The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. THE DOCTRINE OF GERMAN PROFESSORS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1911. THE DOCTRINE OF GERMAN PROFESSORS

The doctrine that Britain is responsible for the present war is being preached by Professor Haeckel and Professor Wundt, bo .we are told in a cable message which appears in another ■■ column.' _ These two professors havo won distinction in the world of modern thought, one as a biologist and the other as a psychologist and philosopher; but however distinguished they may be in their own particular, branches of learning the value of their ipsedixit in regard to matters of international politics depends entirely upon the basis of fact upon which it is founded. Dr. Wundt declares that the war is the result of a long-planned conspiracy on the port of "the Entente bandits." ;Thc only/'proof" brought forward to establish this charge is the fact that of recent years Britain has found it necessary to abandon her former policy of "splendid isolation" and,to come to understandings with Franco, Russia, and Japan. The formation of the Triple Alliance was, of course, quite a peaceful and harmless combination from the German point of view, whereas the Triple Entente. was the outcome of a<,"conspiracy of bandits." The eminent German professors do not appear to have made any attempt _to _• explain why the majority of civilised nations _ have never placed much confidence in the oft-repeated assurances of the great War Lord that he; is a man of peace. The plain fact is that his actions have all along belied his words. For j'cars he has been unceasingly preparing for a gigantic war which would make Germany master of Europe. The War Party- have openly admitted tliis and have never pretended that their great war machine had been created-for defensive purposes. Germany stands to-day almost without a friend, and is the most hated Power in 'the world, because'the other nations have long been convinced that as soon as the

Kaiser thought the-time for striking had oome the dictates of interna-

tional. morality would bo scornfully thrust asido. . Professor Wundt and Professor Haeckel, even if they have not actually read General latest book on Germany and the next War, must , surely have a good general idea of its contents; and any. country which adopts views like those defended by General Bernhardi deserves to be looked upon as ari international bandit. With remorseless cynicism he accepts the Machiavellian doctrines' in their most extreme form, and significantly remarks, that history shows that ■ "wars which were produced of ' deliberate intent with statcsmanshiplike insight had the happiest results." War with. England is contemplated; the complete overthrow of France is regarded as necessary for tho establishment of German "world power"; the neutrality of Belgium _ is treated with ridicule; and it is argued that the balance of power in Europe must be destroyed.

This, sort of doctrine has been proached in Germany for many

years, and the world is now seeing a tremendous effort being made to put it into.practice. • Me. Adsten Chamberlain states that when he was a student \in Berlin one of the professors who, believed in the superiority of the Prussian spirit declared that it was the duty of .Prussia to make its culture and civilisation supreme throughout the world. Since the outbreak of the war we have had an opportunity of seeing wuat sort of thinjr. this Prussian "culture and civilisation" . is. German science, philosophy, and art may have reached a high standard of perfection, but there evidently exists side by side with them a spirit of the_ most callous and brutal barbarism. There will never be permanent peace in Europe until "the Prussian spirit" has been crushed. The brazen effrontery with which Germany has tramnlorl on honour and morality is well illustrated in the following statement by the German Chancellor on the eve of the declaration of war by Great Britain: "Wo are now in a state of necessity, and necessity knows no law! Our troops 'have occupied Luxemburg, and perhaps are already on Belgian soil. That is contrary to the dictates of international law. It is true Wiat the French Government lias declared at Brussels that .Fnuira is willing to respect tlie neutrality of Belshim as long as lier onponent respects it. AVe knew, however, that- Trance stood l'Midy for. file invasion. France could irair, but we could not wait. A French movement: iinon our Hank linon the lower TJltino mifflif linve been disastrous, fo we were compelled to ovcr-vi«lo Uie, inst protest (if the Luxi'niljure and .Bflginii Governments. The wrong—l .spenk nnenly— that wo arc committing we will emlonvour f« milre from' :>.= soon as our military jronl has boon readied, Anybody who i? threatened, as we nm thronli\)ierl. and is fj.-j-fif— in? for lii.-s hi?he?f possessions ran have only, nm (lioitflil-—liovr-lw is to liack his way through." . ' The Berlin correspondent of the London Times rightly describes such an utterance as the speech, not of a Bismakck, "but of a political Faust struggling to explain the sale

of his soul." Yet the Kaiser apparently sees no incongruity in inyoking the assistance of the Almight? in perpetrating this openly admitted wrong. The state of mind disclosed by such facts as these is so extraordinary as to be well worthy of the careful study of a distinguished expert in human psychology like Professor Wundt, who would be better occupied in this way than in making amateur pronouncements which can easily bo disproved on ouestions of international politics. Recent English papers provide another, typical illustration of Germany's dealings with_ other nations. Just before the invasion of Belgiuni tho German Minister at Brussels assured the Press that he' had given the Belgian Foreign Minister no assurance that the neutrality of Belgian territory would be 'respected because "it was unnecessary to do so. Our idea," he said, "has always been that the neutrality of Belgium would not be violated. If the French Minister has /riven such an assurance, it is. doubtless because he wished to add words of comfort to the evidence of plain facts. Gerrnwi troops will not cross German territory." Yet tho same nicht tho same man presented an ultimatum demanding permission for the Germans tn mi.kc use of Belcian territory the purpose of invading France. Such conduct is, of coarse, quite irreconcilable with generally .accented ideas of morality and good faith; but it is thoroughly in accordance with the latest German theory that any wrong is justifiable if it belna one "to back his way through."