New-York tribune., 1915-03-06
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
Professor Cramb on the Ideals of British lmPe-
rialism and German Critic on HIS
Own Country s Shortcomings.

But there i. far more in this book
than this defence Of the Boer war WIN
its ruthless ruin Of non-combatan'
property and its extinction OF non,
combatant lives. and IL is this iha'
gives IL permanent value. Professot
cramb ia the idealistic historian OF
tho evolution Of the ideal Of Brush
;mperialism as he sees it. He traces II
from lis unconscious, cropping, blunder,
ing beginnings in the Hundred ears
war 10 It's conscious realization OF pur.
nose-of a high mission al the end OF
The eighteenth century: democratic I'M
nerialism and all its blessings. Eng
isnd was in = serious mood IN those
davs; far more serious, II seems IMAM
IL is as vet in its present Tar greater
crisis. Hence Professor Crambs sol
emn look into the future; his estimate
OF the long tenure OF iite' OF 'he per
sis4erce Of British imperial ideals
long after. in the course Of human af-
fairs. the physical empire shall have
passed away.
A. the end Of the nineteenth century,
as in the first decade Of the twentieth,
he lauded war and "abhorred peace and
n world all sunk in bovine content
Imperialism will greater and
eXalt the character of war.
In the wars Of an imperial state
the ideals of all the wars Of the
past still live. From the earliest
tribal forays, slowly broadening
through the struggles of feudahsm
and the Plantagenet kings to the
wars Of the nation, one creative
purpose. one Informing principle
links century 10 century, develop
ing itself at last in the wars OF
empire, wars for the larger free
dom. the higher justice.
And looming already on the hori-
zon, the wars of races rise porten-
tous. which will touch TO purposes
yet higher and more mystic the
wars Of empires.
The book is Anglo-SaXon 10 the core
a prose epic of a nation and race. ~
teens with thought and suggestion; II
glows with the same eloquence that
makes Germany and England litera-
ture.
The German extremists, military and
otherwise. have been made accessible ia
us in translation; and the American
and English studies Of pan-Germanism
nIblished COR our information have
been chiefly based upon their ideas and
words. Most important, therefore. IS
Mr.. Won Mach's translation OF the worN
OF German patriot who, two years
AGO. spoke out frankly 70 his people
and its government on their shortcom
inqs and mistakes Mr. Rohrbach
book gains. moreover, in signihcance by
being read in connection with Fro
fessor Cramb's.
The English historian has traced FOR
us the British imperial ideal; by It's
side Germany aspires to give 20 the
world an ideal of its own that Ger
man "Kultur" which contains so much
that is Of greatest value to al OF us.
although the word itself mas for the
moment fallen into disrepute through
much abuse and Misrepresentation.
That the world at large mas not as yet
been able to recognize the ideal as dls-
tinct from the material side OF TINS
proffered German contribution 20 lts
civilization is. Mr. Rohrbach holds. the
fault Of the Germans themselves. In
deed. ne doubts whether they themselves
as vet realize il clearly. To make
them understand this, he points with
warm anpreciation TO the British ma
tional consciousness Of British I'm
perial ideas. The Briton is born TO
This consciousness; II is the atmosphere
which he breathes from childhood; il
permestes his educational system. No'
go in Germany, where this realization
of destiny has only just been born and
where. educationally, nothing IS as yet
done 20 foster It:
What do the German schools do
for the national idea? II we
should confess that they are doing
very little, We should probably be
told that whatever is possible "a
done by placing emphasis on the
pstriotic element in the lessons,
etc. Quite true Much is done IN
this direction, even too much. be
cause time and labor spent on such
things completely miss in most
cases the very requirements OF
national education. The ofhcial
German school patriotism considers
it its duty TO I'll the pupils with
enthusiasm for the united father
land and the personalities who
were instrumental in bringing the
union TO pass. Inc mis-
take in our education IS that the
national values are showA to our
youths from q wrong angle They
are taught that we have advanced
so far thanks TO our great princes
and leaders, and that we must
value what has been achieved and
be ready TO protect 1t with our
blood and our possessions as our
foth.r. did. This kind Of educa-