BY THE WAY

Evening Star, Issue 16783, 11 July 1918, Page 2

BY THE WAY

[By Carel Ckoss,] In the discussion on the campaign propostl at the IStw /eahnd Vllnnce which took place at the special meeting of the lhmeuni Piebvtuv it wis pointed out that the action ot Cult but m m jdl million ttihn, to fu* tin slaves throughout her Dominions formed a good [ttit kit in the piesnit cujit when it is ] ropo (1 to piv compen to the \ d in mi 3 nit would Ik ue tioud t\ i victorious piohibition vo't Ihe two ca "3 iim aiftn m it.it m minor d i lis but then in\ol\i tin inc. pim- ( [i t tli t s ms tifhuci t coloi to the i in t i id i i) ition IOJtn 1 ( that cl mn i mil,, h* l il to ictoun In e ith case th m \ tut ten ' ci itt 1 m i 1 mil of ti ih< ie jn (i til 1 pntccttd by the 1 \ ill if l ntn n to tin point to sij t'i ti ! r pi portiu iof the pi >plc vvue lv m oimo td to tin, hj the pi oplc is i \ liolf i uist bo 1 ild iespori«Bbh f i the 1 w and all the obligations it involves. In t'n ips m t we 11 tin Dominion lino hj ul tint tlu elll il ti ifiic is good and o'.mht to be continued, and have ;>iu tic iil\ united tin inustmi it of i ipit 1 in it I btheve tint vu m on t'i cv if a miphtv it Kiitince and tmt I i Ir il tins Domini n will voice the e nit ot it bitlu cvpuiuicc ot the dunk M me in an ikiuul foi its tjtil b>l tion Lit wli tcier the moul i if t till it is b\ no me ins < It'll to (v nion thit a ch utL,t m pi ohe opinion dl l nt to out a drastic anti-liouor law i a tie t ituta bool is sufl eitnt to j istif\

i i i' 11 do ot utile i indfhi l aid ji po l b utv i« 11 th" ii t d mtei st I mi i ith pnl Ik luetic im l ntuiml I I , ibht ipmn it trnvf ind to i hi tin It is d iei\ \ 11 to tilk ot ' hj tti e sovuo<_i pi ople hj \t the powti ( n I tin in Mtt J o lii so eiel n n< rh n ust bt v u i I fii n i ntinuo hj I p nui \vhi ede n., ot Ie div 1 avi j th n i l ihi 11ion ud lb i nob ition«t ii tr rH ul to in lto [ i St iti (I i n< i I ml ot ri j n d ihhc«i tiv htn i " ]i (| i m| [i pi nP y ihrit Jtn is wii it the lind nitiondist j i up i in t I##*# jf # A | Ii bv tlu pen t to u mil 1 half i nil n vu i m o fi hsiiin tin oi; o l i i ot tho t \ho t htlv oi wioiif.i\ d il what tin it ud us iiistie in the I <n i of ci nn is 11 n is to nui victoiv bv all i in 1 t the i ion v b p tid it dl In tn b t bit nn j n p ihl c io i >i l nu i dm \o \ /( il md 1 i [ii it i ' t u ' > _,it m hi L in 'i i 1 "hj in t h '-. troops donitii„ 11 i i_,lit etc oit lui l a bi,, tin , t tivt hj uih tun tl mi id th i (in i K i tdtnti t 1 id md t 1 n tl 'i htii ,nt lnijieiitivi th it \ V Z ll 1(1 t 1 1 SI l( ll> Kit Willi 1 i iiii i ip 1 1 'I hj il \tu i tnf i hj t ol\ tul in' thif out in ill} lit I 111!? ilv the mil ' lee ml in the new npu tn it hi\t io i'i tu i e but th nib |hj itiou oi fn * the oi t 1 ii i v t li l 1 tl t vi liu v i (ep o) ill Ihe Imu 1 i* th it hjn l tit (11 ii ii i ith i i t7 to hj r t hi i o 1 t i i hi i ill eitlv rii ci b\ dim! oi ue in tl i i t 1 v th n \ it' ]l tl c ei i lji n din iin tin los < i ii io d awn f oin hj n i i\ mu u ' r n it tin people we should bt oim rnllions i veil ntnet il ve lould id tie mil v t the io tl lmulus of strong dunk tMiebnu 1 uclt ii tie who e v nolo rei til md i itml '-quip tnt a man t i Inn v hen ii upiuri oci nn <.} n i d tint he InU step i litt't u-<idi inn tl 1 fen tn 1 of chui hj i dir ann r t) ii is t test i p tiable tie tin woe 1 ivecy to tho letter would bo condemned ; v " viv dhoi ot th yhii (» tint ti hj i t hi pin mtc n a i nrimn r-\ ervitud 'sueu a tvpt limn j 3 nt it 'he mot n the nmei wno wuh m i n1 v oui i 1 cld r- i o tc id if th tt 1 i —shiv run m tht n oi ot iTi i i vnfpi t uitlv it fu el to unlorl the t ol b' i I- tt ui il thtv hid CU3 vend ne cm< r v ho dnne c< dd „i\e a l in 1 old i tu then <hs but o i—i pio te thi* involv d uhj leliv tail lln t n ii Mi hj s hj <i 1 linen mat i mit if i i r' b i t i cment b Toll i Ovmlum Ih d ji ' bt u one of the big pushes some of the men detailed to en over the top to almost certain death de-iri-d tu partake of the Communion '.['ho chaplain to whom tendered the request inquired whether they bad been confirmed. They had not and on that ground he refused them that simple, high t;--'. rite which hi". Ma«tor would have denied to .none." Thank Heaven 3itch incidents are to rare. Life at tho i'r.mt is ui; kin? short work of ecclesiastical absolutisms that cannot justify themselves in terms of s-oul, and that appear so trivial and even puerile to brave men going to wounds and death

