Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-01
Doctrine OF Hate
Created Savagery
In World Tragedy

German barbarism and ruthless
ness continue to be inexplicable to
the ordinary civilized mind. Yet 1t
is perfectly explicable' to the student
of psychology, who has informed
himself of the methods Of German
education. 1t is the result of that
education as carried on for long
period of time. The following, taken
from few of the precepts of German
teachers and writers, ought to ex-
plain the cause Of the German "kul-
tur" carried into action:
Professor w. Kahl, reported in
Gems of German Thought" says:
Where German soldiers had to
seize the incendiary torch, or even to
proceed to the slaughter Of citizens,
it was only in pursuance of the rights
of war"
r Professor Ernest Heckel's "Eter-
nifty: Thoughts on World War;" says:
"One single highly cultured Ger
man warrior represents higher in
tellectual and moral life-value than
hundreds of raw children of nature
whom England and France, Russia
and Italy oppose to them.
Germany at the Beginning Of the
Twentieth Century, by German:
Even if there were no question of
vengeance, the crime of
opposing the development of Ger
many is so great that the most
trenchant measures are scarcely a
sufficient punishment for it." And
again, "The most pitiless is the vac
victus, the gerater is the security of
the ensuing peace. In the days of
old, conquered peoples were COM
pletely annihilated. Today that is
physically impracticable, but one can
imagine conditions that should ap-
proach very closely to total destruc-
ton" So much for the professors,
now We will see what military leaders
say:
The German War Book: tOfficial
guide) "By sleeping himself in mill
tary history, an officer will be able
to guard himself against excessive
humanitarian notions; it will teach
him that certain severities are indis-
pensible to war, nay, more, that the
only true humanity very often lies
in ruthless application of them The
warrior has need of passion. 1t must
not be regarded as a necessary evil;
nor condemned as regrettable con-
sequence of physical contact; nor
must we seek to curb it as a savage
or brutal force."s
Even the clergy are called to in
culcate the ocme brutal practices.
One instance is quoted from an ad-
dress on the sermon on the mount,
found in the book entitled Gems of
German Thought, is the language
of a German minister Of the gospel,
as follows:
Whoever cannot prevail upon
himself to approve from the bottom
of his heart the sinking of the Lu-
sitania and give himself up to honest
delight at this victorious exploit of
German defensive power-him we
Judge to be no true German" In dis
cussing these brutal teachings, Pro-
fessor Adams truthfuily says:
German teachings have borne
fruit and the world is aghast. Yet
we have become so accustomed to
German atrocities" that some Of our
horror at them has waned. 1t Is
wiser to remember. Volumes are
needed to list merely the proved cases
of barbarity-for Germany by refus
ing investigation through neutral
jury, proposed by Cardinal Mercier,
has confessed guilt. Rather she ac-
knowledged the acts charged against
her and glorifies in them!"
We must not forget that German
soldiers, in 1914, with no restraint,
raped women Of Belgium and France,
in the first advance of troops into
those countries; they placed screens
of children before them; they exc
cuted, as a warning against a feared
Belgium rising, fifty Catholic priests
and thousands of innocent citizens;
that they gave themselves up "in
hundred different places, to plunder-
ing, incendariSm, massacres and pill
lage; that in France they have de-
liberately made a desert Of territory
in retreating, with an object, not Of
this war, but of destroying productiv-