The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-02
Pan-Germanism
and Terms of Peace.

Roland G.. Usher's pan-Germanism
Is not new book. but this week it
possesses q new claim upon the in
terest of American readers. Described
as IA critical study of the German
schemes for conquest of the world"
Professor Csher's work is of present
value to Americans because of the
light it throws upon the war and
the justification it supplies for Presi-
dent Wilson'S reply to Pope Bene-
diets peace proposals.
Professor Usher is not propa-
gandist, nor an excited partisan. He
deals with the subject of pam German-
ism in a cool, scientific. disinterested
way, making u case neither for nor
against Germany. He uses the METH
DDS of the unbiased historian, and II
the result is revelation of the me-
cessity OF completely crushing the
Prussian autocracy. the cause Is not
Professor Usher's intent but the ma
ture of the facts.
The remote causes of the war, so
easily Unsecured by and forgotten In
| the multitude Of exciting incidents of
| the war, are here laid bare. The in
| vasion of Belgium. the rape and pill
| lage of hopeless nom combatants, the
sinking of the Observation-Disclosures are
less important as outrages than as re-
suits of an attitude. No war Is with
out revolving chapters, for war is not
a Sunday school picnic. GhoulishneSs
| must be expected where there Is
| slaughter. But when ghoulishness ap-
pears as the result of an accepted
| policy instead of as the casual by
| product of conflict then it takes more
than sentimental Importance. And
German ghoulishness, Professor Usher
shows, Is justifiable in the mind of
the German; is, indeed, the de-
liberate development of a horrid but
definite code of international mo-
rality.
The pam German sees nations as
competing forces without scruple or
benevolence. Germany. he believed be-
fore the war, was slowly being crushed
by relentless rivals who had secured
economic advantages and We're using
them to the utmost These rivals, the
PAN Germans feel. would stop at
nothing likely to give them further
power. Therefore, he argued, Ger
many must meet the situation with
policy as ruthless IN order to save
her national existence.
In peace Germany was being beat.
en-. Her one hope of successive
coalition of the Balkans under Ger.
man influence, the seizure of porti
!, in Belgium and Holland and the Scand.
inavian peninsula, the domination o.
Turkey and the construction of I
great railway across this great EN-
pire to the orient-seemed impossible
of realization without war. War
, therefore. was justified by the need o
Germany.
That war eventually was expected b!
!. all pan Germans seems certain. Pro
visions had been made for financ
/ ing a great war; the campaign wa
all mapped out. But to say that 19l
, had long been appointed as the tim
l for the war is to jump wildly at al
2 unfounded conclusion. 1t Is probapi
> that Germany thought August. 1914
> too precious an opportunity to b
: overlooked. England was facing re
volt in Ireland Il ministerial crisis wa
imminent in France. Russia was no
: expected to accomplish much befor
e winter should make all effort impos
K sible. Then the murder of the Aus
| TRAN aTcHuuhe SuppHeu 81 piauSio'
e casus belli and the fat was in tn
I fire.
That outline is far from complete
D 1t touches only a few high points
e an extremely interesting and inform
r ing book. 1t disregards the histories
s background Gas a short outline must
e and leaves the authors conclusion
. alone. But 1t Is outline enough to sus
n gest the value of the book at thi
Q time when the opposing nations al
paving the way for n complete def
milton of peace terms. Professe
4 Ushers book. written early in the wa
a shows clearly why the allies cannt
Il treat with the German autocracy.
should be widely read. for 1t Is clea