The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-06-26
IAN EXEC|SIS OF
GERMAN KULTUR
Continued from Page q

verse in terms of the requil ements of
a Hegelian state.
A Macchiavelian System
German kultur in it's relation to mo-
rality and religion exhibits the same
general principle. 1t has two phases
First, morality and religion become
i instruments for the propagation of
German kultur in so far as they may
be construed in favor of that kultur.
Second, they are to be set aside as
false in all those respects which are
unfavorable to that kultur. Some Ger
mans, of course, have been so trained
in the principles of Christian ethics
that they cannot break fully away
Hence, as in the case of Bernhardi,
they hold that morality is right and
proper for the individual. while it has
no place whatever in the affairs of
the nation.
The nation in itself divine crea-
tion, it arises above the moral law
which was made for the individual. It
follows from this that God is q nom
moral being SO far as His plan for the
nation is concerned. He made nature
will to power and the survival of the
,fittest, that is, the most powerful The
brute struggle for supremacy, there
fore, and the brute survival of the
strongest becomes for the German
mind a doctrine Of Providence. When
strong nation crushes a weaker ma
ton it is simply obeying divine law
This form of the German idea of
God, however, is not the most natural
expression of the fundamental princi-
pie of German kultur. The idea of God
is dangerous one to couple with a
thorough-going German program.
Christian moral ideas are always liza
BILE to return and torment the state in
NietZsche's doctrine which ignores
God and radically opposes all Chris
tian morality. Jesus was the greatest
OF aall foes of human progress be-
cause He taught men love and sympa-
thy. Jesus and His religion must be
overthrown. Nietzschc called himself
anti-Christ and gloried in the title. In
this way Nietzsche sought to erase
from the German conscience all moral
scruples as to the right of power to
have its way.
a German Schism
The German Kaiser pursued another
method for destroying the German
conscience. He mas loudly proclaimed
the "dlvine right" of the Hohenzollern
dynasty and the divine approval o" the
iiohenzc le"n prOg'ar. In we'd he
has, as it were, extracted from the. li-
vine nature the one attribute Of on
Impotence and ansformed it into =
German Gt1 Of the universe.
The German estimate of other .,.
ti"nS is also an essential clcr.eI, IN
It's Atitur. Tn" theory that no .G;.r-
man nations ~" decadent 5 organic
IN the general German theory. A.: au-
tctracJ is tl!A ulvmely ordained form,
CT government, il follows that den,cc-
racE is inherently weak. 1t is self
destructive in is Fundamental princi
pie. Democracies are made up of iso.
lated atoms antagonistic to each 9TH
err. Internal war is the necessary
meaning Of democracy. 1t is mcapa-
BILE of political, economic or military
unity and efficiency.
Now 1t is because tie darocrati,
nations are organized on this false
,principel that they are destined to be
oC.yerthrown. They cumbcr the ground
IKE barren fig trees. They cannot
stand and ought not I, stand against
the unified and centra:iztd efficiency
OF a great state like Germany. rbev
are already judged ~ Col and cor.
demned to die. 1t follows that a Ill.
vlnely anointed state like Geri,ary
mas right to consider treaty mere
scrap of paper" 1t follows that a
spy system which encompasses the
earth with diabolical intrigues is for
Germany sanctified instrumentultv
Tor achieving a divine end 1t follows
also tnat agreements between nations
regarding war practices based On hu
manltarlan and ethical considerations
are expedicnt and wise Because, since
the enemy nations believe in humani
tarlan and ethical ideals snrh oo.oc
mentS weaken them. But Germany en-
ters into them merely as a cunn;nc
device to restrain others. She herself
IS above them. If she introducer poj.
son gas contrary to international law
ana afterwards finds that the prevail
ing winds on, the field Of battle make
the use of such gas more advan-
tageous to the enemy than to Ger
many, there is no inconsistency what
ever IN raising the question whether
considerations of humanity do not re-
.qulrc it's discontinuance.
! All Plans Justified
1T IS easy to discern why Germany
1eels no qualms Of conscience in the
use OF any criminal method employed
to win the war. The does not deliber-
ately become q criminal For the Ger
man in this war there is no such thing
as crime. What we call crime she con-
siders means to holy end. She has
organized in thorough going scien-
tiflc manner the whole domain of
crime as a measure for winning the
war. Cutting off tie hands of Belgian
children and the scattering of disease
germs accomplish two results. They
XIII or MAIN the enemy and they fiji
him with terror of the German namo