The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-05-04
Dislike,

Engelbert Pernerstorfer Is the vice pres
ident OF the Austrian house of delegates.
He has written an article published in tho
Berliner Tageblatt and the New York
Times 1t should have wide and thought
full reading both in Germany and Ameri-
ca. This II doubtless will have, since il
appears in two journals commanding both
large calculations and intellectual constit-
uencies
In examining the political psychology Of
the German people Herr Pernerstorfer
quotes Hugo Preuss's The German Peo-
pie and Politics." noting a fundamental
divergence between German psychology
finds an explanation Of the revulsion Of
others against Germany. critical ex-
animation discloses certain grave Ger
man defects" Their casting off Is essen
tial to the restoration OF a lasting Euro
pean peace. The realization of this sis
or supreme Importance alike to the flu
ture of the German empire and the future
of European civilization"
Germany Ia supposed to be hated be-
cause of Prussian militarism, says Herr
Pernerstorfer, and yet, of the three great
military states. Russia, France, and Ger
many, Germany occupies the third place
as far as the cost of armament Is con-
cerned. Dust as If the cost of armament
made militarism0
However this may be, he concludes that
Prussian militarism is a pretext. and that
the key to an understanding of the con-
trast between Germany and western Eu-
! rope is in the difference in internal poll
| tics. And here he finds the lesson to be
learned by the central empires from the
war.
The chief difference in the internal poll
tics Of the central powers on the one
hand, and western Europe, on the other,
is found in the subsection of the Ger
manic peoples to what they call the
"Obrigkelt"-that is to say, the superior
authorities-as contrasted with a genuine
consttutionalism and parliamentary form
of government in England and France.
forms which. as this writer says, 'alone
insure the participation of all sections Of
the people" He proceeds:
ITO be sure, It may be asked, What do
you want Of England and what of France
In the one the nobility rules; in the other,
finance. Is not the rule of enlightened
absolutism' to be preferred?
Yes and no The rule Of an enlightened,
honest, and stateSmanlike monarch Is GER
tainly of greater advantage than the rule
of a nobility greedy for power or Of a
financial clique greedy for money. But
even II the enlightened absolutism pos
sessed the very greatest advantages, We
have, as matter of fact, now outgrown 1t.
ITS half-consttutional, weakened form.
Civilized peoples desire free path for all
their members
Even an opponent Of Prussian Junker-
dom can admit its services, but It
is a depressing feeling that 1t has the
privilege Of ruling the German people.
Even 10 an opponent OF the Social OemOc-
racy It must be humllatng to
think how 1t was treated by the German
government.
The majority Of the German people
consists by no means of conservative elc-
ments. Nevertheless, II has endured being
ruled conservatively. ." So are we in
Austria But among us the omnlpotenco
of the 'Obrigke!t' is restricted by reason
of numerous strong national movements
frequently directed against one another"
The conclusion Of the whole matter Is
that men Of progress in other countries
see in Germany the embodiment Of prin-
ciple which is inimical to the spirit of
progress. They remember the incentive to
their own progress that came from
France, they remember-to use Herr Per-
nerstorfer's words-the ancient fame of
England as the home of parliamentary
self-government and personal freedom"
They also recall the fact Ito use his
phraseOlogy AGAIN. that until the very
recent past Russian czarism had no
stronger friend than the German "Obrig-
keit."
That. concludes this Austrian writer,
and not because of Prussian piltarlsm, Is
why Germany Is disliked. She must carry
out internal political reforms II she would
conquer this aversion.