The Irish standard., 1914-09-12
T. P. O'Connor Says present Ger
man War is like that of famous
Frenchman.
Germany's Determination to destroy
power of England is Ma
tional Ambition.
England Face to Face with same
Problem as in Struggle with
Napoleon.

Napoleon.
London, Sept. 5.-This is an ac-
curate description of the temper of
the British people at this moment.
With characteristic racial slowness of
imagination and temper they took
time to realize the full meaning and
the gigantic issues of this great war
but in education England has pro-
ceeded with such rapidity that she
now understands she is face to face
with the same problem as in the
struggle with Napoleon.
English journals are flooded with
full extracts from Germany's SOL
diers, professors and philosophers
from Treichtke and Nitzsche to Bern
hardi and it is now seen in the lurid
illumination of cannon fire that mod
ern Germany's real ideal is predomi-
nance over all Europe if not over all
the world; that war is regarded not
with horror or as an occasional and
painful weapon in self-defense, but
as holy and moral instrument to
work out Germany's national ambi-
tion; and finally she thinks that the
chief enemy and obstacle to her path
is England and there is in the mind
not merely Of German soldiers but Of
all German scholars and philosophers
the same set determination to de-
stroy England as in the Roman Ca
to's to destroy Carthage.
Thus the struggle which began
with optimistic views of early sue
cess and a short war gradually trans
formed itself in the British mind into
a desperate struggle for her
very existence and for the even larg-
er and world wide defense of free
government as against government
under the Prussian saber. These
general views were accentuated by
the hideous and apparently incon-
trovertible stories of German atroci-
ties, summed up though not exhaust
ed in the story of Louvain and in the
awful tales Of shooting old men,
women, children. priests and nuns.
The prospect Of free Britain ever hav-
ing to submit to such bloodstained
soldiers nerves every Briton.
Today there is no one in Great
Britain or Ireland who has not made
up his mind that this must be fight
to the finish; that is to say till Ger
many's power to override the world
with her saber is beaten forever.
That this is the correct view Of
British opinion today is proved by
scores Of everyday occurrences.
Kitchener's first hundred thousand
came in rapidly. but still not rapidly
enough. SO that the panic-mongers
began to call out for conscription, but
the second hundred thousand came
rolling up with something like
frenzy, as many as five thousand
joining in one day in London alone.
Ever yopen space in Lodo is filled
with men feverishly drilling, and re-
cruits in their shirt sleeves and with
out caps on account of the hot
weather parade the streets.
The great provincial towns are ex-
hibiting the same boundless desire
to fight for civilization against Prus-
sian militarist autocracy. The or
ganizations of political parties are
forming joint recruiting committees:
opposing political leaders occupy the
same platform at vast patriotic de-
monstrations throughout the coun-
try. and now the trades unionist or
ganizations. which are the fiercest
opponents of war in ordinary times,
have passed stirring resolutions call
ing upon workingmen to join the
ranks Of the army.
There has been some pause in the
great tide Of enthusiasm for war
among the Irish nationalists, largely
because Of the delay in putting the
home rule bill on the statute book,
owing to the persistent threats Of or
angemen to make noisy, scandalous
protest in the house of commons:
and Asquith's natural terror Of any
spectacle Of party divisions in the
face of the tragic and gigantic reali-
ties Of this great struggle Of Eng
land for Leige and all her ideals,
But the violent tempest Of WRATH
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