The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1917. GERMAN HATE SERMONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2994, 3 February 1917, Page 8

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1917. GERMAN HATE SERMONS

■• _ > ■ ■■'• The Kaisee and the Germari.Cburfc Chaplain (Dr. DRYANDER).aro full of "holy wrath" because the Allies have firmly refused to allow themselves to be bluffed out of victory by Germany's peace .manoeuvres. / The | contemptuous manner in which the Allies "slapped" the Kaiser's extended hand of peace seems'to have made the Chaplain * very angry.., Cannon, he says,, is the only reply to Germany's enemies. AVhen he says "God cannot permit the Germans to go down," he is, of course, referring to his tribal' deity—the food old German God. It is well nown that tho German Government makes use of the pulpit as well as the Press with tho, object of swaying public opinion in this. direction or in that. In a circular recently issued by tho Synod of the Prussian Protestant State Church all Lutheran pastors were instructed to utilise the special services at Christmas and in the New Year to stimulate war zeal.. It .ordered them to;/preach the, Divine mission of.'Germany, and to.denounce.Germany's .enemies as "Satan's allies." .The circular, further- assured these pastors that they will fulfil God's will in preaching, a hatred of enemy nations, since Germany's enemies aro the enemies of true religion, and therefore must bo stanip.ed -out Uko..cveivy,. ; ,other. .form,,. of, 'wickedness'.'" The authorities -harebeen supplying _the clergy with a weekly budget for hate propaganda purposes, and there is'good reason to believe that the singling out of Britain for special attack is tho re■siil't'- of inspiration from- headquarters.''Some interesting information regarding German war sermons is contained in the October number of tho Hibbcrt Journal. Peofessoe J. P. Bang,, of Hellerup, Denmark, and Professor A. S. Ferguson, of Canada, have collected a number of extracts from addresses delivered by German clergymen which' give a good idea of the 'manner in which, hate is being preached. All restraint has been cast aside, .and these reckless pulpiteers aro calling upon tho Government to increase the frightfulness of its methods of waging war —especially against Britain. One German war poet gives expression to his feelings in these lines: Then kindle, Hate, awl blaze, .-■--. Like-poison, burn within-; "•.-" ■ Ir':it be sin to hate, ■-■•-' Our duty 'tis to sin. German- professors have a simple way of justifying anything, however outrageous, that may give Germany an-advantage over other, nations. They hol'd that the advancement of Germanism is tho'supreme good, and therefore whatever tends to increase, the power and prestige ■of Germany . is;.right, Professor' Bang tells us that the German line of argument in reply to neutral protests is just this: "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 justifiable; all statements to the •'contrary must be English lies;" England's alliance .with Japan was a scandal from the German point of view; but when Germany allied herself.witb Turkey, the assassin of Ar-; menia, and the historic enemy of Christianity, the German professors at once endeavoured to prove that the Turks are in reality good Chris-' tians. This may seem very ridiculous, but-the German -professor, .has' no' sense of humour. Professor Hermann,, of Marburg, solemnly declares that "if we take a'sufficiently broad view of religion we may regard Mohammedanism as a Christian religion." Mohammed thought be had founded a- new religion which was destined to-' overthrow Chris : tianity. He was not able to acquire that "broad view" which can only 'bo obtained by looking through the magic spectacles of a twentieth century German professor. These spectacles have enabled their wearers to invent race-theories which provo that the Germans are the inheritors of all tho noblest characteristics, of the human race, .and that. Germany, has been chosen by Providence- to impose kultur upon-tho rest of- the world. In proof of this one professor a-sserts that the Germans, are- the least ■mixed race in the world, while another endeavours to prove the same thing by showing that the German nation 'is more mixed than the English. Professor Bang -remarks that this "combination of naivo selfglorification and _specious sophistry (enabling them tb prove whatever they wish) is of such' serious gravity because there is ho atrocity that cannot be dofended in this way and transformed into a mora,] duty, and because the final conclusion is that no. other nation but/Germany can ■ ever, possibly be right."

The Lusitania and Britannic outrages, the destruction and defilement of French and Belgian churches, the wilful murder of women and children, the piratical submarine campaign, and a hundred other violations of the rules of civilised war, have won for Germany the title of "enemy of the human race." These crimes aro known to the -whole world.- -But Pastor Loeber' boldly asserts that "tho champions of morality and the pillars of Christianity in this war are, after all, the German 'barbarians'." A man who talks in this way is either .quite mad or morally blind, unless he is indulging in a grim joke at. the expense of his-couiitryrueii. Heru BißTis not a clergyman, but ho is as good a-preacher of hate, as the pastors. "German patriot, arise !" he ox'claims. '.'Christ does not forbid thy righteous hate of England." Commenting on the Gospel dictum, "No man' can serve two' masters," he says "he who. loves the German constitution .and. its dominion will hate England, who is our menace." These German, war. sermons and similar utterances from other quarters.make one thing as clear as noonday, and that is that if Germany •should-ever get usinher power she ■would give us--no quarter. If sßb could she would "utterly destroy the British Empire. The words "England must be destroyed" are being engraved on'tho hearts'of the German people.'. Recently ex-Legation-raad H. ; V.. Rat.k stated that in the course of a few years German submarines will be able to threaten England' With starvation. "Accordingly," he adds, "we need not trouble our heads too much over the terms of peace with England, 'so long as in the future ho international hindrance is placed iu the way of our technical progress." Britain is the great obstacle in -Germany's path to world-dominion, and if wc should be guilty, of the disastrous folly of sheathing the sword before ■the enemy's power is smashed to pieces, it is quite certain that Germany will forthwith make preparations for another struggle with tho object of wrecking our.Empire. In view of tbesc^ facts the mere thought of "peace without victory" should bo absolutely intolerable to any Britisher.