The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-20


 agreed that at certain hours of a nations life, victorious war offers the shortest cut both to domination and to gold. On the one hand the lntellectuals of the universalities, all ready to draft. remember the 93 and their edious manifesto of 1914 the philosophical justification of a war of plumber; on the other the great captains of,industry equally ready to furnish the military chiefs with the elements of tile famous plan for the destruction of French factories. Bsrnhardrs call was answered by the six great industrial concerns of Ger many who several months later de- manded the annexation of all the special iron ore of Briey. including the fortresses of Longwy and Yer dun, without which the mining re- zion could not be protected" as well as the coal basins of the north Of France For" they very frankly added, the possession of coal Is at least as important as that of iron ore"
 Such the Germany of 1911. Shew is unanimous. The notion of war, re- jected by all other nations as the last vestige of a bygone age. Is ever pres ent in her mind. One finds 1t every where associated vaguely but inti- mately with their every conception Of national and international life. It presents itself to them with all the glamor of the past. all the hopeful promise of the future. Whenever the government decides to pass from the notion to the act of war. the whole people will unhesitatingly follow. ' This Is what happened in 1914. Blind indeed must he have been who, three years earlier, did not see!
 Where Was Riskf
 Besides. where was the risk? Ger many's national industry could but be victorious, for France was not an ad- versary to be feared. ] said Just now that before the war France did not know herself: but how much less did Germany know France. 1 know no instance of political information so totally and utterly false as that which the imperial German government col lected concerning us during the 10 years prior to the.war.
 This lack of understanding ap- peared in the suggestions which the Emperor and his satellites sometimes ventures to let fall in the ears of
 
 Let us unite your graces to our might." Germany, dupe of her de- sires, deeply despised France. She believed France divided, weak and corrupt. For Germany the pleasure resorts of Paris-mostly frequented by Germans--seemed by comparison with her self estimated virtue to be typical of Modern Babylon" Our military and othe shortcomings were exaggerated by the reports of diplo- mats seeking to curry favor by Judg- ing us hArshly. War appealed to the majority of Germans. when they thought of 1t, as much by the profit they expected to derive from It as by the smallness of the risk which at tached to 1t in their seyes. War against an Alarmed and misgov- erned France would be, for a people in partnership with God. nothing more than military parade, en- hanced by the prospect of much loot.
 Revolution would break out at the first battle. France, as everyone knew was In the hands of the social ists and the socialists would refuse to fight. striking example indeed of tho illusion--both as to the strength of parties and as to the in- normost thoughts Of men--into which blind pride had ied tho most highly trained, most methodicai and most self confident machine the world has over known. The kaiscr--whole uncle Edward VII once dubbed the beld coward" in my hsarlng--found soiaes In this illusion which stillod his morbid hesitatiens, It deprived tho Gsrrnen people of tho only brake which might perhaps have checked them on their waritks course. Be- ilevins no obstasis stood th tho path of her senaueriHs destiny, Germany thirsl cd fer War and was ready to threw herself iHto It on : sign from Hbeve,
 Sush lhe eofttastf on thu eve of Ar- masedaen. betwseH two national characters. F'ranos saohiug peaceful deseiPment by her woii-ordorod genius for iibsrtyi Germany, to use