CHILDISH GERMANS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1653, 21 December 1916, Page 4

CHILDISH GERMANS.

CONCEPTION OF DESTINY,

.V DANISH CRITICISM.

Professor J. P. Bang, of Hollernp, Denmark, has a striking article in the place of honour in the Ililihert donrnal, entitled “The Pool of the Matter,” in which he summarises the ideas in a new book he is publishing with the lively title nf “Hurrah and Hallelujah." Extracts from the article are given hereunder.

The professor is a Dane, and bis article is not only a very line statement of the general ease against Germany, but also of the special grievances of Denmark agains) its bully neighbour. “Germany as a nation might have become a blessing to the world but for two tilings. “These are liisj, their blind enthusiasm for all that is German (and, following upon litis, their contempt, equally blind, for all that is not, particularly for those who dare to oppose the German will); secondly, their utter inability to conceive the idea of liberty. “The inevitable result of these two grievous defects is that the Germans, despite the many good qualities they undoubtedly possess, have become a standing menace to the world. Their will is to rule the. world, hut they can rule only by compulsion. This is the explanation of flu* fact (ha) they h,-jyp become the military-ridden people we know them to he; this is the reason why (heir spiritual leaders have so enthusiastically proclaimed militarism as the fundamental, nover-to-he-ro-linqnishod basis of German Kultur.

THEIR OWX VALUATION. “They consider themselves, by virt-ay of (heir supposed superior intelligence jpu;! jybility, morally justified in goyetmjpg yyypy other nation, but they can rule' oqly py issuing orders, while the rest of (he world holds its tongue and obeys. And should any poor nation, depiiy/gj in the mime of German Kultur of its bpeyfy, express its bitterness at the lo.ss, Gerppxpy has always Hits .consolation to offer, ,)np. she, being much wiser and nobler than the rest of Hu- worl'd, knows far better what is best for the welfare of the conquered people than they themselves can do. The German recipe for making others happy is 4n ’ynye them by the German system’; and i-Ait/akl fhey refuse to accept this voluntarily*^,ygyv well, then, Germany by exercising a severely paternal discipline, will make (Imp/ happy against her will.”

fciJW'e the wpr ha,s ;;opu*, its final result should be that Germany shall be checked in her progress towards the dominion of the world, and shall ,)ye taught that no single Power will

e.ve.r .a,an in he allowed to wield such .do.iyipiop .us ip the time of Koiban

supremacy, and that no such “Germanic peace” will ever be tolerated.

The German creed that everything German is incontestably the best might readily be granted them, but for the conclusion they invariably deduce that they are, in consequence, morally entitled to rule others. Here we find a curious and fatal limitation to their intelligence.. This claim that everything that is German must be excellent is the hypothesis, unquestionably granted, upon which all that they think and say is founded: this they cannot criticise. When Germanism is in question, all their penetration and skill are concentrated on a single end —on proving conclusively its absolute rightness and perfection: no facts can make the slightest impression upon the certainty of this conviction. Of this the war has afforded ns the most striking instances. This fundamental idea was the basis of the manifesto of the ninety-three intellectuals. Its line of argument was its follows: — “How can you be so cruel as to doubt that everything which Germany does is—must be —good. You ought to know that she cannot do anything which is not lawful and justiliablc; all statements to the contrary must be ‘English lies!’ ” The banal stale of mind with which Germany regards itself is well shown by the amusing but loathsome extracts from German writers which the Danish professor quotes. Here is (he worst, by Dr. Bruno Wehnert, who says: “Though poor, wo are blessed. Though persecuted, ours is the Kingdom of Heaven. Because we are meek we shall possess the kingdom of the earth.”

This is a good specimen of that “childishness that holds a menace for the world” of which Professor Bang speaks.