Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-11-06
Political Theory And The War

seemed 10 Thu SuipHdSIS 10 "HdI hO
said.
The Sin of Weakness.
we'll remember the yigor with
which in one Of his lectures he said:
IF there is any objectionable sin in
politics, a sin against the holy ghost
of politics, it is weakness This SEN
tence, which was incorporated in his
lpcsthumous book on politics, has been
lquoted with approval by General Won
Bernhard, and Is perhaps as good a
Isummary as could be given in single
lsentence of his leading thought AS
take down my old note book of 81
Years ago and turn over its pages,
lseem to see his flashing eyes and hear
his raucous voice. The purpose Of
the state" so reads my notes, us
lpower. and nothing can be more moral
than this purpose. The statesman is
often in position to choose between
two evils in order to maintain this
/ highest good, but the diplomatist lies
I(if he does it, for the advantage of
the state, while the merchant lies for
his own advantage. The impulse of a
youthful state to destroy an old and
lldecaying state is higher than all max
inns of positive law. The statesman
who acts unwiseIy is immoral" when
a state has the choice between the
moral and the immoral it should
choose the moral, for good faith is in
politics a real power, but it is often
possible to obtain a moral purpose on
ly by immoral means, although not
every moral purpose sanctifies immor-
al means" These brief sentences do
not claim to be the exact words of
Treitschke, but they certainly repre-
sent the impression which his words
made upon me, and believe that they
do not do him injustice. The vigor
Of his >utterances often called forth
strong opposition among the students,
which they expressed, according to
the German custom, by rubbing the
! floor with the. soles of their shoes.
although Treitschke was stone deaf, 1t
seemed as If he must have felt these
demonstrations in some way. possibly
! through the vibrations of the floor,
for whenever one occurred, he would
hit back with some oBacularl utterance
like a sledgehammer. calculated to
crush, If not to convince, his critics.
Eseitschke's Teachings, - ~
| sTreitschke's theory 81 political NOR
ais never convinced me, and / do not
think that 1t appeals 60 many people
m the United States or In England,
But In Justice to him it should be said
tlat many of his expressions were the
result of a scorn of0poiitical senti-
mortality against which another of
my earlier teachers. Professor Sum-
! Ter, though representing q very diff
ferent school of thought, used to In
weigh with no less vigor and with as
much Justice AndI agree with both
Of them in thinking that the condi-
ticn Of all intellectual progress, wheth-
er in politics or in economics, lies in
first ascertaining the facts and then
facing. them unf1inehingly. Many Of
the facts of history are very disagree
able. They are particularly so when
they do not fit in with our own con-
ception Of the way in which Provi-
dence ought, and doubtless intended.
to govern the world But though an
enemy of sentimentalitv Treitschke
was not free from emotions. He was
man of controversial rather than of
scientific temperament He was a
natural fighter His colors were al
, ways the black and white of Prussia,
and they were never concealed. Prus-
| sian history, Prussian kings. Prussian
| efficiency aroused his intense admira-
tion, while UPON England he was al
ways ready to pour out the walls of
his wrath and scorn. III.
The winter during which heard
iTreitsehke lecture was the winter Of
the war between Russia and Turkey,
which ended with the conference of
Berlin in the spring of 1873. Among
those who attended the course was a
colonel of infantry. who happened to
sit next to me, and with whom fire.
Iquently conversed, while we were
waiting for Treitschke to appear For
he always observed double academic
quarter. in other words, a lecture an
neunced for 10 o'clock began about
1890. and then ran over. to 11:15.
There was some talk of a possible
English intervention in the war at
that time. and the morning paper ccn-
tanned an account of the debates IN
Parliament on this subject. My neigh
odlu iIb HlG, TSCdtI Ills
marks: These English are queer
people. They always have to do such
a lot of talking about things. In Ger
many, if war is declared TODAY. the
order is at once issued. and by tomor-
row the whole army is modified" y.
Fundamental Differences -
This casual remark brought out
fundamental dfffeFenee between the
political ideals Of Germany and these
Of England and the United States.
The result CT having a. country gov
erned by DoDularly, elected FeBresen-
ltatives and officers is that they feel
a responsibility to those, who chose
them which can only be satisfied by
public discussion. This is eften time
CONSUMING. and much of what is said
seems foolish to a man of action. Nor
lis it always edifving. even IN those
who believe that it makes In the long
run for moderation and justices and
THAT the superior efficiency and rnail;-
meas Of military government IS