Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-06-08

II ~ the statement that 1.-THE new Ger
I0 man spirit has found of its
~ most classical expressions in Il col
Iecuoh or poems published by German pastor
hohSistoralrat Dietrich Vorwerk under the sig
hiHcaht title, Ilurrah and Halleluiah' and find
III thls combination something absolutely char
hcterlstlc OF the German spirit that have adopted
IL as the title for this book"
ms book, in the opinion Of Ralph Connor who
mas written the preface to it, CONSTITUTES the most
terrinc arraignment of Germany through her in
tellectual and religious leaders which has yet been
put forth. Out of her own mouth il is that she
stahds before the world condemned. And the
tragedy of it all is in this, that these men (whom
Doctor Bang quotes) sincere. deeply pas
slonately sincere. And herein consists the awful
nemesis that has after 30 years pursuit at length
overtaken the German soul. For the crime of
Germany today of which these sermons and lee
lures convict her Is not hypocrisy; but the long
practice of hypocrisy has induced in her n spirit
ual blindness which has become at once her
calamity and her curse"
Tue allies" says Doctor Bang. "have denounced
the Germans as barbarians. If this were meant to
imply that Germany not civilized nation
thuiturnatOn) such accusation would of
course, be absurd Germany is unquestionably n
civilized nation and none Of the Spokesman of
the allied powers would think of DENYING that she
mas produced rich treasures of Kultur' Wherever
the German mind has labOred, wonderful riches
To-
MAINS but especially in those of music. of liter
AZURE OF science and religion, IL would be easy
to mention names that shine with the luster of
renown throughout the whole world But the
charge Of barbarism points in entirely different
direction. 1t points to a development within Ger
many which has been going on with headonc
rapidity. especially during the last 30 years Even
the highest Kutur can turn to barbarism when
1t becomes subservent TO utterly false and i'm
moral Ideas. In Germany such q craving for
power such n worship for mere strength has
taken root and grown. that the claim of right to
be determining factor in international relations
has been entirely pushed aside. A colossal and
ever increasing standardization n belief i'm the
glory of all things German the surprising merits
or the German nature (Wesen), which alone has
the right to rule the world Il cynical brutal asser-
ton that in relation to this claim all existing
treaties, all appeals to International law all con-
sideration for weaker peoples, are of no signiii-
canoe whatever>-all this have witnessed with
shuddering establishment.
ForetoId BeIgum's Fate
THE first place is due to Ernst Moritz Arndt
the great German patriot of the time of the War
of Liberation. AS early as 1884 he declared in one
of his writings that the neutrality of Belgium
could not possibly be maintained in a future war;
He wrote:
"Belgium, the granary and armory. is predes
tined to be the battlefield in the struggle for the
Meuse and the Rhine. ask any general or states
man who has seriously considered the problems
Of war and politics whether Belgium remain
neutral in a European war-that is to say can he
respected as neutral any longer than may appear
expedient To the power which feels itself pos
sessed of the best advantages for attack
"The German writer, G. Traub makes the fol-
lowing inmitable comment on the above:
"'Thus an Arndt has, far back so years
ago. given dissolution for this sO-called breach
of neutrality. having foreseen that ir is here Il
tr,a and DnI,r;
herself that half French country" cannot pos
siby remain neutral
"The second German prophet is the well-knOwn
philOogist and theOlOgian. L. de Lagarle. Already
in 1874 he expressed the view that Bsmarck's
creation of the German empire only cpl
sode on the way to the formation Of the Great Mid
die European state. He calls the German empire
Little Germany. Even at that time Lagarde. IL
German has lately put it, formulated the national
demands which the Germans, not with unblush-
ing arrogance but realizing the inherent neces-
sty of the case must consider the indspen-
sable foundation for the German peoples cooper
alton in the history of mankind. These demands
extensions of frontier both towards the East
and the West.
THE greatest and most popular of all the new
German prophets Is however the poet Emanuel
Geibel. whose centenary has recently been cee-
hrated (born 1915, died 1881 1t is he who has
given the classic expression To the new German
world. This has been achieved in the lines to
which 1 have already referred, and which are
quoted times without number in the newest Ger
man literature:
"'Und mag am deutSchcn Wesen
Enmal noch die Welt genesen"
THE world may yet again be healed by German
ism? The hope here expressed has become Il GER
tanty for modern Germany and the Germans see
in this the moral basis for all their demands. He
says:
"'Germany had set her mind upon building her
house in peace. but then came her hereditary zoe,
puffed up with venom and envy. The blood so
crminally shed shall be upon him and his brood.
We do not dream Of an easy victory; this war is
world Judgment, and strong is the spirit Of lies;
but he who was the stronghold of our fathers
will again see us safely through it, be assured of
that.
God who went before US in the flame of fire.
now grant our people strength for the last vic
tory strength To root out the dark seed of lies,
the foreign alloy, from our hearts. in faith. word
and deed. Enter ut every portal. thou strong