Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-21
HUN kULTUR PUNCTURED
BY HARVARD PROFESSOR
Gnrnan-.imcrican Born in Breslau
Exposes Bad Motive OF Ger
man Education.
MAKES MASSES SERVE CLASSES
System Closes Door OF Opportunity
on Poorer Glasses and Teaches
Them Absolute Dependence on
Ruling Element.


BY PROFESSOR PAUL. II. IIANus.
Professor of history nnd Art of rcucb-
Ing at Harvard unIVersity.
am unfortunate enough to he born
German. and a Prussian at tint.
had, therefore. when | began life the
worse possible blood in my veins which
however. that ones physical makeup
changes every seven years and as 1
ain considerably more than seven years
! have had opportunity TO chaIke nv
physical makeup several times. Ana
| think | have done SO. | have visited
Germany repeatedly during the pas,
twenty years. And so. both because OF
my origin anu because / have kep, in
touch with Germany and the Germans.
| have some personal knowledge OF the
German social structure and particu
larry Of the German school system.
The masses of the German people arc
denscly ignorant. 1t is Il mistake to
suppose that the German people as Il
whole are an Intelligent people. They
are not. The masses of the German
people are sto!id doltish. and they are
kept i'll that condition in the interests
OF Il relatively small, selfish governing
class
German society is stratihed socially.
( There are the masses and the clasScy
| There are a number OF grades in tue
classes. but there are really no Gro les
among the masses. w nAlcNSr IL uOce
| for the bulk Of the German peop!. is
/ done In the interest. not OF those peo-
| pie, but OF the classes. Depend .uc. Of
/ the masses on the classes--on the state
/ is systematically cultivated by the
! German social and cduca tional system.
/ RESULTS IN PARALYSIS
AMONG GREAT MAJORITY
! The result is paralysis OF indcpen-
Gencc in thought and action among the
! great majority OF the German people
! hat not only permits the exploitation
4, Of the masses By the classes. bu; pre-
! vents them from attaining any other
| conception OF society than the society
| they were reared III, natural coroi-
! larry is abject subserrience TO the SUI
/ perior intelligence and the anthorita-
/ tive control OF the classes
OF course. the classes look after tic
J physical welfare OF their dependents.
7 The masses are paid living wages: that
/ IS. wages or salaries just large enough
I to maintain them in ine!r humble sta
/ ton and TO restrict them to it: and they
| are provided for when DISABLED by sick
7 ness or old age. But all this is done
/ 10. them by their official superiors. The
masses IS conceived by the classes Is
| similarly safeguurded by the classes.
cncr more in the interest OF the classes,
by the public school SYSTEM
\ good many people have visited
Germany and afterwards have written
about The German school system.
cannot help believing that many OF
them don; know the German language
; we'll enough 10 understand what they
I hear ard see Above all, they don't
r;ich the spirit OF what is TRANSPORTING.
let me give you an illustration or W.;
/ once attended a class In Halle, anu
! / Learned IN The course 81 inc Iesson
/ thut a German, by the name OF Gauss
| had invented the electric telegraph.
/ M home we arc IN the habit OF al
tributing the Invention OF te:eI rapnHS,
| "Oh. no." he said, 'Gauss was the
But" said. how does il harper
I ;nat Your government bestowed hohors
/ ou Morse for his invention|
oh" said the teacher. Morse might
hal. made some pIact!cal appi'Sati0h
o. ,rlegrlphy, but Gauss invented H.
ALSO CLAIMED STEAMBOAT
4 GERMAN INVENTION
Not long after that was attcndinG
= lesson elsewhere, ana learned thas
in the seventeenth century. too, Il time
which happens - tie prov 10 the IN :.
>cutiun OF the steam engine | called
TIE teachers attention 10 the fact oi
ne steamboats, having hnen invented
by Fulton, an american.
No he said. you are wrong 1t
"Eut" sad the seam fnS ;,;a
! chine until the eighteenth eenturE:
invented long before"
In bo,n cases the teachers decision
wa authoritative and final II ndi
beer a German ! w)L-d have been con-
Ono more .ilns:r,uon pertaining to
German secon larry schools. The sec
ordgry school. IF The FIRST gradc--that
is gymnasium. real gymnasium and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES -tcach children from
nine or. ten 10 eighteen or nineteen
t;iusc schools are university nee They
d not necessarily hold the doctor 6
"egree. but they ere All trained ,.
university, and many OF them are Ger
man reserve officers.
wanted to visit Il girls gymnasium,
Il public gymnasium FOR girls In Prus'
first public gymnasium for Sir.s ii
Germany. will have something more
&c say about this proposed girls cyan
At this poin, want 70 !s;' You
something about the typical 'russian
without governmental influence.
In Bresian an cd line gymnasium
were carried on side, by side In the
same institution AN | wanted 10 see
how the reform gymnasium prospered.
before. in the morning. tSchool be-
gins in Germany al s in the winte.
and in the summer) In the hall
stood a big. rather fne-looking fell
low, who | knew al once must he the
principal. AS he hi no attention to
me. | paid none 10 him. by the way
to be. admitted to Prussian secondary
schools as visitor one must have
permission from the minister Of In
siruction in Hcr!im. One must specify.
too. the schools which one wishes to
visit. Permission 10 visit the Gle
mentary schools is obtainable from
local authorities.
had my permission and other Gre
dentials In my pocket. y bel :a:g
ana tho school settled down. 'rhG
principal went into his office at the
end Of long hail followed MIN
On the doors was written, "Comsuita-
ton hours-l1-12."
| knocked IA: tho door No response
Knocked somewhat more I3s.s:ently
No response. ] Knocked :, third time
The door opened.
grnTly?
handed him my papers. ] said
that ! would not distrub him at that
hour had ] known that his consulta-
ton hour came In the middle Of the
day; that ! was stranger; my time
was limited. etc. He turned and went
toward his desk: I followed lie
looked around and said: Shut the
door" TO this ] made no reply
ARROGANCE MELTED