The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-08-01
Letters from the People
Let Us Study Our Enemies

Nltllln1iHilIlHI1l Eallhillhiess
Let Us Study Our Enemies
Let us take a little time to dissect
our great enemy, Germany; not lit
orally carve her up, pleasant as that
occupation might be from some stand
points, but to carefully examine her
peculiar spirit, go below the surface
and see of what it is made.
This proceeding, in the minds of
some people, is a us ,less, not to say
harmful, expenditure Of time and eff
fort. There is no naed of spending
thought upon Germany, they say. All
she needs is a knockout blow and a
speedy burial. What she is or what
she has been does not concern us. This
kind of talk may be evidence of splen-
did spirit, but it is surely poor judg-
ment. ~ 1913
A plague is rife in Germany-an old
plague, one in no wise peculiar to the
German people. 1t has broken out
often in other times, in other places,
among other peoples. The present
manifestation is it's most virulent
form, that it all. 1t may, probably
will, break out somewhere else in the
years to come. We are citizens of the
world. We and our children will have
to live on here for a long time to come.
What we are interested in, therefore,
above all, at this time is the eradica-
ton of this evil. If the war brings
this about it is success, if it does
not, it is failure. Nothing else will
count. - ,l5. aEasf ~
But how shall we go about it? Just
as we would go about stamping out
any other pestilence. First of all, we
must use vigorous and thoro-going
measures to get the present outbreak
under control. At the same time we
must very carefully examine into the
nature of the evil. We must learn all
about it we can-the conditions under
which it thrives, the host it feeds on,
the most effective prophylactic meas
ures. No plague was ever eradicated
by calling it names. In wiping out
for good this world evil we must use
the methods of modern science, not
those of the medicine man.
First of all we must look at the
symptoms. 1t is evident at glance
that our patient is suffering from Sc
we're exaggeration of nationalist spir-
it. A certain amount Of national pride
like pride of family, church or club,
is good thing. It stimulates to
worthy effort. But when people set
up their state as sacred thing, de-
manding the absolute allegiance of all
citizens as their highest duty, a thing
without obligations and without NOR
ais, their patriotism becomes blight
at home and an uncomfortable menace
to the world. This is what happened
in Germany. They have applied the
law of the survival of the fittest in the
political field, and believe that the
strongest state is the one God has or
dained to survive. They lose sight of
the fact that state is not a living
thing itself, but merely convenient
grouping of people for political pur-
poses. 1t is tool, nothing more
One might just as well talk of survival
of the fttest among houses or hand
saws.
In order to make the state strong
the German people have endured an
autocratic form of government. For
their purpose it is splendid thing. If
a state wishes to make an immediate
impress upon the rest of the world,
it must concentrate its power into few
hands. We are learning that in Amer
lea at the present moment The the
DRY of the sovereign, militant, nation
al state goes hand in hand with an
autocratic government. They must
stand or fall together.
This, then is what is the matter
with Observation-Disclosures and Au-
tocracy. In later article we will ex-
anime into the history of the case.
L. F. JECKSON,
Professor of American History, State
College of Washington. f.