New-York tribune., 1918-08-19
Public Institution Retains
Volumes of Praise of
German "Kultur"
Hohenzollerns Lauded
Many Works of Philosophers
Remain on Shelves Where
America Seeks knowledge

Scarcely day passes that some We
hement and irresponsible critic Of the
government or proGerman does not
talk himself into a cell on BleckwelIs
Island, but designing German propa-
ganda still turks unheeded on the
shelves of the city's public libraries.
accessible to all comers.
Books which still remain in the
Rldgewood branch of the Queens Pub
llc Library, at 754 Seneca Avenue.
slorify the Kaiser, justify the German
horror that sought 20 sweep the world
before it and viiify the French and
British. These books are not the clap
trap oratory Of the soapbox speaker;
they are not the idle talk Of the gossip
nonger or chronic kicker; they are Gun
ming attempts of astute minds trainc d
in philosophy.
They have an honored place in a
New York public building, thrown open
Tor the information and education of
New York's motley public
One Of the most obnoxious books is
"Die Grossmaechte der Gegenwart''
C"Thc Great Powers Of the Present")
by K. kjellen, professor at the Univer-
sity Of Gothenberg, Sweden. 1t was
published in 1915, translated into Ger
man and later published in Leipzig.
Praise for Hoheazollerns.
With calm cfrortery the Sweds h
professor states (p. 74):
All Hohenzolerns have enlarged the terri
In
his proclamation to the people, made the sol
emn vow 20 be at all times enlarger Of
the empire, but not by v-arlike conouests,
with tho help OF Cod For more than four
decades that was the guiding star 70 the
wearers Of the imperial crown. and history
testihes that they have faithfully kept their
oath
AS exponent OF that tradition Williavn
II stands out. towering above our generation
FOR h quarter OF a century.
To Justify William the Peaceful and
his shining sword Professor kjelcn
informs frequenters of the public Ii
brary on page SO that:
Germany is the central empire in Europe.
That is the central fact of her position. She
has no open door, like other great powers
She has not opportunity OF expansion 1t her
boundary lines. She must be strong
enough TO successfully fight any possible
combination in Europe.
Germany Supreme" Crops Up
The old. sinister and so long un-
appreciated doctrine Of Germany
supreme" crops up on page 50, where
Professor kjellen says:
In fact there is only the choice OF world
power or decline Either Germany must &C.
cept tie former task, With the immense bur-
dens involved, or she nust be resigned In the
future to get along power OF second
rank. and without the right OF taking part
in establishing the order OF the future.
That i. was "perfdious Albion
which forced this momentous decision
upon the peace-loving Hohensollerns
Professor Kjellen had indicated a few
pages earlier, asserting on page so:
These direct frictons are nothing but
isolated symptoms Of opposing interests
which manifest themselves ali over ths
world because England regards Germany a.
her chief rival in tho worlds markets anc
on the seas.
For this reason England usurpcd the
leadership and started combinations designed
to hamper Ge.mary's development in foregr
territories. England initiated tho idea ot
fhe "encirrling movement" designed to place
an iron ring around European German.