Of Germany is mill
tary and the others are for peace. The
very contrary i the case. There Il in
all Germany no single sheet that com
pares ia raueous violence with Z half
a