Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-27

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disclose their theory by a concrete
presentation of IT,
The greatest and most Influential
political philosopher of Germany
during the last century is Heinrich
Won Treitschlke. He, more than any
single character In German political
life. is responsible for the intense
inti- Eng .sh sentiment that famed
out IN the BoeT war and is ruling the
thot Of the German nation, as devel
oped at the present time. His ideals
and theories, his hatreds and per-
suasions precipitated this war. Born
In 1894, his father "A soldier, Won
T1retschke was destined for the army.
An Illness in his youth, which de-
prived him of his hearing, diverted
him to scholarship and the study Of
politics. His heroes were the heroes
OF Prussia, and having distinguished
himeFlf in the schools of learning at
% years of age he delivered his first
course of political Lecturer at Leipzig
in 1859. out of this grew his treatise
on the state.
A Popular Idol.
From the beginning he was I'M
pressively popular. Later, at the
great universities of Freiburg, Kiel,
Heidelberg and Herlin he was fol-
lowed by admiring crowds OF stu
dents and always, from his begin
ming at Leipzig in 1859 to his death
in 1895, a period Of 3G years. His
lecture rooms were thronged as those
OF no other professor in Germany;
the conCourse attending them re-
minded one of the great gatherings TO
hear Abelard in the middle ages.
They alb heard him eXtol the great
ness of Germany, the uneXampled
dynasty of the Hohenzollerns, the
glory of the army.
In person Won Trietschke was
man of lofty character, of highly IN
tellectual aspect, of great mentality,
OF utmost sincerity of purpose and OF
surprising eloquence. Generations OF
German students came under his
sway and acknowledged his power.
He was a friend of Bismarck, the
apologist of the HohenZollernS ana
the ardent and eager supporter or
the bureaucracy of Germany.
In his conviction the state was su-
preme. and from the state there was
no appeal. The individual counted
for nothing save as the creature OF
the state. The state was an army,
the army the state. This theory was
far older than Yon Trietschke, having
been that of Frederick William and
Frederick the Great in the eighteenth
century. -..,
Foremost among the fundamental
principles OF this remarkable man was
the stoutly affirmed belief that the
Uohenzollerns, by divine right, should
rule Prussia, and that Prussia for the
good of Germany should rule Ger
many. 1t was small step from this
proposition to his next main assertion
that Germany, for the good OF tne
world, should dominate the world. lie
came to this conclusion partly thru
the theory of atheistic evolution, so
prevalent in German thot, and partly
on account OF his exalted idealization
of the German character and culture.
He believed that in the struggle Tor
life" followed by the survival OF the
fittest." Germany had won In the
struggle, and Germany OF all was the
fittest This led him to regard with
ul-concealed contempt all other Int
tions and led him to the belief that
It would be for their welfare II Ger
many dominated over them. lie par
ticularly hated and despised Great
Britain. Turnout his whole career
he regarded 1t with scorn, antnafhy
and hatred, and he poured out con-
tempt, rancor and insult continually
upon the English character and upon
the English nation. He called them
the "robber among the nations af-
firming that they held their unde-
served sway over about fifth OF the
world on account OF their geographic
position, the supineness of the other
nations, the duplicity of their diplo-
macy and the hypocrisy of the Eng
lish character. His denunciaion of
the English people and government
was OF a sort that, applied to an indi-
vidual. il would be insulting to the
last degree, and he evermore looked
forward and worked toward the day
when Germany, assailing England,
should beat her down In war and be-
come the master of the world.
War a Necessity"
II we have raised n question as to
the amazing conceit of Germany as
expressed In many n pompous phrase
since the beginning of this war. let 1t
be said that this Is a. proper conse-
quence and expression of the philoso-
ply of Treitschke and his associates,
the great school that grew up around
him and followed his leadership, de-
yeloping his ideals. Germany was to
dominate the world for the good of
the world and for the domination of
the world by Germany, the army was
the great instrument. This army was
to be conterminous with the state, and
the state with the army; the entire
state a military power, and war the
method of its supremacy. Nowhere
in the seventeen volumes OF Won
Treitschke's collected works, not In
his great history, which is regarded
with the utmost respect in Germany,
did he ever say word against war,
never calling II the scourge of man
kind or daprecating its eNistence hut