Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-30
SIMON PATTEN BACKS
GERMAN KULTUR FOR
WORLD, NOT NATION
University Professor Finds Ad-
mirable Philosophy Distorted
in Propaganda
o T H E R NON-FICTION


Decidedly, Simon N. Patterns little look
Culture and War CB w. Huebsch. New
York;, Is worth more than n casual read.
Ing. 1t Is philosophical treatment OF
great world truths written for the man OF
deeper understanding. 1t Is an attempt,
In the first place. to interpret that "clash
Of ideals" among nations which. according
to the author, Is responsible for the pres
ent world conflict
The opposition of Germanys new cul.
tural philosophy, a vital, growing. dynamic
thing to the static philosophy OF the Anglo.
Saxon, or. In brief the social ideal as op.
posed to the personal, is given as the chief
cause OF our national antagonisms. We
must try TO understand the significance OF
German culture, continues the author, be.
cause II is bound TO become our own. since
the same forces that created II in Ger
many are present here.
But the German belittles his own phllos-
ophy by applying II only TO national prob.
lems making great thing small. Worst
OF all, he uses conflict, or war, as the means
TO attain his end II Is for us TO create
from German culture a "super.culture" rec.
ognizing that the philosophy of conflict,
common TO Teuton and Saxon, Is the chief
deterring force to the triumph of the mag
nificent philosophy of culture
After stating the problem, Mr. Patten
explains the possibilities of separating cul-
ture from war in way which would
necessarily end In the elimination of war.
His conclusions are most stimulating and
convincing. We feel a new world.ldeal talk
ing form and becoming alive and attain
able.
When there was talk of nominating Mr..
Hughes for the presidency in 1908, a volume
or his addresses was published by @. L.
Putnam's Sons New York with an in
production by President Schurman, of Cor
nell University. A new edition of the
addresses has been prepared with. "a supple
mentary introduction, which, combined with
the first constitutes an excellent campaign
biography of Mr.. Hughes The new volume
contains also the famous Youngstown
speech in which the keynote of the 1908
campaign for Tart was sounded. as well as
Mr.. Hughes's telegram accepting the presi-
DENTAL nomination and his Carnegie Hall
| address ,of acceptance. His speech before
| the New York State Bar Association last
January is also given.
This is of particular interest at the pres
| ent time, because in II he discussed the eX-
| tension of the power of Congress over in
| terstate commerce from the point of a view
| of a Justice of the Supreme Court. The
| addresses reveal the mind of the man and
| his attitude toward all the vital public
| questions, but they deserve attention not
primarily because Mr.. Hughes is a can
| didate for office, but because they are
| worthy contributions to the literature of
American social, economic and political
problems.
When soldier comes back from the
| front and tells us of something besides glory
| and courage and misery in the trenches.
| we have much to be grateful for. In this
! day of scarcity Of paper few real truths
| of the European struggle, such as Patrick
| MacGills RED Horizon" (Doran, N. W,
| would suffice for all the useless romance and
glamour which we usually get from the
| battlefield. ~
There is more behind the war than senti-
| mental patriotism. There is even some
| thing besides tragedy and death. There
| is a reality ,and everydayness which most
| participants ignore as unnteresting. Yet
| when Mr.. MacGill tells of that side he fires
| sensitive minds with seditlon rather than
| patriotism. 1t may be a minor matter as
| far as hidden diplomatic actions are con-
| cerned, whether a lot of robust men and
| beardless boys spend hours, days and
months in filthy trenches, eating food III
| for the pigs, or depending on their miser-