Evening star., 1918-06-10

breeds distorted conceptions of indi-
vidGal honor and justice, and gives
to them an utterly false standard Of
national life.
mot alone from the lecturer and
the Assayist came this idea that the
Germans are a superior race set apart
to rule the world. 1t was preached
in the pulpits as dime truth by
support their assertions by references
20 the Holy Scriptures. Listen to
some of the thoughts proclaimed by
ordained ministers of Christ to their
German congregations:
1T may sound proud. my friends.
but we are conscious that it is also
in all humbleness that we say it; the
German soul is Gods soul; it shall
and will rule over mankind
of German 'humbleness' which fairly
struts and swaggers and which finds
further expression in the words OF
another doctor Of divinity when he
declares: Verify the Bible. Is our
Us, and in it we read the original text
OF our destiny. which proclaims to
mankind salvation or disaster as we
will it, -, ;. xou
words. is the whole story of the Prus-
sian doctrine of the 'superman, of a
place in the SUM- of world dominion.
What combination of sacriiege ana
vanity to assume that the Almighty
would confer on a people. such as
the Prussians have shown themselves
20 he. divine powers on earth!
These are enough. though more
might be given. to show the mon
strous ideas which for a generation
minds of stolid, stubborn people un-
habituated to think for themselves
and who have, through these ideas,
become fairly saturated with belief
in their invincible power, in their
racial superiority and in Gods selec-
ton of them, or rather of their rulers,
to be His partners in governing the
world.
"Savage and Unchristian."
"side by side with the egotistical
conception of the Prussians that they
have monopoly on the favor and
power of the Creator, there is another
which is utterly savage and un-Chrls-
tian. While 1t has been variously ex-
pressed by the materialists Of this
generation, Felix Dahn forty years
ago uttered the naked thought. which
has since been interpreted into action
by German militarism. Thus wrote
the poet: 1T is the joyous German
right with the hammer to win land.
We are of the Hammer God and mean
to inherit his empire That is. the
earth.
This dedication of brute force,
with the attendant right of the strong
to be masters of the weak, touched
chord in the Prussian mind,
and was by some paradoxical process
welded to the so-called Christian phi
losophy Of Prussia's s theologians. Thus
Thor and Odin stalk again along the
shores of the Baltic summoning the
tribesmen to battle. Their blood
stained affairs have again burst into
fame in the hearts of the Prussians
Their fierce priesthood again clamor
for victims. In the place of God of
love and mercy the Teutons Of the
north have raised on high their an
cestral gods of brutality and war.
"Paganism, tinctured with modern
and degenerate type of
broods today over Ger
many. Christian ministers have pro-
claimed Jehovah to be a national
deity Of the empire, a monopolized
German God,' who relies on the phys
ical might of His people to destroy
those who oppose His will as that
will is interpreted by His chosen race.
Thus the Prussian leaders would har-
monize modern thought with their an
cient religion of physical strength
through brutalizing Christianity