AMERICAN VERDICT ON THE WAR A REPLY TO THE GERMAN PROFESSORS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1915, Page 4

AMERICAN VERDICT ON THE WAR A REPLY TO THE GERMAN PROFESSORS

SPIRITED INDICTMENT. Ninety-three of the most prominent men of Germany, distinguished in various branches of science, art, education, and literature, have recently circulated broadcast throughout America a letter entitled "An Appeal to the Civilised World," in which they attempt to change public opinion in the United States on the subject of the war. Mr. Church, president of the Carnegie Institute at Pittsburgh, and author of "The Life Of Oliver Cromwell," lias made reply to the German appeal, which is addressed to Dr. Fritz Schaper', of Berlin. He says — "It gives me a feeling of pity to note the importunity with which the people of Germany are seeking the good opinion of America in this strife. It, is greatly to their credit that they wish to stand right in the judgment of this nation. But Germany need have no fear that American public opinion will be perverted by the lies and calumnies of her enemies, We are all going deeper than the surface in our search for the truth. Yp\xv letter speaks of Germany as being in a struggle 'which has been forced upon her.' That is the \Vhole question ; all others are subsidiary. If this struggle was forced upon Germany, then, indeed, she stands in a position of mighty dignity and honour, and the whole world should acclaim her and succour her to the uttei\ confusion and punishment of the foes who have attack' ed her. But if this outrageous war was not forced upon her, would it not follow in the course of reason that her position is without dignity and honour and that it is her foes who should be acclaimed and supported to the extreme limit of human sympathy? I believe, dear Dr. Schaper, that the judgment on this paramount question has been formed. That judgment is 'not based upon the lies and calumnies of the enemies of Germany, nor upon the - careless publications contained in the newspapers, but upon a profound study of the i official correspondence in the case. Wha* do the official documents prove?" After reviewing the evidence Mr. Church concludes : — Who began it? Was it England? Scarcely so, for England, in so far as her army is concerned, had yielded to the popular plea for arbitration ; she was not ready for war and will not be ready for another six months. Was it France? Was it Russia? Not one of the 93 distinguished 'men who have sent me this letter, if they will read the evidence, will say so. It was Austria, who, by her unreasonable and inexorable attack on Servia, began the war, supported at every step by Germany, who, in her turn, gave notice to the Powers of Europe that any interference with Austria would be resented by Germany to the full limit of war. THE CRIME AGAINST BELGIUM. Mi. Church proceeds:-— The next point in your letter reads thus: — "It is not true that we trespassed in neutral Belgium." Have these 93 men studied well the letter they have signed? Could intellects so superbly trained deliberately certify to such an unwarranted declaration? Has anyone of my 93 honoured correspondents read tho Uppeal to the American people by Imperial Chancellor yon Betnman-Holl-weg, published in the American newspapers on 15th August? I fear not, for in that statement the Chancellor said: — "We were compelled to override the just protests of the Luxemburg and Belgian Governments. The wrong— l _ speak frankly— that we are committing we will endeavour io make good as soon as our military goal has been reached." What will the good conscience of the, German people say when, in spite of its passion in the rage of war, it grasps the awful significance of the confession of its Imperial Chancellor? "The wrong that we are committing." The wreck and ruin of a country that has done you no injury, the slaughter of her sons, the expulsion of her King and Government, the blackmail of her substance, the destruction of her cities, with their happy homes, their beautiful monuments of historic times, and the priceless works of human genius ! "The wrong that we are committing." Worst of all, when the desperate and maddened populace, seeing their sons slain and their homes in flames, fired from their windows in the last instinct of nature, your troops, with barbaric ferocity, put them to the sword without distinction of age or sexl The wrong ! Oh, Doctor Schaper, if these conditions should ever be reversed and these foreign soldiers should march through the streets of Berlin, would not you, would not all of my 93 correspondents, if they saw their homes battered in ruins and their sons dead in the streets, would they, too, not fire from their windows upon the merciless invaders? lam sure I woold do sol GERMAN MILITARISM. Your reference to German militarism brings up in my mind the conviction that this war began potentially 25 years ago, when Emperor William 11. ascended the Throne, declared himself Supreme War Lord, and proceeded to prepare his nation for war. His own children were raised from their babyhood to consider themselves soldiers and to look forward to a destiny of slaughter ; and here in America we know eyeD his daughter only by her photograph in, a colonel's uniform. And as with his own children, so all the youth of his empire were brought up. Going far away from your great philosopher, Kant, who, in his Categorical Imperative, has taught us all a new golden rule, the national spirit of Germany has been fed on the sensual materialism of Nietzsche, on the undis- \ guised blood'thirst of General yon Bernhardi, on the wicked war dreams of Treitschke, and on the weak morality of yon Bulow ; and we behold in every scrap of evidence that we can gather from your Emperor, his children, his soldiers, his statesmen, and his professors that Germany held herself a nation apart from the rest of the world and superior to it, and predestined to maintain that superiority by war. In contrast to this narrow and destructive spirit of nationalism we in America have learned the value of humanity above the race, so that we cherish all mankind in the bosom of our country. Therefore we can do nothing but execrate the conduct of your Emperor, who has driven his troops to slaughter their brethren and be slaughtered by them in this bloody and unspeakable conflict. And so, at last, my dear Dr. Schaper, we find ourselves shocked, ashamed, and outraged that a Christian nation should be guilty of this criminal war. There was no justification for it. Armed and defender' as you were, the- whole world could never have broken into your •borders. And while German culture still has something to gain .from her neighbours, yet the intellectual progress which Germany was making seemed to be lifting up her own people to better things for themselves _ and to an altruistic service to mankind Your great nation floated its ships in every ocean, sold its wares in the uttermost parts of the earth, and enjoyed the good favour of humanity, because it was trusted as * humane State. Bub now all this

achievement has vanished, all this good opinion has been destroyed. "You cannot in half a century regain the spiritual and. material benefits which you have lost. Oil, that we might have again a Germany that we could respect, a Germany of true peace, of true progress, of true culture, modest and not boastful, for ever rid of her war lords and her armed hosts, and turning once more to the uplifting influence of such leaders as Luther, Goethe, Beethoven, and ' Kant' But Germany, whether 'you win or lose in this war, has fallen, and the once glorious nation must continue to pursue its course in darkness and murder until conscience at last bids it withdraw its armies back to its own boundaries, there to hope for the- world's pardon upon this inexpiable damnation.