Part 26 (1/2)
”England's Wicked Deeds in the World's History,” by A. Kuhn.
”Our Settlement with England,” by Professor Hermann Oncken.
”England's Betrayal of Germany,” by M. Wildgrube.
”England's Guilt,” by Gaston von Mallmann.
”English Character,” by Professor Arnold Schroer.
”England and We,” by Dr. J. Riessner, President of the Hanseatic League.
”How England prevented an Understanding with Germany,” by Professor Th.
Schiemann.
”G.o.d Punish England,” published by _Simplicissimus_.
”Perfidious Albion,” by Alfred Geiser.
”Our Enemies among Themselves,” Caricatures from 1792-1900 collected by Dr. Paul Weiglin.
”Words in Season,” Poems, including the ”Hymn of Hate,” by Ernst Lissauer.
About sixty-five other t.i.tles might be added to those given above, but the author has restricted the list to books in his possession. Some of them are scurrilous and obscene, deserving no further attention than a record of their existence. Yet the fundamental idea running through these works is identical, differing only in the mode of expression.
Hate in itself is a confession of weakness, to a certain extent an admission of defeat. The presence of hate in a nation or an individual may be explained as resulting from the desire to remove or destroy an obstacle, which has proved to be immovable and indestructible. A healthy, well-balanced mind admits defeat and endeavours to make a compromise--to adjust itself to the inevitable.
But a.s.suming other conditions--a false sense of honour, a morbid conception of self-importance--then hate seems to be a natural, although unhealthy result. Unfortunately there is evidence that these factors influence modern Germany. One of the roots of tragedy is to be found in the inequality between the will and power to perform. In its helplessness the will recoils upon itself, turning to gall and bitterness, or seeks a solution in self-destruction.
It is noteworthy that some thirteen thousand individuals commit suicide every year in Germany. Unwilling or unable to adjust themselves to the phenomena of life, they choose death in preference to the compromise--life. A leaning towards the tragic characterizes the German of to-day; an inclination not to compromise, not to admit defeat, thereby admitting the ”will” to be incapable of transformance into actuality.
Between Germany and Britain fate has placed such a rock of destiny, _i.e._, this country's position in the world, above all, her naval supremacy. Germany has held that this rock hinders, even endangers, her just and historical development in the world. With wonderful energy, perseverance, self-sacrifice and heroism, Germany has endeavoured to surmount or destroy the obstacle. The united will of the nation was expressed in the momentum of the onslaught--in vain. And as no reconciling influences are at work, no tendency to accept the inevitable--Germany hates.
Outside Germany there is, probably, no one who doubts the invincibility of the British Navy and the unchangeable will of the British (strengthened by the danger of the past year) to maintain its supremacy.
Yet even to-day responsible Germans are appealing to their nation to fight till ”modern Carthage” is finally destroyed.
”In spite of the publications of our enemies, we in Germany, from the highest to the lowest, will believe unto all eternity that this war was caused by England alone. All Germany replied to England's declaration of war with a cry of indignation. The hate for the hypocritical island kingdom was so bitter that it took the form of demonstrations against the British Emba.s.sy, while the representatives of the other enemy countries were able to depart unharmed.[210]
[Footnote 210: Admiral Valois appears to be unaware that both ladies and gentlemen from the Russian Emba.s.sy were beaten with sticks, fists and umbrellas before leaving Berlin.--Author.]
”Up till then political England was little known in Germany, but now the bitter hate which reigns throughout the land characterizes her as the incarnation of all that is base and vile. It brings back to our minds the saying of the old Hanseatic towns:
'England, thou land of shame, Why hast thou, Satansland, The name of Angel-land?'
”No sacrifice and no effort will be too great, for us to drag her from her imagined height into the dust. By force of arms, starvation and the power of lies, they hoped to force us back to unimportance, and now the issue is: Whether the categoric imperative of the East Prussian Kant, or the hypocrisy of British cant, shall gain the victory.
”We are unalterably convinced that England is our mortal enemy, and that all endeavours to find a _modus vivendi_ will be in vain. Still our present naval forces are unequal to the task of overthrowing her. This will make it easy for the German Government to obtain even the greatest sums from the Reichstag in order to increase our fleet. Every other aim--no matter what it is--must be laid aside, till this one is attained: Down with England!
”It is to be hoped that this attempt on England's part to get rid of a compet.i.tor will be the last. We Germans antic.i.p.ate the future with an unshakable belief in victory. Possibly sooner or later, England's present allies will see that in reality they are serving English interests. When this unnatural alliance has crumbled to pieces under the might of our blows, then we shall at last stand face to face with England--alone!
”Our life-work will then begin--to settle up with the pioneers of hypocrisy so that they shall never again cross our path! If at any time this high endeavour seems to slacken, then think of East Prussia!
Remember that a third of the province was laid waste; that men, women and children were murdered and violated; that the lists of the missing contained the names of nearly fifty thousand fellow-countrymen. And all this had to happen so that every Englishman might become a few pounds richer.