New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-25

of the earth. The overpowering points
Of disproportion and difference he saw
when he first met the Prussians were
these; that the Prussians were innOva-
tors. licensing things that other sys-
tens forbade; and that the innovations
came from above, and were parts of the
plan of the princes and generals. In
short, he collided not only with new
barbaric force. but force deliberately
driving toward new and increasing bar
bariSm. Since then the savages have
had more successes. which have been
cynically condoned; and therefore their
latest savagery caused less surprise In
those who knew them than it had IN
Wellington, who did not. War, and, for
that matter, peace, had already been
dragged down by a definite historic
process; and what dragged it down was
the power of Prussia.
In one very dreary epoch in history,
when the medieval ideal had died in
Europe and the democratic ideal had not
vet renewed the world, there appeared
in the semi-civiized Germanies power
which did two things. 1t claimed to
break and was regarded as breaking.
what remained of chivalry, and the old.
implied contract of Christendom. But
it did not do this for nation; for there
was no nation of Prussia; the Revolt
ton had not yet preached the national
idea in such lands It did it for
dynasty; and it is doing it still. 1t Is
a singular historic event; but not more
UNIQUE than Islam or several others. But
if you begin amiably arguing that it IS
a nation and must have this and that,
you will simply find out your mistake;
precisely as you would If you argued
that Islam is a religion; and must have
affairs and images. It may happen to be
term Of abuse to call the Prussian a
savage tyrant; just as it may happen to
be term Of abuse TO can gypsy Vag-
abond. But he is a vagabond, in the
perfectly simple sense that he is a wan
derer. If you call his caravan a house
and treat it as fixed address, you Will
probably waste your postage stamps FL
you make up your mind that the Prus-
sian is not a savage tyrant, you will be
perpetually disconnected by his acting
as if he was. That is the moral Of the
landslide of conversion to Anti-Gernan-
ism. which has followed on the subma
rine declaration, and made so catastro-
phic an answer to Mr.. Shaw's ingenious
makebelieve. That landslide is the lary
est example; but [ could give half hun
dred other Individual cases. DR.. Oscar
Levy, German by birth, Jew by ma
ton, a Nietzschean and sworn foe Of
sentimentalism by faith and philosophy,
wrote to THE New Age" when the war
broke out exactly as Mr. Shaw writes
on the dangerous ease Of atrOcity-mOn-
gering. Then he met m Switzerland wit
nesses OF the war in Belgium. Greatly
to his honor, he instantly wrote again
regretting hat he had permitted the use
Of what l., lied land had right to
CALI his he. ut name in defence Of in
defensible things; which went beyond
any pretence Of military necessity. II
Mr.. Shaw happened upon the same facts
he would change in the same way. You
may claim to be biologist, and call the
tiger cat you may claim to be an art
ist, and call him an arrangement in black
and yellow; you may classify him as a
vertebrate or quadruped and find a
hundred points of resemblance between
him and the st. Bernard dog. But there
is one person who will never help you IN
your task, and that is the tiger. He Will
continue to be himself; as the Prussian
at this moment is himself. He is an OBJ
iective fact; ard we can wait in en-
tire patience until the last Of his apollo
gists has found it out