New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-07
The Teuton Spirit
Self-Revelation Of the Passions
OF Our Adversaries

HIREAH AND HAILEMIAH Tire rea,hns
- teruauys Poets Proph,f.. Professors aid
Frca.lcis A Recommendation Ns D. J. Bans
~ ,oprnlsscn From The Danish ry Jessie
B..r.lrr With n rtfodurIDI l' h'IiH
Como. !-mo.. ~ -i G'os" Dora"
Company
The title Of this conscientiously
edited and too eahghtcning compilation
is taken from a volume Of poems by
Konsistorialrath Dietrich Norwerk. in
which the German spirit i'm wartime
comes TO Characteristic self-eNpression.
In the first edition Of Pastor Nor-
werk's poems there occurred para
phrase OF the Lords Prayer. and as II
did not appear in later editions of the
book Professor Bang reproduces the
concluding part:
Though the warriors bread he
ScantY. do Thou work dallN dea'h
and tenfold woe unto the enemy.
Forgive in merciful long suffering
each bullet and each blow when
misses It's mark, Lead us not lhlo
the temptation Of letting our
y
Thy divine Judgment, Deliver us
and our Ally from the internal
Enemy and his servants on earth
Thine is the kingdom, the German
land; may we. by aid Of ny steel
clad hand. achieve the power ana
the glory.
I'm his search for literary revelations
Of the soul of Germany this editor has
paid no heed to publications Of the
gutter class. Religious papers OF good
standing like the Allgemelne Evan
gelisch Luthcrische klrchenzeltung'
sermon volumes some OF them decor
ated with the Iron Cross, by Pastors H.
Francke. Of Liognitz; Walter Lehman
Of Hamberge. i'm Holstcin; Karl Kong
and Dean TolZlen. OF Schwerln; I'M
versitv professors like l. Won W llano-
witt M0llenlo the famous phllolo-
gist; Harnack and Deissmann. and the
venerable W Hermann, of MarbuIg;
ii is from sources like these that Dr.
Bang brings his entirely AUTHENTICATED
report That there should be such ire
in heavenly minds is not matter OF
mystery. bat that fanatic national
ism should so work havoc with the
poetries and PHILOSOPHERS and theoIo-
gics is a phenomenon to give us pause:
Here. for instance. is Dr.. Preuss. OF
Erlangen, finding IN the Passlon OF
Christ a parallel for the suiferings oil
Germany. The Russian Gar plays the
deplorable part Of Plate. France IL the
light-minded and frivolous Herod. Eng
land is the envious Sanhedrln. 1T was
the hidden meaning of God that he
made Israel the forerunner Of the Mes
siah. and in the same way he has by
his hidden intent designated the Ger
man people TO be his successor
tNachdeuter)" Why New York which
is TO welcome Billy Sunday. should give
but grudging hospitality TO fleet Of
German submarines is something of
conundrum when YOU listen to Herr
Pastor jon. Rump. who sets forth this:
THE war now shows the elementary
revolt. against the moral idea IN the
world. We fight thanks and praise
be TO God-for the cause Of Jesus with
in mankind"
The provorbial fitness Of any stick
to beat dog is not resorted to by the
compiler Of these German reactions.
DR.. Bang is awake to the fact that tho
nauseous political pictisms are not
everywhere swallowed IN the land OF
Luther, and he is careful to quote men
Of more moderate mind. Identified
ton of national beatitudc with the
Divine Glory has been practised out
side the Kaiser's country, and there is
no use pretending that a sane national
ism may not invoke the approval OF
whatever gods there be. What stands
out clearly in this amazing book is the
sclf-sophistication OF which too many
high minds in Germany have become
the victims. the civic paranoia that
makes the Prussian state the "scun-
hered" of all mankind