Germany's War Creed

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 August 1916, Page 2

Germany's War Creed

I KJvl J.SLiI KIL.S JLUi.illLb

L'niii t.iie war muiie li.s name knou'Ji, lew in litin country Jiad ever lioa.ro oi l ro.isenke. iixeopi u>r ,he interest ol in.-, theories and hpeeiuations in their relation to German military policy, Jie might have remained ui the obinion lrom which he has been rescued — aii opinion tliat is slreiigiliened and cuniirined by the acute .aid wilty analysis ol hi* work that is contributed by Mr. Jiallour aw ail introduction to a two-volume translation ol I rietschke's "I'otitic.s," just published by Messrs. Constable and (Ju. Mr. Balfour says:--"In Treitbohke is nothing profound ; and his political speculations are held together not to much by consistent t.hoiiglit as by olio binding power of one ruling, passion.''

That niling passion was "belief in the State as will to power." and by the State Trcit.sch.ke understood a J:'rustiinnised Germany, loundod oil military force. and realising itself through thu continued exercise of force. Mr. Balfour thinks that this development ot German thought, the practical outcome oi which we sue in the war of to-day, might, have been arrested if ''liberal principles'" lmd met with more .success in Germany in the first half of last century. "It is permissible to conjecture/' he says, "that i)' the (Join ical creed of Treilsehke'.s youth had borne the practical fruit that he passionately desired, the subsequent .ii«tory of the world would have been wholly different. If 'Liberalism' in the Continental sense had given Uer-

many empire and, power. militarism wouid never have grown to its present exorbitant proportions. The gieatosl tragedy of modern times is that- she owes her unity mid her greatness not to thu fioe play ol public opinion acting through co.iSiituuonal machinery, but to the 'iiiMTiipiiious genius of one great man nho lound iu the I'russian ;iumarchy and ti.e Prussian military system fitting instruments lor securing tierman Kteals. Tne sunes-. of the policy ol "blood and iron" when practically tested in the wars immediately preceding the German federation, settled the trend o) political thought. Thereafter tree coiistitu I ional development had no chance in Ceriirany. "War, it was evit'elit. could In' both glorious and cheap; absolute monarchv had shown itsel Ihe o Iv effective instrument foi national sel!-realisatiuu ; a diplomatic and military policy, carried through iu defiance ol" public opinion had performed

in 'months wlmt generations of (J«>l>ntcrs lim<l lifi'ii niutlile to accomplish." Treit-s'-like bora mi- tlic lending evponen t of 111iis <!,(!<*frim l , which, pushed to the extreme, assumed in lii.s hands. .Mr tonr s;i\vi, tin* following form: "The Htnte is I'ower. .So unusual is ts power th;ii it Ins no power lo limit ts own power: hence no Iroaly, u lien t . liec'inrs iuc 11 \CJ ie-it . run be li ndi M <_•; : hrir-o the very mil ion of general arbitration lice' iiios ahsurd; hence w ir K part of t! e l>ivi it(> order.'' A theory j of polities, Mr Hall'onr emit iiIUCS, (Mlhrelv governed by patriotic ]>;imsion is not likely to ho either vei y imp-irtial or very prol'otmWi; and .Mr MalfonrV own iillfilvsis of TreitsclikeV work, although not aiming ;it completeness,• exposes ninny gross errors of fact, as wen iiK still grosser error.s of taste in the

German. historians' sneering rofeiVnco to other nations. Ft is not surprising, i- Balfour retwirks that a mail who held these views si l ollld regard with •'Something like dii.sgusfc • >'i I'd (li sniay tlic n.l tempts of wellmeaning persons to bring peace on earth. Tlir whole tribe of pacifists who would substitute arbitration for «;ir fill hint with loathing. Like them lie has his ideal.s, but they are of a verv different order.- flis I'to-pia appears to ho a world in which all small State* have heen destroyed, audi in which the large States are all either fighting or prepari 11 jr I'or battle. "War." lie says. ''will endure to the end of history. 'The laws of human- thought and human nature lorhi<l %uiy alternative, neither is one to he wished for." Developing this pohit with ironic emphasis .Mr Balfour continues: "Deeply as I reitsehlce despiV;od those whn, in his own phrase, 'rave about ovorlnisting pence,' /here are transiuut moments in which he almost seems to fear them, ftven the most robust faith will sometimes weaken; for a moment even Treihschke trembles at the thought thai men may cense to cut each other's throats. 'What,' ho pathetically as K s. it war should really -disappear. Audi with it all movements and all growth!'' What if mankind should deliberately depi i\e itself ol the one remedy for an ailing ■civiili.satiou ? Tin. t houirht is terrible, bu'fr, .supported In religlioii. I rcitsi'hke s confidence remains unmoved." I n connlufiion, .Mr Balfour observes that since Treitschke's lectures were delivered -'the longed-for uiediciue Pais heen .suppilied in overflowing-measure. TCven the ph.vsiciau himself could liardl.v ask for more. Vet were be to watch the application of hi.s favourite remedy, what would he *av of the >afcit'iit?"