The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17

,r-uE driving power behind this
- - the frantic desire Of the
German peoples under the
devastating influence OF Prus-
s, uuic. the direction OF Berlin. TO
.,,,pj leir direct influence over the
c,rid This desire is due to one thing:
,n, Germans belief that they are
..,rcr,or ,o the other European peo-
pies.
81, is no tbs hour too lat, and OF
,,le moment to ask If this claim is
.,,rre,t suffice 1t to say that to any
.,b.r nation ,har the German the mere
,,,,y NJ the calm It's sheer conceit and
s,nnt9iy. .s grotcsque. To the German.
,.novcr b, is a fact to be assumed as
.,,ona,.t. as automatic as our belief
nat Tho SIM will rise tomorrow morn
,,c something Inevitable, a belief with
a., which life would not be worth
wing
win abrupt gestures Hilaire Belloc.
n. author. emphasized his sentences,
walking rapidly around his little study,
hon GU. INTO the hall Of his house near
1ondon. the interviewer following him
Ground Ike a faithful dog, waiting like
,,.,bfu dog for some recognition OF
~, presence. For Mr. Belloc may be
descrlbed as an absent minded talker;
~ deliberately discards the people
whom he is addressing He talks
through them, over them, around them,
arguing. wrestling with some mighty
companv VI opponents that are not
there 10 you, his material audience, but
which are existent and vital to him.
"The second great German conviction
that brought about this was is this:
the Germans believe that it is their
mission TO hold off the Slav from the
rest OF Europe our views conflict there.
We think Of the Germans-and this is
narticularly true Of the Prussians-as
a people originally barbarlc whom
Us with great pain and trouble finally
succeeded in Christianizing. For the
Germans did not enter the European
hegemony of the Powers Till quite late
in the history Of Europe.
"This is the way We view them But
thsy SEQ themselves as the great bull
vark against the East, as the most i'm
nor,ant factor in retarding the advance
~ the East against the West. The his
tory Of Prussia for instance, is nothing
more than the history of a small civil
lied body Of Teutons absorbing and
drilling and Germanizing the various
form Of Slavic barbar1sm along the
Baltic plain.
1t is the same with Austria. She too
mas always considered herself the bull
wark against the Eastern menace. She
w!ths.ood the shock Of the invasion OF
The Huns and the attempted conquest of
Europe by the Mohammedans. She has
been in the past engaged in constant
warfare with barbaric Slav elements
along her frontiers. This role of bull
wark against the East. then. Is felt
strongly by tho Germans of Germany
and the Germans OF Austria These
peoples feel that Russia menaces them
with barbarsm-that they are defending
Europe against the great S!av peril.
They feel this sincerely. 1t is their
great creed
81 think myself that the original oh
ject Of Austria and Germany in this
war was 10 do no more than to con-
strain Russia without fighting to
humilate her as they Inundated her in
1909 at the time of the shining ar1nor
episode. when Austria annexed Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Russia at that time
dId not dare to fight She was unpre.
pared And am quite sure that neither
Berlin nor Vienna believed that she
would dare TO fight this time.
Put the moment that Russia showed
that she desired to fight the horror OF
the Slav menace that lies at the bot
tom of every Germans soul grew ram
pant and hurried attempt was made
10 prevent France from aiding her ally
That attempt failed-as it was bound &c
fail Germany then saw that she must
attack France before she was forced 70