New-York tribune., 1914-10-26
THE BLOND BRUTE
An Unfavorable View of the Nation
of Nietzsche.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: New York newspapers. while
condemning the German aggressiveneas
which forced tho present war, are prae-
tically unanimous in scquitting the
German people of any responsibility IN
the matter. They frequently employ a
phrase, The Allies are fighting Ger
man militarism, but not the German
people; and some OF them, like The
Journal" grow fearful over the fate OF
the blue-eyed peasants turned into
cannon fodder b. imperial decree.
From the general tone OF these
newspapers it might be inferred that
there are two distinct races in Ger
many-one the dominant, expressing
and enslaving the weaker; Prussia,
militant and INSCRIPTIONS. forcing its
iron yoke on pacific South Germany.
As matter Of fact, the people OF the
empire, from the lowest peasants 70 the
roval families. are of one mind on the
subject of militarism. Recently we had
the spectacle Of three great thinkers
Haeckel, Eucken and Hauptmanr-
coming forward TO prove militarism in
dispensable TO German culture. When
men of this type are so blinded and be
fooled by jingOism, how must it fare
with the German masses? What the
thinkers have mildly, they have in q
violent degree. And Is it TO be Won
dered at? For years they have been
fed on war diet Their leaders
philosophers, statesmen, college pro
fessors, clergy, business men. have
preached war. As for the German
press, perhaps the most corrupt and
untruthful in Europe, IL has systemati-
cally kept militarism at white heat for
the last twenty years. An uninformed
man. reading nothing but German
papers, would soon be convinced Cby
German logic-a home product that
the German Empire should occupy the
same position on the earth that im-
perial Rome held in the ancient world.
and that it was robbed of this righrful
heritage by combination of enemies.
II the same man confined his reading
10 the Berlin papers, and 10 the
"LokalanZeiger" III particular-the
dullest paper in existence-he would
soon gain the belief, held by most Ger-
mans, that the Kaiser is endowed with
the qualities OF Plato, julius Cesar aud
NAPOLEON, and is, in addition, q demi-
god who has direct intercourse with
heaven. lie would also discover that
Llt OcIVldH dFUlN ~ .tlA 4AClDlct LU+L
the German soldier is the equal Of two
French and Of three Russian soldiers:
that only Germans are healthy and
brave; that the French are cowsrdlv
and degenerate; that the Russians are
cowardly and bsrbarors; that the Eng
lish are cowardly and greedy; that
Germans are the sole possessors OF
"kultur."
In discussing the empires foreign
policy the German papers throb with
brotherly love. France must be
crushed; England usurps Germany
rightful place as mistress Of the world
England must be destroyed; Rus
sia should be subdued and impover
ished"; HOLLAND and Belgium block
Germany's way to the sea-they must
be taken" and similar pious thoughts;
and as for their comments on the
United States and the Monroe Doe
trine, Il would be necessary 20 20 back
to the palmy days of the English pres.
70 parallel their cheap cynicism and
brutality.
Under the circumstances the Dubli-
cation o. White Books and Blue Books
Is wholly superiuous. Even IL Germany
published stronger defence than she
has she would still be guilty, for how
can she explain the attitude OF the
press since 1900? And the press simply
voices the opinion of the people.
As for NietZsche, Treitschke and
others of their school. they have sue