New Britain herald., 1917-10-29


 of the builders of the pyramids. Mex iCo and South America have races which tell the same story of degenera- ton. And in our own boasted modern civilization degeneracy Is greatly on the increase. Insanity is claiming its victims in ever increasing numbers far outstripping the increase in popula- ton. The U. s. Census Bureau de- clares that during a recent period of six years, while population increased II per cent, insanity increased 25 per cent. Degeneration written on every thing. Evolution has found this a hard fact to admit; instead of a power in nature to evolve higher from lower, this law of degeneration shows that there is no such power in nature, un- assisted from the outside; but that, on the contrary. left alone nature goes the other way.
 Survival of the Fdttest.
 "How. then, shall the world be saved from extinction? How shall nations ever grow and become great? Gods answer is: Regeneration is the cure for Degeneration. The worlds answer is: sThe survival of the Attest. The adoption of that doctrine by Ger many is responsible for the great world war.
 The Present World War.
 rGermany, surrounded and shut in by competing great world powers. be- gan years ago to dream Of a war which should free her forever and keep from further danger her place in the sum- In 1911 occurred the
 o{L Ivy plunged Europe in war.
 German philosophers, ever since the time of Frederick the Great, had pondered over the problem of de- generation and how 1t could be pre- vented, and that only the strongest could survive eventually In this sell fish and savage struggle for pre-emin- ence. It was seen to be wholly sell fish. Therefore why any qualms about relying wholly upon power. strength?
 This doctrine had become we'll di- gested by the nation, especially by the ruling class, when the Morocco in- cident startled the thinkers of Ger many into the discovery that in Ger many's recent commercial struggle she had become so absorbed that she needed to be stirred out of her re- liance upon peace pursuits, and to know again that her survival depend ed upon the stirring up of her war like spirit.
 "In October, 1911, after the narrow avoidance of war over the Morocco incident, one of her most brilliant writers, Gen. F. von Bernhardi, put out a most remarkable book, Ger many and the Next War Here was sounded a bugle note of alarm and danger.-a call to arms.
 ''Iis declared aim in writing the book was to rouse Germany from her facilitating dream of peace, and stir herself to grasp her destiny as not only a world power of the best type, but her destiny as world ruler. Listen to this: The value of war for the political and moral developme ent of mankind has been criticised by large sections of the modern civilized world, in a way which threatens to weaken the defensive of states by un- dermining the warlike spirit of the people,
 Again: Mighty deeds raised Ger many from political disruption and feebleness to the forefront of Euro
 
 willing to take up this inheritance, . The Germans were form erly the best fighting men and the most warlike nation of Europe. For a long time they have proved them Continent by the power of their arms and the loftiness of their ideas. . In striking contrast to this military oyt}% peace-loving-an almost too peace- loving-nation. A rude shock Is need ed to awaken their warlike instincts, and compel them to show their mili- tary strength The book was writ ten to warn them of peace, and stir them to war.
 Again: Tt has always been H.. Won Treitschke tells us, the weary, spiritless, and exhausted ages which have played with the dream of per- petual peace Again This desire for peace has rendered more civilized nations anaemic, and marks a decay of spirit and political courage strong helthy, and fourishing nations increase in numbers. From a given moment they require a continual expansion of their frontiers, they require new ter ritory for the accommodation of their surplus population Since almost every part of the globe Is inhabited, new territory must, as a rule, be ob- tained at the cost of its possessors- that is to say, by conquest, which thus becomes a law of necessity. The right of conquest is universally acknow- ledged.'
 Again: At the moment that the state cries out that it's very life is at stake, social selflshness must cease and party hatred be hushed.' Treitschke says: "A thousand touching traits testify to the sacred power Of the love which a righteous war awakes in noble nations.
 Again: These efforts for peace would, if they attained their goal, not merely lead to general degeneration as hapnens eYerYwhere in nature