Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-12-13
PHILOSOPHY AND WAR

logical diagrams sustaining his arguments, then the champion of mon
ishc pantheism, is now quoted as, in his last days, a follower of Metz
sche's doctrine of the superman and supernahon, which latter he as
sumed was Germany. He said:
Gone single hghiyculturedG German warrior, OF l7ose Who, alas, are
falling in thousands represents a higher intellectual smd moral life value
than hundreds of the raw children of nature (Nata1renschen) whom
England, France, Russia and italy opposed to them.
The allied nations cannot shut their eyes to tue extent of Metz
sche's influence on the German people, particularly on the military and
student classes.
The book oftenest found in knapsacks OF German prisoners is
Nietzsche's "Rarathustra." The doctrine of Gernasny superiority and
the mission of Germany to dominate the world hs been accepted by
the professors of the universities, and so hes takan hold of the nation.
Professor Euckem says: "We have q right 10 81. that we form
the soul of humanity"
DR.. Preuss says: God has chosen the Germ people, and can
never be altered"
bursts the bounds of its original meaning, which We may we'll take as
the conservation of our German miesion, aye az Of tha salt of the
earth; ye arr the light of the earth; we are the lh. u the World"
Nietsche advocated expansion and terTorizat}oa. le declared:
aye shall love peace as a means to new wars, as the short peace
more than the long" He thinks weaker nations he-e no rights. He
says: "That the lambs should bear a egudge az s4st the great birds
blame the great birds of prey for picking up the .aea5s." AL this is
sort of the evolution which eliminated in the super .sa and nation.
Professor Z. Wagner says: "a great people neets new territory.
1t must expand over foreign soil. 1t must ezpel tic foreigners by the
migratons of the inferior peoples"
pansion must extend from the North Sea and the III 10 .ha PERSIAN
Gulf, absorbing the Netherlands and Lu1ambe1a p Whole basin of
the Danube, the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Mine
Professor Won Tietschke said: eve must 81 mat the outcom
Of the next war must be the acquisition OF COLONIES y any possible
means"
Not only Nietschke, but Won Tietschbe, Bernhcsli and other lead
es of thought, have g!orifed war as a civlzng asaar d beautiful and
necessary method OF national advance. Won Iies AXE says; War is
a fountain of health for the people"
General Barnhardi believes in aggressive war. q vac Of conquest.
He says: "Wars which have been deliberately provyAe1 by far-seeing
statesmen have had the happest results"
American and other writers, while crtcizing Nt>tzsohes phioso-
ply, failed to recognize the hold it had taken on the leaders Of Ger
his glorifcaion of force and belitting of love ara peace. He said:
II warn warn; you aad against GndMtep pity h's Al. And so again: n1h e s. 81 o 5oa.1 i are as
His followers took this up: Won Tietschke sad: Every sover-
ein state is entitled to repudiate treaties" Genera. vn Hartman
said: Terrorism is useful! to keep people in a s.z.e q submission"
General Won Blsslng SAD: NAnynIng ths tesTof@ss te enemy is a
patriotic and praiseworthy act" General Bernhasal. said; "In the
struggle for possessions, sovereignty and power, rights respected only
so far as il compatible with advantage"
General Won Diworth, replying in the Harnbrzs@r Nach1ichen to
the charge that his soldiers had committed barbara ouStages against
non combatants, said: Frankly we are and mus be barbarians if
by this we understand those who wage wa relentc=sy. Every act
of whatsoever nature committed by our soldiers fa1 the purpose of
dscouraging our enemies is fully justified"
Such utterances might be multiplied almost indefinitely. William
Archer, in his "Gems G) OF German Thought" gives over i've humid
red quotations from German professors, military men, pastors, etc,
asserting German superiority and right to rule, and 20 break treaties,
disregard international law, and terrorize by ruthiessness all who
oppose.
The Imperial Government has, for a generation, absolutely con-
troled education and the press and the Church, as @aj as the army.
The whole nation has had drilled into it the phlosoA1y Of the super
man and supernation, and that might makes right ac5 that anything
is right which is to the advantage of the Imperial Government.
We find such men as Professors Oncken and [arnack defend.
ing the rape of Belgium and the outrages perpetrated ii that country.
Professor Oncken says that great nations "hava > right TO stride
over exstences that can not defend themselves"
Professor Aarnack, referring to Chancellor voa Bethraann-HoI-
w tggts admission aanis a3 n in the Rsishst or that ehan e c ny. 53a. voia tss+ the The
80 IT. nIu IS . .ar3a;nA, ssaaa Ha~a + az - .Ha" - 20 wv W.
compares the case to that of David when he ate the shew bread, and
says "The letter of the law no longer existed" thus going beyond the
Chancellor's admission that it was wrong, but necessary, He holds
that, though a plain violation of treaty, it was rgh%, because neces-
sary to the German program.
This is really the essence of the Nietzschean philosophy that the
supernaton rules by divine right and can do anythiaa which is to its
i advantage.
RI This philosophy, taught by professors and ecaoed by military
d authorities, found expression in the pulpit, Pastor Baunngartner said
"Whoever can not approve the sinking of the Lusnana we count him
81 no true German"
In a volume, Germany in the Twentieth cs1ta5y," We read
9 "The crime of opposing Germany is so great GA most trenchan
measures are scarcely a sufficient punishment for it.' The same
: writer says: "Whoever enters upon a war will do It 10 look to his
own interests and pay no heed to any international lew. He will dc
well to act without consideration and without scrupIe."
The teaching of this philosophy has borne fsis in the creates
e commercial, financial, mechanical and military maeh.ae the world has
s ever known, under the direction Of men who hold taat whatever they
decree is right, and that otaer nations have no rights which they are