The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-02
GERMAN MILITARIsu.
Dr. Baruch Defines and Defends Its Only
Henencent Phase.

many persons read headlines only I de-
sire to show what | condemn and what
defend In German milltarism. said
England had bitter cause to rue its dis
regard of the urgent advice Of its la
mented inilharist General Roberts to form
"A large army.
Hatred of mlitarsm has been inflamed
by earnest and kindly orators VINO have
related incidents of impertiuence and
pOmposity on the part OF silly young ON
GERS strutting around with clanking
spurs. Tho slightest reflection must show
that II Is just as unfair to deduce from
such incidents the idea that all officers
and the people OF Germany are Doors as
II would be for Germany to deduce from
the uncouth conduct Of some OF our
pouveaux riches that ali Americans have
had manners or that all Yankees speak
with a. nasal twanR.
| hate the Zsubern type of militarism,
which. by The way, is now receiving It's
death blow | admire and defend only
that chief and benencent phase OF DER
man mihtarism which has built up Ger
many TO the point at which 1t has
aroused the fcrocious envy Of It's rivals
that has plunged these nations into war.
Obedience TO authority, the incubation Of
precision and method from tho cradle to
the grave, represent this phase of mill
tarism. ANY one who has seen the
slovenly peasants and uncouth young men
of all vocatiOns emerge from their mill
taerdenst' neat, methodical, self-rcspoct-
ing erect men who understand that they
must respect the authority Of those whom
their employers place over them In their
respective callings, must acknowledge that
the drill sergeant may do wonders.
What this much abused militarisn may
accomplish In the enhancement Of ell
cheney is demonstrated by Germany's SUI
premacy In learning. science. art. agr'-
culture and Industries For example. Pro-
fessor SUBWAY told hts pedagogic col.
leagues the other day that the German
child spends l6 per cent. more time In
school than the American. And In the
outlook Of September Professor Scott
tells US that "by wonderful research and
intensive cultivation OF the soil Germany
has increased its production ~ wheat Sc
per cent. In thirty years and other grains
In proportion, while IN our own country,
not accursed with militarism, the yield
has remained stationary"
In the pig iron industry Germany
stands second IN the world despite lts
inferior ore. In England the increase was
50 per cent. less. The foreign trade Of
Germany has increased in the last
twenty years 1875 per cent. Ia the manu-.
facture Of machinery Germany has risen
in twenty-five years from 81 million
goods from 206 million marks to 5Sl
million. In coal from 20 to iS6 million
IN textile fabrics from 26l to a66 million.
The professor concludes This explains
why We ind the German strongly in
trencbed In all foreign markets, and he
deserves IT,"
That this marvellous forging ahead OF
Germauy's is the real cause Of the present
war no fair minded man will deny. Eng
land said in the interest OF her people
Thus far shalt thou go and no further
and Germany resented this Limitation In
the interest OF her own tOllers
Then came the clash. | do not want to
he understood as advocating the adoption
Of the German plan in all its details but,
az | have written elsewhere. the summer
camps and drilling Of the students and
the drilling OF the boy scouts will prove
of great value by training IN obedience
TO authority, I'm whicvh the American boy
is sadly lacking. An efficient army and
navy not Handicapped by out of date
submarines, constructed and controlled 10y
naval experts rather than under direC-
ton of laudlubbers. IL our dire need.
\ large navy has not driven England
into war ~ conquest during the past half
century, the presence ~ the largest pos
sible army has not impclled Germany to
attack even its well known enemies when
they were Frustrated 10y war Not until
the Empcror's advisers had absolute
proof of a coalition aimed at its annhila-
ton did Germany rise In ts armed might.
We may we'll take a lesson from this
history. our country has not to-day as
large an army in proportion to It's terri
tory as IL had in its earliest history
when our statesmen formulated their OPP
position to "a standing army. We must
go SLOW" but take warning by the sad
experience Of England, which to its sor
row disrcgardcd the advice OF its highest
expert We may protitably imi-
tate German militarism In this respect
The most horrifying bugahOO held up
before the American people by well inten-
toned persons Is the belief that the idea
that might makes right was made in
Germany Unfortunately might has
made right ever since the world evolved
from chaos under tho might Of nature.
by devastating fire. rushing Mood, thun-
doring glacier, her might proved itself
benehCont. In tho animal and vege-
table world this might has manifested it,
SELF in the evolution of higher types. Ap-
plying these truths to the case In point
have not the various Christian seCts es-
tablishod themselves through might from
the time Of the Council Of Aries to the
Thirty Years war and later Have not
Russia and France and England very
established aud maintained their
sovcregnties by might? Has not this
Union been reestablshed by might? The
Indian has been subdued and tn" MeNi-
cans been deprived Of Texas and Call
forna with benencent results to the whole
world. Why then declare Germany Grim
inal for acting on the same principle?
The answer Is this time the other
mans OK is gorcd." To-day We are
forced to let our southern people suffer
because by right Of might England in
sists upon our not exporting cotton To
that country, though II would bring joy
To the southern people without iujurlng
England materially. Are We not q bit
As 10 crushing Germany, that people
has never been crushed. Was Prussia,
the founder Of the German Empire,
crushed when IL was ground into the
dust between Gustav Adolphus and Tlly
IN the Thirty Years war? Germany, at
that time the most prosperous country in
the world, had its population reduced from
81, 900. O00 inhabitants Ia l2,0OO,00O. pid
not Germany rise to greater heights after
ward? Was tins people crushed when In
1914 Louis XIV. had beaten the Great
Iclector Of Brandenburg 50 that h. prayed
MAY Some avcuger ariss' from our bones,
twenty-five years later the avcugcr ar
rived ana was promoted to the kiugsnip
Of Prussia. Was Prussia crushed when
after the battle Of kuhnersdorf In August
1853. Frederick the Great wrote to his
NJ nster. FrieSenstoin: IAN is lust--savr
the royal family shall not survive the
ruin Of the Standardization forever"
Three years later he won the battle of