South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-15
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AN ENGLISHMAN
SCOURGES ENGLAND
( x K x x x i I < \ < 4 !

n ~ v
The England of old had been able
10 enjoy the priceless treasure OF an
absolute immunity against a foe from
without. and il had waged it's wars
with alien troops. England was known
throughout all Europe for it's comfort
and "-merriness." But all that has
changed. So far as merry old Eng
land" is concerned-and who does not
love its fne flower as given 10 us by
Shakespeare and Walter Scott from
the spacious ages of Henry the Eighth
and Queen Elizabeth this same
England began TO vanish, at first
gradually, then with amazing rapid
ity, but always in direct proportion
to, though in inverse ratio with, the
development of it's overseas commerce
and industry. The novels of the 18th
century retain this atmosphere in a
kind of sultry and eerie aftergloW;
the genius of Dickens shows IL light
ing up the hearts of a few naive and
twisted souls wavering towards death
between caricature n a melan-
choly insight into their own unreal
and shadowy destiny. Today the last
trace has vanished; today England
has nothing to show Of geniality, nor
broad, good-natured humOr, nor gaiety
SO far as the national life - con-
cerned. All is haste, money, noise,
pOmp, ~Vulgarity. ostentatiOn, arrog-
ance, envy. Who does not recall the
beautiful old English Christmas garn-
ished with palm-branches and mistle-
toe under which innocent kisses were
stolen? Thirty years ago no English
man could have been lured from his
home on his day; today the restau-
rants of London are bespoken weeks
in advance; family jostles family at
thousands Of tables. An orgy OF drink
ing. eating. and noise ensues until
midnight sounds, when there is an
Outburst in unison of some trivial gut
ter-song. or the obnoxious and tire
some For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
After which the tables are cleared
away and young men and young
women abandon themselves 10 violent
and promiscuous negro dances, whilst
their elders plays bridge in adjoining
rooms. l believe no sane Englishman
will dispute my word when l declare
once We were merry; we are merry
no more"
II is my absolute conviction that
this catastrophe. his complete de-
struction of English gaiety, English
wisdom. and English honesty (for
this. too. was once p~rOVerbial) is TO
be ascribed TO the circumstance that
a people whose social fabric was thus
like a house divided against itself were
suddenly abandoned or seduced into
a devotion 10 war, trade. and piracy.
All characterization, education. art,
arms, law, social customs-must, If
II is 10 penetrate the entire nation,
have as its p%ostulate a unity among
the people So that the humblest cit
izen may share in it 1t is needless
10 point out how fully this condition
is fulfilled in Germany. In England
we find nothing OF the sort. No soon
er was the worthy AnglO-SaXon peas
ant converted into n freebooter. than
we behold the blond beast as Met
zsche saw il in his unreasonable
dream; and no sOOner had the re
fined" mobiles of the 18th century lost
their spiritual interests and begun
20 lust after gold. than the heaTtless
slave-dealer stood revealed crea-
ture distinguished from the Spanish
robber merely through his hypocrisy.
There is no human type more brutal
than the brutal EnElishman, for
brutality forms the very basis OF his
being. He may not he evil at heart:
he may be frank. energetic, and our
ageous. But he is submerged in an
ethiopian ignorance: he has never un-
dergone the discipline OF obedience
and reverence: he knows OF no other
ideal than that CT fighting mis- way
through
such today is political England
precisely as Burke had predicted il
would become; a nation Of dissem-
blers, forgers. liars and cheats. ! have
no faith in the unlimited power Of
England OF which we hear so much,
for true power lies rooted only in
moral strength. The idividual Eng
lishman may he courageous and eve
efficient. but the state of England IS
rotten unto its very marrow.
Germany IS a country so essentially
different that England. the political
ENGLAND OF today. has been a riddle
% her for many years. Again and
again has Germany permitted herself
10 be deceived. and almost I fear that
this may occur no less in the future
which might we'll prove fatal. Fol
that reason. I. an EnClishman. must
have the courage 10 attest the truth.
We can be saved only by a wise.
strong, and victorious Germany
Houston Stewart chamberlain. n the
July number OF The North American .
Review.