Evening journal., 1915-06-08
The German Children
(From the Wall Street Journal.

No country in the world presents
such a long series Of contradictions
in character and characteristics as
does Germany.
Forging ahead as the greatest busi-
ness nation and organizer OF business
IN the world, Il tosses all il has won
TO the scrap heap, without murmur
and without a cause-iust as chill
dren build playhouses. become an
gered for causes nobody can explain
and tear them down.
The home and cradle of religious
liberty, she is without religion and
without liberty.
One of the most scientific nations in
the world, the closest student OF man
and sociology, of histories and Of
governments, she has absolutely no
science of government as related to
humanity. Her science OF government
has not progressed one whit except on
material lines such as substituting
shrapnel for spearheads. Her admir-
able system of town and city admins
tration is not government at all, in
the Anslo-Saxon sense. II is just bus
mess, the people hiring a business ad-
ministrator as a proprietor would hire
a factory superintendent But in that
administration, as a government. the
people take no part. In the village,
as in the nation, the government is
thing apart from the people.
Nor will the people have II other
wise. They will not govern them
selves. They are so scientific that
they see the benefits of hiring experts
for government. and from business
standpoint they see the efficiency OF
individual obedience
From this standpoint can be seer
the wonderful efficiency Of the loca
business OF municipal administrators
| in Germany, and the absolute failure
of the same system when applied tC
German colonial administration. Fol
| efficient government the people mus
be obedient children.
The Germans submit TO the rule o
Prussia because of its war efficiency
and the Prussians submit to the ruli
Of the Hohenzollerns because contin
uity in administration begets business
efficiency. Students Of man, the Ger
mans fail TO see that their business
efficiency in local government canno
be transplanted and grown success
fully upon foreign soil.
| ChildhOOd's Limitations.
Talk with a German and you vii
quickly learn that he is unable to se
why, if the German efficiency in gov
ernment is good in Berlin. it shoul'
not be acceptable for London, or New
York, or for the whole world. II
has been taught for a generation tina
it is somewhat his duty to expanl
German "Kultur," which is only an
other word for his business efficiency
so that he may extend its blessing
to the whole world.
The German does not want to rul
over the whole world-he wants hi
system to prevail over the Who'll
world. He says; Look at the slum
OF London and New YOrk-can yol
find them in Berlin or Hamburg?'
Student of sociology, he can see
only from the German standpoint
again kind or child, among the ma
tions Of the earth.
The German nation is entitled to il
childishness because II is the young
est nation in the world. Il has nc
yet spanned two generations.
Its diplomacy is that Of childrei
|, II cannot be expected that the Gei
man nation in It's intercourse wit
other nations should be either polisl
ed in speech or polite In manner, {
mature in logic