The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-11-18

emerge master and the other sinh
back into submission. The splendid
heroism OF Belgium and the vaiol
and sufferings of France are but sec
ondary to this great fact.
The grim struggle suggests that IA
miliar problem in physics which sup
poses the meeting of an irresistible
force with an i,nmovable body. Nc
| ono can say now which factor-Ger,
many's force or England's resistance
will prove false, but the fundamental
conditions of the problem are plain.
Two things made the collision in
evitable: First, Ensland's world pre-
consciousness of greater genius
cramped by fate within narrow boun-
daries.
The approaching conflict of these
irreconcilable elements was set forth
with relentless precision fifteen months
ago by Prof. j. A. Cramb, an Eng.
lish historian, and it is chiefly upon
his prophetic work, Germany and
England" that we base our present
remarks. His testimony is convinc-
irg not only because of its logic, but
because he presented the German
view with a sympathy based upon long
association with the German people
and study of their history and litera-
| ture.
For n full generation Germany has
brooded upon forcing reckoning with
her great antagonist; back of this pur-
pose has been her determination to
achieve the world empire for which
she believes her vrile genius is fit
! ted.
The progress of Tcutonic civiliza-
ton during the last forty years has
proved the superior qualities of their
| race. say the Germans. The nation
mas felt within itself the surging vital
ity OF youth and strength, the stirring
OF that genius of empire which. like
the genius OF the inspired artist,
must express itself or destroy its pos
SCISSOR.
Achieving world leadership in many
| lieids OF science, commerce and indus
try. Germany adopted Us 2 religious
faith her right to world power. But
Wherever she looked on the globe she
found she had come too late--the rich
est and most populous areas of the
earth had long been preempted.
Russia sprawled across two CONT
nents: France had appropriated great
territories in Africa and Asia; Italy
had seized rich provinces abroad; ev-
en- Holland and Belgium and Portugal
mad their oversee possessions, yield
ing huge revenues and prestige.
But i'll every path to empire that
she explored Germany found one rival
predominant-England; the whole
world seemed to have been adjusted
to serve that vast, impalpable thing
called the British empire. Picture
patriotic Germans studying the world
map and noting the unbroken chain
OF British power encircling the globe
not alone the vast reaches of Can
ada and Australia and India, but the
innumerable fortresses and coaling
stations and naval bases, the distant
coasts that were dotted with English
ports, the seas that were English
lakes!
They found the gates of the Baltic
guarded by English patrols, and the
whole western boundary of the North
sea English territory, the one outlet
being actually, as well as in name,
the English channel.
They found English cannon and war
ships holding the Mediterranean
Gibraltar in the west, Malta in the
center, Cyprus and Port Said in the
east; all Egypt under English sway.
with the Red sea controlled by Perrin
and Alden. Africa, they saw, was Eng
fish from Good Hope half way to
Cairo, and the coasts dominated by
the English settlements OF the Gold
Coast st. Helena, Cape Town, Dur
ban, Zanzibar and dozen others.
There We're English strongholds in
the Persian Gulf; in India and Ceylon;
Burmah and the East Indies; at Hong
couver on the Pacific; at Halifax, St.
Johns, Bermuda, Jamaica and Trini-
dad i'll the Atlantic.
kong and Wei-Hai.Wei; at q score of
Was there ever such theme for
the crusading Won Treitschkes and the
promoters OF -Germanisn, with
their ceaseless preaching of English
decadence and German destiny?
Here We're tow states, each lowered
with the genius OF empire; the one for
200 years enjoying the richest posses.
sions of the earth, the other shut with
in the limits of the North sea, the
Rhine and the Danube and forbidden
by unenforcable laws to expand her
energies: the one stated with the glor-
les OF empire, eager for peace. anX-
ious only to hold what she had, the
other cramped and confined, but throb-
bling with life and ambition, driven
by furious energy TO test her faith and
her genius-what result could there
be save death grapple for mastery?
En- Governor Francis once said the
following of newspapers: Each year