The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-11
WHAT IS GERMAN kULTUR? 0Nritten Especially The Farmer by
 can Citizen.)
can Citizen.1


 Now, to most non-Germans this ap- parent claim to. the possession of an exclusive tcuIture" was at first mere ly amusing. Students of the glorfes of genius in art, music, literature and science, which are the heritage of the Latin and Celtic and Anglo-Saxon peo- ples. found the solemn assumption of Teutonic superiority quite exhilarat- ing.
 But in time the word became an ir- ritation. The air of bland fina1ity with which it was uttered by German sympathizers seemed almost offensive, and by common consent their own weapon was turned against them.
 "Confound your 'cu1ture!' D said the exasperated world. Some of us had scholarship and polish and spiritual enlightment when you were bar barians, and we have works of genius which tower above your best produc- tions like mountain peaks above a plain. Moreover, we do not above in your social habits, your politics or your international relations any inn pressive signs of a special refinement which we might profitably adopt"
 Hence it became a. habit among Germany,s critics to fling her "cu1- ture" in her teeth. The most inexp ect controveriaIist could make telling point by inquiring whether the
 
 ing of cities were evidences of Ger man stculture'' in operation.
 Yet all this is 1amenta.bly unjust Germany has not arrogated to her. self the possession of the highest .scuIture.,' Her s'Kultur'' is something quite apart from the popular mean ing given to the term used to express it in English.
 Culture is the narrow sense in which most of us use it implies de- velopment of the nfnds refinement of of the sensibilities. enlargement of the spiritual vision. encouragement o1 lofty aspirations. "Ku1tur." on the contrary. is intensely practical and materiaIistic. It is an all en1bracfne term for advanced civilization.
 When the Germans speaks Of 'sKul- t1r'' he means not only scholarship and artistic genius but all the de velopnents in governmental, social and economic betterment.
 He includes expert and honest municipal rule, scientific efficiency fr industry, education and military train. ing high standar ds Of service in pub. lie utilities. conservation of natural re sources, effective measures of public sanitation Ian aggressive commercia, policy, the amehoratfon of poverty and the elimination of uneconomis living conditions, old age pensions, in.
 
 other results of German thoroughpea in dealing with the problems Of ex istence.
 t.Ku1tur'' means not only achieve, ments in the arts and sciences but 1T every day progress. It embraces no only poems and symphonies but di rigfb1e airships, sanitary tenementl and scientific sewage disposal. I covers the whole range of German civilization.
 Itsis for this that the German peo- pie are fighting. Rightly or wrongly 1 they are possessed with the idea tha- other nations have plotted to destros it, and they have proved themse1ves ready for any sacrifice to preserve 1t Humanity may properly depIore ana resent the theory that this 9s ssK Kl1Itur' | magnificent as it is justifies the ig. noring of treaties as scraps of pa per. and efforts to impose it upo1 free nations by force of arms. But i must be conceded that the cause i. not so trifling as generally supposed 1 How much Germany has suffered from the worldwide rnisconception O her favorite word it would be impos sibIe to estimate. But our judgmen is that she might profita,b1y exchang. l her whole fleet of armored zeppelins l for a plan that would blot out tht 1 fatality misunderstood word sscu1ture' from the propaganda. and from tht memory. of mankind.