New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-22
THE GERMAN SUPERMEN
An Admirer Holds That They Have Achieved a
Stupendous Feat.
November 10, 1914.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: There is bound to be a vast revalunton Of
values, an entire readustment Of national prestige,
after the war especially in the relative positions OF
England and Germany. The eve Of history sees the
relationship Of facts as a whole. and sees them In
a white and pitess light. Even now, after the first
thunders Of the first clouds of have passed.
estimates are no longer what they before the
international crash
For instance, il was at that time a common boast
and belief that France alone would be able to wrcst
her former military prestige from Germany. That
illusion has passed forever With il has also van
shed the belief in the invunerabity Of England.
Her immense feet has been largely negatived. 1t is
able to fulfil little than the passive and igno-
minious role Of blockading force, and this
mperfecty. Il is itself open adventurous attack
English prestige on the has been badly crippled
by the audacious submarines and the bold raiding
cruisers Of the new and untried German navy"
which she always regarded with open and
secret fear There many instances. but need
only think Of the heroic cavalier exploits of the
little Emden-and then Of the seventy British
French and Japanese cruisers that hunting herl
The open sea battle off Chilli was ruinous for Eng
land in than ships. For dash. initiative cour-
age and intelligence the German navy has already
shown immense ascendancy the English.
The same must be said OF the German army. II
has maintained the offensive and kept the fight in
hostile country Antwerp, which, after Paris, was
the strongest fortress in Europe fell after siege
Of little more than a week One "impregnable" fort
after another has succumbed-Liege, Namur, Longwy
Maubeuge, camp Romano. II we turn % Germany
the defensive have heroic little Kiao-Chou
isolated and without hope of relief in far-of ASIA
CALAMITY resisting the combined attacks of the Jap
the Russians and the English by sea- land and
air for three months of persistent attacks! The
s. ~F arru1 ufa In
the floods Of Russians
Before the war the French aviation arm was sup
posed TO be the best in the world But here too the
Germans have captured the laurels for coolness
nerve and almost impudent dare -devitry. Though
rot yet exerting their full offensive power the much
despised Zeppelins have also justified themselves
as formidable engines of war.
We therefore have the strange spectacle of the
humiliation and moral defeat OF England even while
the IS still raging She finds an easy and fool
ish solaco in atributing German successes to spies
to big guns, everything. in fact save the truth
her own inferority She has committed the crudest
Of which a warning nation could be guilty
the despising and yilifying Of valiant enemy
Not even England's immunity from direct attack
her immense wealth the freedom her commerce and
her fleet enjoy the supendous parasitic strength she
draws from the colonies the armies Of half-savage
troops she well France have brought 70 Europe
TO fight white men; not even the undivided individ-
ual support Of her great aes-France with her
colonies, RUSSIA, Belgium, Japan, Serva, Montenegro
can avail TO save her pride prestige.
The inevitable query arises. What would have hap
pened to England if she had been forced to face Ger
many alone? And II to that devastating conjecture
add the indisputabe force of the mathematics
of the field have equations that result thus
One-half of the German army equals the entire
French. British and Belgian armies plus their col
onies and dependencies.
The other one-half Of the German army equals
the overwhelming and "nexhaustibe" hordes OF Rus
sia, plus Japan, Servia and Montenegro.
1t is amazing spectacle and, apart from all the
issues of the war. must command our generous ad-
miration. The history of the world has seen moth
ing like IT, II is entitled TO be called superhuman-
the achievement Of true supermen When, in addi-
tion, consider that all other nations have risen
to wealth, power and greatness through tribute or
conquest OF territory from without (or from great
natural resources from within, like the United
States), but that Germany has evolved everything
from within and against handicap Of ages the
stupendous significance of the feat becomes still
more apparent.
This is z in which Germany. if she loses will
lose with glory, and in which the Allies II they win,
must win without it. Perhaps the bitter conscious
ness of that may be responsible for the rancor in
justice and hysteria which England has so deplora-
bly, displayed. LUCIUS II. VANE
Cambridge. England. Nov. g. 1914.