The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-12-06
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
What Caused This Great War?

among which may be ranked the char
acter of their education. The influence
of the higher schools of a country es-
pecially their universities, has far more
to do with moulding the character and
shaping the destiny of the people, than
is generally supposed.
For years the head of the teaching of
German Universities has been away
from the Bible and its teaching. This
has been the result of 1t, though the
claim was, and has been persistently
made that they were the real teachers
of the word. The so called Higher
Criticism" had its origin in German
schools and every one who has paid any
attention to it and know the baneful
results Of it, can't help but recognize
its destructive influence.
1t has shaken the faith of multitudes
in the inspiration of the scriptures; it
has fostered supreme selfshness, and
elevated into the category of virtues.
While self has been defied. They have
wrested the word so as to make it
teach the divine right of kings" and
in keeping with this idea, that country
has claimed the distinction of being the
world S director and ruler; the keeper
of "kultur" and the dispenser of every
social, national and religious good. One
of the greatest of her philosophers and
teachers, who had more than q national
influence was Frederick William
Nietzsche. He was the philosopher of
the will power and of Immorahsm. 3"
But we may, presume, conclude that
the effect Of his teaching was mani
tested in him, for when a man throws
off all allegiance to God, and renounces
all obligation to Him, there is no excess
to which he may not go. His mind
gave way under the strain of his siren
uous efforts that he became q maniac
in 1888 He died in 1900 but the world
could not claim to be better for his hay
ing lived. Without doubt he made it
worse and IN part at least, the inlu-
ence Of his life's work led TO and its
influence is seen in this war that is de-
vastating the world And what was
the object? To establish world power,
of which Germany should be dominant
and the Kaiser the Dictator. Let US
look at some of the teaching of intel
lectual idol of Germany. Speaking of
War and Biology" Nietzsche says, we
children Of the future, do not by any
means think it desirable that the king
dom Of righteousness and peace should
be established on the earth. We re-
joice in all men who, like ourselves,
love danger, war and adventure We
count ourselves among the conquerors;
we ponder over the need of new order
of things, even new slavery-for
every Strengthening and elevation Of
the type man" also involves new
form of slavery" That IS to say the
new order must be slavery of the
masses with themselves the slave driy-
ers, flashing the world to the tasks as
signed by the self constituted drivers.
Speaking Of War and Kultur," he
says, 1T Is nothing but fanaticism TO
expect very much from humanity when
it has forgotten how to wage war. For
the present we know of no other means
whereby the rough mercy of the camp,
N door, 1r1nrrsCrp1 -.
blocdedness Of murder with a good CON
science, the general ardour of the sys-
TEN in the destruction of the enemy
can be as forcibly and certainly COM
municated to enervated nations as is
done in every great war. Kultur can
by no means dispense with passions.
vices and malignities."
That is war is the great thing. 1t is
the means by which ambition of the
most goddess type can crafty itself.
Even at the expense of civilization,
honor principles and religion. Pas
sions, vices and maIignities, are there
fore necessary to Kultur.
In 1885 he wrote, The time for
petty politics is past; the next century
will bring the struggle for the dominion
of the world the compulsion to great
politics. greet all the signs indi-
eating that a more manly and warlike
age is commencing, which will above
all, bring heroism into honor, according
to this principle the more warlike the
nation the more manly it is. The mere
blood thirsty and destructive of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness q
man may be the greater hero he is.
War is exalted to be great virtue and
that too war for conquest-for wars
sake and the subsection of weaker
nations. Might then makes right ana
it is not hard to see that this IS the
governing principle Of that country.
Germany then becomes the self-exalted
domineering, autocratic government,
whose ruler claims that God has ap-
pointed him for this purpose. The bias
phemous assumptions of such teaching
is amazing.
From his War and Warriors" we
lao ~, bat ,oA