THE GERMAN DEFENCE OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3183, 6 September 1917, Page 9

THE GERMAN DEFENCE OF WAR

ITS QUEER LOGIC CHRIST AND THE STATE <By C. Vanco.) FTho following rirlicle has been authorised for publication by the War Office.] ■ All the world has read tho German glorifications "of war that wero written before' tho war came. But much mpro interesting now is their later defence of its glorification. Indeed, they a.'re right in thinking that it has needed defence, not only before tho world, but before those thousands'in Germany who havo found no glory in it.' It is a strange defence, leading' its advocates to conclusions so extravagant and so horrible that you exclaim 'when you read them, "Give us rather tho honest brutality of the men who glorified war than tho cant of these later men who defend it." Wo can understand Herr Kurt Engolbrccht when he writes: "Let us not forget that a. singlo drop of blood of the least of our soldiers far outweighs the; most unique work of architectural culture." Wo can understand Professor luino Ifraiicho when he writes: "Nobody can bo a more relentless destroyer of all that makes life beautiful and lovely, nobody can bo a* more savage hater of religious beliefs, of popular traditions, of patriotic instincts than thn German." .Wo can understand Bernhardt when he says: "The maintenance of peaco can never be, and ninst never be, tho object" of policy; we must continuo to insist on the blessing of war." But when a writer like Herr Max Schelcr tells us that by visiting a country with all tho horrors of waryou. show your love for it, he says something that no one can- understand'. . . "Thou Shalt'Covet." When Herr Naumann, author of tho book on Middle Europe, and a Lutheran pastor, writes:' "Wo do not consult Jesne when we are concerned with tho things of the State," or, "Tho .modern State is organised .according to the principle 'Thou ehalt covet,'" you would say that here is a man abjuring his religion for.something lower, but abjuring it. in simple and honest words; But when ho writes:

"The following of. the 'world God' produces the morality of the struggle for existence.and the, service: of tho Father of Jesda Christ- produces the. morality of compassion, and.yet They are not two Gods but one God, somehow oi , othor Their arms intertwine," he has written something which is horrible becauso it has no meaning; and if any German'docs not see its awful emptiness it is because, as one of his own writers uaid of him, "He loves all that'is obscure, damp, and shrouded." Yet these words and other like them have one saving gracey-they are a defence.- If they mean nothing in themselves, they mean that their authors know that there is another standard besides the standard of Prussianism, and that before, this other standard Germany needs to be justified. • • So, too, we havoHorr Max >Scholer, in his book "The Spirit of Wars and the Uennau War," not only defending war as a. function of man's spiritual nature, but admitting that war is not all; that there are eveii things which- arc greater than war; that religion stands'above it; that unless war' can. be justified bythe Law of Love, it is condemned.' This is to appeal to a court which, the German writers on war before tho war would never have recognised, wliich they had indeed explicitly displaced, of which they were "relentless , destroyers" and "savage haters," but before this ' court Herr .Scheler makes tho defence of Germany. 'Let us see- what'':his' defence, is.'' , - He takes tho command of Christ, "Love your enemies,", and tells -us that ■ for nineteen centuries we have misunderstood those simple anil explicit words. They do not mean to'do good to our enemies; they mean "not to hate the enemy whom you strike dead ft' battle." ' But Herr Scheler goes Jurtlier. than this to. prove that war is love. You are not merely not ceasing to-.loWa man: when, you striko him dead; you are showing your love in the most positive way. For love is directed not to the .wishes'of the enemy but to his "real welfare." "Whom the Lord loveth Ho •chasteneth," so, ..Herr Scheler tells ns, does true love, the love of Germany for the 'world.mauifest itself, so "the-greatest of all. sets, of love", is that Germany- should be "tho executioner'-* of France,' and so is Germany justified in attacking whom she will. ;

Two Contradictory Gods. You see to what the' defence of the glorification of war brings men. Herr Kaumann tells Germany that sho may servo two contradictory Gods, secure in the belief that ultimately she will, and these two gods to ■ bo one, no doubt in that after world which Herr .Naumann evidently imagines for the German people where light is indistinguishable l.rom darkness, and heaven and licll arc tho samo place. Herr 'Scheler, on the other liand, is content with one God. Ho claims only that on earth. Germany is that Cod. Yoii sees why tho glorification of war for its own sake, the fritnk and barbaric dcr light in destruction, professed by such men as Herr Engelbrccht and Here tranche, aro really much wholesomcr and saner than this -'attempted defence of war. Yot it is significant that German writers should attempt any defenco that they should now toy to reconcile the acts of ■Germany with those very othics o.t pity and luvc which it Was their avowed purjibso to destroy. .If Herr Naumanu and JJi'ir Sender, in their desiro to justify Germany, have produced .satanie parodies of Christianity, they havo at- least appealed to that spiritual court which the other nations of Europe .recognise; ami if they have appealed to it it is because thev 'know that "all that makes life beautiful and lovely, religious beliefs, popular traditions, patriotic, instincts, those things which Germany in her sav-a-e hatred" was determined to 'uproot, aro not to bo destroyed.