Evening star., 1933-05-28
BY vIsCoUNT CECIL OF CHELwooD.

N r YATIONALISM-th idolatry of
| N the nation-is one of the great
| VI dangers of the day. It is COM
| / Y mon enough and takes various
! forms Sometimes it consists
chiefly in Dragging about the greatness
| of your country. Unfortunately it sell
| dom stops there. Sef-recommendatio
very easily degenerates into depreciation
| of others and denial of their rights. In
| that stage its symptoms are the advo-
cacy of high protection and the exclu-
| sion of aliens. Next comes hatred OF
| foreigners, which shows itself in public
insult and eventually in enmity develop
ing into war
Nationalism is an insidious diease.
because it often develops from exagger-
ated patriotism; indeed, the nationalist
+, usually claims to be the only true pa
| triot.
However, patriotism and nationalism
are entirely distinct. The patriot loves
his own country. The nationalist hates
| all countries except his own. Patriot
f; ism demands of the citizen every sac
| rifice of his interest and even of his
life-but not of his honor or his virtue.
Nationalism knows no such limitation.
None of the obligations of truth or kind
ness or chivalry binds the nationalist if
he thinks their practice would conflict
Will lllS COulltIy lllGCICol. LII ILLS lIldt-
ter he Is Immoral. His motto is. MY
country, right or wrong" If he believes
! in any religion it must be one which
enables him to put his country before
any of the morality which it teaches.
I have been told that in certain circles
in Germany today it Is fashionable to
boast of ones ruthlessness and BAR
| barism. Whether that is true or not. it
is excellent illustration of what ma
tionalism may lead to.
Widespread National Vice.
But I would not suggest that ma
tionalism is exclusively German, French
chauvinists. 100 per cent Americans, a
certain type of British imperialist, the
older kind of Italian Fascists, the Rus
sian bolsheviks and the japanese mill
tarists-these show how widespread Is
this national vice. In this article, how
ever, I shall discuss German national
iSm-for two reasons. First, because the
German variety is nationalism in its ex-
tremest form: and second, because ewing
to various circumstances it is likely to
be menace to the peace of the world.
From an unidentified German corre-
spondent, presumably a propagandist
agent, learn that British indignation
with the German persecution of the
Jews is confined to ultra French SYM
pathizers like Sir Austen Chamberlain
and perverse mischief makers like Mr..
Churchill" Nothing could be less true
Sir Austen spoke for the vast Majority
of his fellow countrymen. His views
have been specifically indorsed by Lord
Grey of Fallodon. They are shared as
far as can tell by every one who has
given any serious attention to the sub
ject.
do n0t remember apv fora;oy, ouae
tion in time of peace on which
British opinion has been SO unani-
nous. The fact that it is the German
people who have done this has been
a great shock, especially to those who
in the last 10 or IS years have made
| themselves advocates of German claims
and German grievances
Some OF us. too. have accepted warm
ly the German position on the treat
ment OF minorities. We remember the
German declaration at the Peace Con-