"WE ARE BARBARIANS"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2367, 25 January 1915, Page 6

"WE ARE BARBARIANS"

Major-General von Disfurth, writing in the "Hamburger Nochrichten," says: No object whatever is served by taking any notice of the accusations of barbarity levelled against Germany by their foreign critics. Frankly, we are, and must be, barbarians, if by this word wo understand those 'who wage war relentlessly to the uttermost degree. Thero is nothing for us to justify and nothing for us to cxplaiu away. Every act, of whatever nature, committed by our troops for tho purpose of discouraging, defeating, and destroying our, enemios is a brave act, a good deed, and is fully justified. There is no reason whatever why wo should trouble oursolves about the notions concerning us in other countries. Certainly wo should not worry about tho opinions and feelings held in noutral countries. Germany stands supreme tho arbiter of her. own methods, which must in time of war be dictated to tho world. It is of no consequence whatever il all tho monuments ever created, all the pictures ever painted, all the buildings ever erected by tho great architects of tho world bo destroyed if, by their destruction, wo promote Germany's victory over tho enemies who liavo vowed hor comploto annihilation. AVar is war, and must bo waged with scvority. The commonest, ugliest stono placed to mark the placo of burial of a German Grenadier is a more glorious and venerable monument than all tho cathedrals of Europo put together. They call us barbarians. What of it? We scorn them and their abuse. Let them ceaso to talk of tho Cathedral of Reims and of all the churches and all the castles in Franco which havo shared its fate. Theso things do not- interest- us. Our troops must achieve victory. ftVhat else matters 2