The Washington times., 1915-11-27
THE GERMAN MISTAKE

The GERMAN MISTAKE
1t is quite immaterial whether the
details are accurate as they are rep
resented in a dispatch from Berlin
that tells of the downfall Of an ef-
fort in behalf of nationalistic dress
reform for women in Germany. The
story goes that the meeting listened
to reformers describe the desirable
ity of having a distinctively national
mode for German women. 1t should
include no foreign fabrics and "trip
peries," gauds. and gauze. The pro-
posed fashions are not described in
the all-too-brief dispatches; but it
may safely be assumed that they
were to stand for sterner ideals.
The Berlinese ladies, it appears,
rejected the reform. Advised to
patronize no more Paris fashions,
they applauded the Partisan frocks
and jeered the Spartan types that
we're set before them as character
istically German. The meeting
broke up in a sad failure for the
reform project.
Perhaps this little story of the
Berlin women contains a moral that
is worth while. Our German. or
leastwise our Prussian friends, have
conceived the very self-satisfied idea
that they are sole custodians Of all
the ideas worth while in this world.
AS supermen. how could they claim
less? They are certain that their
government. their economies, their
morals. their philosophy, their meth
DDS of killing, their aniline dyes,
their electrical paraphernalia, their
literature, drama, poetry, every
thing, are rather better than have
been produced anywhere else.
That is rather a common human
failing. Other nations have been
so afflicted. Americans are long
way from presenting an exception.
We call it provincialism in the other
fellow, and patriotism in ourselves.
The Britsher is quite as much
sinner against catholicity of taste as
is the German.
The worlds sense Of humor has
kept it from falling under the spell
of any such notion for very long at
a time. Berlin may make better phi
losophy and dynamos than Paris I;
but Paris makes better gowns and
} pate de foie gras; SO the world gets
philosophy and electric equipment at
Berlin, and journeys to Paris for
clothing and cooking. Berlin may
know more about housing working
, men; but London has some impress
I sive ideas about making the work
, ngman an autonomous citizen; SO
: the world studies housing in Berlin
| and democratic ideals in London.
1t is because of this selective in.
r stinct and disposition that the world
E gets on. Comes now the German
3 which is also the universal-pro
5 vincialism of satisfaction. and
organizes a very large gun factory
, as basis of propaganda in behalf OF
, these German convictions. The rest
8 of the world has been content to talk
3 and admire itself, and wonder why
: other people were SO curiously anc
: inexcusably different. The Germans
, not only wondered, but solemnly de
: cided that the rest of the world was
2 all wrong. The German model wa!
: best; therefore the rest Of the worlt
n ought to adopt tin everything. I,
the rest of the world wouldn't dt
t so peaceably and amiably, then Ger
s man ideas should be shot into i
S from very large cannon, or poket
{ in at the point of very sharp bay
r onets.
S That's what caused this war. Tn,
n German view is a bit amusing t,
y those who have seen the world de
d velop by process of exchanging
: ideas and products. Until quite re
O Gently, when the big guns began t.
It go off, the world accepted thes
e Germanic pretensions with no grea
l. seriousness. When they began t
s. menace the security of folks else
where, those folks began to max
y their protests vigorous and NOR
I'd than vocal.
c. The Berlin ladies have reall
E. given sign that Germany after a
,e is not unlike the rest of us. The
,e are willing that their men-folk
d. should boss the world, and supcrin
lie pose German philosophy and ccc
c. Monies and transportation an
Sc chemistry on it; but they don't il