* * -» * * * * Mi \Y. M Hu hes, tin. C< nin <m\ c-lth Punnci hj s be» n .. onnj m pUit (> II * c o l<t"tl Hith tbo mi thrt \n,u < a uid \ i>tialn -iiould achxe'v' en oiK'att in 1 p"pi,U' tli Picwc char of Ih i'i-tcr a> d hucukil Human, a siig.'C-, tun that n~ mc* vnh i v mi icce]ittou i "i \in ■■ cm tn>t i- a d con u-sincn '- i itoi F ! iu , -.bti»v hi- ,'H n notk ■> of a i nl'ition ue tiled of which would no the 'ntt tvl ■if rf (,c m it nnn tie ■-* ii« ,(] In 1-, 1 rppt ll tillb tht l'-'O l'uii will U> pa--frl' Tiof _cd co-mo 1 t Ulb "111 l\| 01)<.nt-> O! f)C Mlltl' , -> rf <o |l 15 1 piuKl of il-" - 'Mil ol ~ hj 1 uh' d it the lj.il) ith i'\ pio I i il, lnu u ,nut'"i'i! cut - of 't Of i H Invc onh h<r-dt t > 1)1 m- J . i niindi 1 ' ill fiith aid nttn uutu'otnoithi i-i; n o\i"j con « of the v.o'ld 'ei nam* i a uwin tcr tiitiuus and t olit til < h.iu\. «v.d dui'PE thp pi-t , fr,ul \ i-"~ -nth a ho«-t of dan mi,, count hj '» I on sheeted hj nne to hu that, tit mm i.t mm wot d wmld be i »uol not to 11 k \'l p, 1 ; pitcutious a- a iruu.mi.eo toi the future. •V vcrv sensible article'by''Artifex," in 13 'Daily Mail/ calls attention to a very ..■rioua moral problem resulting from tho '.■ xv. It is simply this, that millions of healthy young women, with all tho quah- ;• at ion?'and desires for wifehood and \;:>ther'iood, will be debarred from such satisfaction by the very fact thnt there are- no men to marry them. Hints giver. aom time to time indicate that in Germany where in all public concerns the -;ato occupies the place of God, and ab-iiv-?3 the "iiKlividui.il from th-3 bother and worry »of a conscience. -State action will ha ecnuil to tho occasion, whatever becomes" of tho bedrock principles of sex relation upon which oar Christian civilisaJ'ori is founded. With us, however, tho problem will just be left to solve itself, uid the prospect is not inspiring. No 1 >ubt in very many cases enforced spins- ', rhood will be devoted to avenues of ■ ■bio service, for which the community .ill be happier and better. But in such. ■!. world, and human naturo being- what it is, a serious increase in the amount of irregularity already existing will probably result. When all is 'said and done, this is God's world, nnd we can only do our best for the highest.

