Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-08
I
GERMANY
Editorial in Kansas City star.)

When Mr. Britling in H. G.. Wells
book m across the German
flynn of Hate" in the early days of
the war he is baffled by 1t and sug-
gests that he would like to look in
side the head of the man who wrote
it to see what was going on there.
The developments Of the war, includ:
to Mexico a recovery OF her "lost
provinces in the United States, have
made many Americans share Mr..
Britling's wonder.
Germany has shown. a national
thought and feeling SO different from
that with which we are acquainted
that we are baffled for the explana-
ton. How can it be, we ask, that
the men whom the world looked up
to as leaders Of thought-Ostwald and
Eucken and Harnack-should be
talking like crazy people?
How cam such a clear-headed ply
Journal de. Geneve: ."Germany,
thanks to --her genius for organiza-
ton, has attained a stage Of civiliza-
ton far higher than that of all other
peoples. Germany wants to organize
Europe, for up to now Europe never
has been organized?" How a Prof.
Eucken say that Ito us, more than
to my other nation, is entrusted the
true structure Of human existence? ?"
Harnack, virtually repeat these words
to a delegation of Americans?
How can a presumably sane Munich
professor, Baron Won Stengel, say:
1.-THE war has demonstrated, through
its course, that we, the Germans.
have been chosen by Providence, from
among all earth's peoples, to put our
selves at the head OF all civilized
nations and guide them to a sure
peace under U protection?"
And how can a scientific man a
distinguished eth~nographer, X. F.
Wolff, lay down this policy for a con-
quering Germany: 1.-THE conqueror
must have an absolute will to DOM
mate and must strive for the political
and clinical humiliation of the van
pushed. He must entirely ignore the
fallacy that the vanquished nave the
right to maintain their language and
nationality. A victorious people, in
vading a country, must insist upon
its privileges in the most ruthless
manner; it will commit no injustice
in doing so, it will merely. derive the
natural consequences of its position
Such men az this can conquer, they
are allowed to conquer. it is their-duty
to conquer"
SoA oSO a. = A~AA
Emil Reich, professor of international
law in the University of Vienna, wrote
a book in which he quoted from nu-
merous German writers on the super
iority Of the German people to all
other nations. In other countries, he
said, occasional writings OF this sort
appeared and were regarded as the
work Of cranks. In Germany this
feeling Of German supremacy was "a
vast wave of national thought"
This national ambition, Dr. Reich
then predicted, must lead to a wal
in which Germany would seek to gain
the leadership of the world. His pre-
diction was correct. Most Of the
world is in arms today to prevent
Germany from imposing its kulture
on other peoples at the point of the
bayonet.
Two reasons for this strange self.
e%xaltation are apparent in the history
Of Germany. Within a half century
the nation sprang from comparative
ship in the world. A sudden rise t
distinction has demoralized individ'
uals. In this case 1t has affected q
whole nation.
And in the second place the politica
rise Of Germany . been based OF
the deliberate use of war as an in
strument of national policy. Such ust
Of war is abhorrent. to Americans
1T was given the glamor Of brillian'
success by Bismarck.
The effect has been to create q ma,
tional spirit which has 1nenaced the
civilization OF the world. It is tt
curb this dangerous spirit that thu
United States iS at war.