New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-05
TREITSCHKE.

,cr,oxs FROM TREITSCHKE's LEcI-
>LLANc - pOIITICS Translated by Adam NJ
~ igmc. pp. les Frederick A. SUMS
COMPANY. .-,-.. -, ,...,,., Dos,ipv
IREll ni.i,rrI Relations Together with a
I'D q iiis Ife and Work hy Adoph haus-
~ translated for ne nIs, Iie suns i,9 s''''
80 ~. xi So. &. l. iu'N~" 'V''
The world war is liberal education
al Of US. We are remembering
INV things which we had forgotten
.rs learning many others which we
~ never known. We are setting on
"a questions Of international law,
arc interpreting treaties (why, by
-. cav. was Belgium never allowed TO
Mild a navy Of its own p. we are dis
s.,ar;nc the chaotic state Of Hague
p.sce Conference agreements, which
.ssr 70 be binding on none of the war
- rowers. and we are getting some
extremely practical experience OF the
80 theories of contraband at sea.
NJ have learned that our spontaneous
.,nn;seience of the first days of the
.oraict erred occasionally IN matters
~ detail Il took US, for instance,
from August till November 10 to de-
80 that "Kultur" is a far more COM
,,sbensive word than culture; and,
i,yipc sat in judgment overnight on
yetzsche-or, at least, on those omi-
mus creations of his, the Superman
and the Blond Beast-we were IN
formed by those who had really read
him and who therefore knew his opln-
;op of modern Germany and the meas
urs of his influence upon its thought
hat he was not the man at all. SO
nav we have reached Treitschke, and
!, him we have undoubtedly $50 TO
.peak) one of the men "higher up" He
was one Of the apostles of RedipottlG,
which is the politics played OF neces-
sity BY all great powers. though Ger
rsnv alone has the frankness to con-
fess il. Whatever the influence OF
Treitschke the historian and univer-
sjty professor upon the masses of the
German people Git is safe 10 assume
that most of them never heard of HIND,
his influence upon the empires lead
ers is unmistakable. lie preached what
they practice. the protection and extern
sion Of all the interests OF the father
land By all available means.
II was the late Professor Cramb who
first drew the attention of England
with some reflections upon the insu-
lsrity Of its scholarship to Treitsch-
ke's works in that magnificent answer
Of his to Bernhard, England and
Germany" book OF frank speech and
burning patriotism, which foresaw the
war and babe England prepare for it.
But Treitschke, whom, of course, the
English-speaking world desired 70 read
forthwith, was found to be inaccessible
in translation. This lack is now in
some measure provided for by the two
volumes Of extracts from his writings /
here under review.
Some account has already been given /
in the American press of Treitschke's /
life and career. He was a child of his !
time, of the turbulent period of prep
aration for the re-establishment of the
empire; il was with that consummation I
always in view that he wrote his His F.
tory Of Germany" which he left un-
finished at his death A Saxonian by
birth, he was at heart a Prussian and /
an adherent Of the Hohenzollerns al
most from the first; he abandoned the I
liberal politics with which he started
70 give his support 10 Bismarck even
before 1866 for the sake of the great
siatesman's unmistakable purpose of
Welding many antsgonistic particular
isms into one great nation. He was the
persistent foe Of Little Germans His
lectures. like his history, were packed T.
With arresting thought, almost with F.
prophecy. The theory of sea power
since adopted by the empire was his;
ne never ceased TO point out that dur /
ing It's long history Germany had lost T.
Us opportunity more than once
through the Hansa confederation;
again when Holland, but recently sepa
rated from the empire, started on its 4
career Of maritime greatness. He ex- /
,oieo the foresight Of the Great Elec- |
Ot plans for navy and African col |
ohiIation, and repeated over and over /
sgain that only through internal dis
IupHon, antagonisms and wars had the |
1ahon forfeited its 1nances to secure
lOf Itself place in the sun on the