I The Eeichstag debate on the Oermnn ' Budp-et was very significant. Hen* Scheide- ; mann said it was well known that j Von Kuhlm-ann's speech " represented tho i Government's opinion that Germany must, | for practical reasons, give the war a deI fensive character." It is just possible ! that Germany has fallen into the danger | indicated by their great war philosopher, ! Clausewitz, when he said : " The conj queror in a war is not always in a condij tion to subdue his adversary completely. I Often, in fact almost universally, there j is a culminating point of victory.' . . . : It is necessary to know how far prepon- ! derance will reach, in order not to go be- '. yond that point, and, instead of fresh \ advantage, reap disaster. ... To \ overstep" the point at which the offensive : changes into the defensive is more than ' simply a nseless expenditure of power, yielding no further results; it is a de- | sfcructive step which causes reaction, and | the reaction is, according to all experiI ence, productive of most disproportionate ■ effects." If Herr Scheidemann's diagnosis is correct, Germany has overshot the mark, and involved herself in tasks and problems to. which, she is not eijual, and

which will be her undoing. Her increasing realisation of this may well be believed to be far and away the most significant element in the present situation. * •* * * # * «- The whole course of the war has progressively verified the insight of Bernhard i in his famous phrase, " World - power or downfall," which ho declared to be the alternatives before Germany in her next war. Whatever her secret aims were when sho drew the sword, her ambitions have either grown or been gradually revealed as her arrogance- grew with her successive victories, until to-day it is patent to the whole world that she aspires to nothing less than the position of arbiter of the political destinies of the human race. Or shall I say aspired, for even German vanity cannot be blind to the approaching shadow of Bernhardi's dread alternative to the "world-power" that was to justifys and glorify the rivers of blood she was prepared to shod as the prico of its attainment. It is the distinction of Gerrmmy that no Power this world has seen has ever made such a mighty bid for such & mighty prize. No country over risked such a stupendous stake in such a stupendous gamble. ##*•>{■•*•»# For generations to come political philosophers will have a fertile fkld in attempting to explain pre-war' Germany, whether it could be accounted for hy traditional Hohenzollernism alone, or assisted by the natural instinct for empire and #)ory ot a strong and prosperous people, or whether some deeper and more subtle influence must have been nt work. The problem is to. account for.the extraordinary, and indeed fanatical, self-estimate- of* the Germans, their fierce contempt for other peoples, but more especially the deep senee of mission and destiny which, at least in the earlier ."tares of the war, sent them to bloody -war as to a feast, though the whole course of the war has str.mped them as essentially coarse and cruel and morally repulsive, in spite of their education and technical efficiency. For they regard themselves as a chosen people, "chosen and led by that strange adumbration, the Gorman tribal god." tn compel the nations to bow their necks under the yoke of German supremacy, a?:d to accept the German theories of* government and citizenship. The frightful cost of such compulsion in blood and devastation either to themselves or their victims is but an episode, and, in tho case of the latter, also a just Nemesis.