The sun., 1915-06-20
Won Bernhard Brings His Text Book
Of MilAarism U TO Date.

Won Bernhard Brings His Text Book
ef Mililarism Up to Date.
The prophet Of the present war and
the apolosist Of Prussian miiitarism
as Prussian militarists understand
that term contributes to THE Sun
to-day another Of his enlishtcnins es-
says on the grievous situation. We
say enlightenins. because although
the Won Bernhard line Of thought
Is really at this time about the black
est and narrowest line in the human
spectrum there 10 naught available to
American readers 50 thoroughly rep
resentative Of the FALSE philosophy,
the inverted morality, the amazing
onesidedness Of view, and the ruth
lessness, the heartlesspess Of practical
method which characterize the atti-
tude and policy Of the dominant
group at Berlin; and which, in the
stress Of events, have 20 overspread
Germany and 30 tinged the psychol-
ogy Of q forceful and Intellectual ma
ton as to become to many Germans
code almost synonymous with the
word patriotism"
In this sense the intelligent neu.
tral will welcome and find most in.
forming the argument for Prussian
militarism AZ revised In the presence
Of actualities and brought to date by
the able General Of Cavalry Just
four years after the writing Of his
epoch making book. For, a. GOETHE
said to EcxEsMANN Of SHAxEsPEARE,
He teaches us the mind Of man
kind" % 1t may now almost b said
Of voN BERNHARDr, He teaches US
the mind Of Germankind."
The case Is plain enough az It pre-
sents itself to General TRrrDsroH Won
BExNHARpf's perceptions: The war
was forced upon Germany BY the
wicked militarism Of France and Rus
sia and the equally base navalism of
England. Belgium was a guilty &C
complice In the virtual violation Of
her own neutrality through military
arrangements with the Aifea Frances
militarism Is mercenary and aggres-
sive; for years the republic has been
preparing with the ono thought, to
reconQuer Alsace-Lorraine. Russia's
militarism has likewiss developed on
lines Of selfish interest, lines leading
to the conquest Of Constantinople and
domination Of tho Bafkan States.
British militarism. of course. is Of the
seas: a menace to all nations having
maritime interests. and particularly
a menace to America. The quality,
like the motives, Of all this militar-
ism opposed to Germany In Of a low
order. The reintroduction Of the
three years service term In France
proved the ambitious agyressiveness
Of her intentions. Russia's training
is to "a blind. machinelike obedience
which can never result in independent,
conscious achievement" England's
army land inferenhally her naval
force) is "a horde Of hirellngs thar
serves for money and 10 ready to
fight for any object, be 1t ever 50 rep
rehensible." Such, In short, IL the
character Of the aggressive. offensive
militarism arrayed against Germany
at the outset Of the war. plotting for
Germany's destruction and menacing
the peace of the world.
Now for a picture Of the other sort
Of militarism as conceived by Genera,
Won BERNHARDI, the defensive, inno-
cent, highly civilized militarism Of
Germany, the development Of what he
calls the "blissful" institution of uni
versal conscription.
When, nearly eleven months ago,
the militarlsms Of sinister intentions,
overpreparation and criminal ambi-
tions combined to force Kaiser VIII
HELM to draw his sword in self-ds-
fence and in defence Of the worlds
liberties and the higher interests of
Kultur, the Allies encountered another
militarism which the General Of Cav
airy holds up to admiration in phrases
like these:
THE German nations greatest propa-
gator of Kultur."
TT has elevated a whole nation men
tally and morally"
1T has not confined itself to train the
young men into fighters. 1t has also
furthered and elevated humanity in
them. which to-day Is amply proved by
the strength and conscience and the
humane character OF our methods of
war so brilia ntIv cont ra stip~ v,itb IN,