NOTES ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17936, 1 November 1918, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR.

A new note is sounded in some of tho later messages concerning Germany, suggesting that the old antagonism between Bavaria and Prussia is once more making itself apparent. The possibility of the disruption ,of the German Army has probably not entered the mind of the average reader, who has doubtless regarded the German Empire as a firmly consolidated, group. But for all that, most .observers whoso knowledge of European history extends beyond the dates of a few battles have wondered how the confederation would behave under defeat. The chance of Bavaria quarrelling with Prussia seemed remote, but it has existed and still exists, and on© of the severe tasks of Prussian diplomacy at this crisis will be to retain the goodwill and support of Bavaria. It 'is only within the last twenty years that it has beeu lawful to display the German Imperial flag on public buildings in Bavaria, and even now it flies side by side with tho Bavarian flag on the Emperor's birthday. There is a core of Bavarian patriotism that has never been reconciled to the Prussian domination of the German Empire. The antagonism is both racial and religious, and although Bavaria has flourished under the Empire, that antagonism has never entirely disappeared. Evidently it is now blazing up again. ,

Throughout the movement for German unity last century the anxiety of Bavarian Foreign Ministers was to maintain the independence of their country. They-inclined to Austria as against Prussia in the. rivalry between those powers for the leadership of the German States. They endeavoured to engineer a South German grouping as a counterpoise to Prussian domination,

and they finally joined Austria in the Seven Weeks' War. One of tho schemes that found favour was the creation of a supremo directory, in which Bavaria, as the principal of the purely " German" States, would hold tlie balance of power. The ■Bavarian attitude towards Prussia seems to have been due partly to fear of Prussian aggression. but also to jealousy of the growing influence of the northern, State. It was for this reason that Bismarck'e strenuous efforts to tecure Bavarian neutrality in 1866 failed. Bismarck succeeded better, however, after the war, when his conciliatory and moderate methods overcame the separatist tendencies of the Bavarians and prepared tho way for the union. There was, of course, a strong irreconcilable minority, tho "' patriot" coro already mentioned, which was later to become the powerful centre group in Bavarian politics.

In the ultimato union marked concessions had to be mado to Bavarian sentiment, and although the separatist subsided into general obscurity, the Bavarians have never forgotten their special privileges. They claim the leadership of tho Gorman as distinct from the Prussian, people, and although they have had to give way *« superior numbers of the Prussians, they keep alive the spirit of racial and intellectual independence. Still, it would require an enormous disruptive force to break up the Germ»% Empire, and even if a pronounced movement wore to develop in favour of a South German.- Confederation, it is extremely doubtful whether it would attain ultimate success, at any rate under any conditions that oould be deemed possible at tho moment. What probably has happened is that a strpng antiHohenzollern influence has been working in the south and has been expressed in Berlin, since the South would inevitably regard the Kaiser as the head of the aggressive militarism. . South German States have shown no disposition to help Prussia out of her domestic troubles during the war, and there have been bitter complaints from Prussia that Bavaria and "Wurttemburg were living on the fat of tho land while the population of Prussian cities was on the verge of starvation.

South German comments in opposition to the war policy have naturally been very guarded, but there were outspoken objections to tho intervention of the military group at the time when the more moderate influences seemed .likely to prevail in the settlement with Russia and Rumania. Bavaria was then strongly against annexations and indemnities. It stood for the Reichstag resolution, which, indeed, was understood to have been inspired in tho south, and in the general controversy during the last couple of years Bavarian opinion has been closer to Austrian than to Prussian policy. The great offensive in tho west stilled the objections to the Pan-German movement, but the defeat of the Hinden-burg-Ludendorff plans must have confirmed the Bavarians in their anxiety for an early peace. It has been suggested of late that . though Prussia might be expected to stand firm and to fight to the last ditch the defection of Austria might be followed by the defection of the South German States, and tho southern influences must be working now for peace almost at any price.

The policy that brought about the war was Prussian policy. Tho whole scheme of a military empire was Prussian in conception and was forced on Germany by Prussian arms. It was the Prussian military system that was imposed on the empire and the whole oiganisation is Prussian. Tho conception of a Teutonic domination on the Continent came from Prussia. It is necessary to have these facts in mind if the German internal situation is to be understood. Pan-Germanism iis a Prussian invention. Bavaria and Wurttemburg would be well content to slip back to "the old conditions, united with the other German States for commercial purposes and for defence, but not for aggression, and that, doubtless, i 3 tho real meaning of the movement that is said to be gathering force in Munich. Some of the German journals suggest that the disruption of the Empire is threatened,' but though the break-up of the Austrian Empire may create fears of a similar development in Germany such a development seems, to be improbable in tho extreme. However, the revolution or revolutions in Austria-ilungary must create new problems for the consideration of Germany, and the formation of an independent Czech State ; in Bohemia especially will spell the end of the Hohenzollern designs. These changes, however, can bo. when they are moro matured. In tho meantime tho reader's interest will bo centred on Germany, where, apparently, Prussian tenacity is being tested not only by the Allied arms but also by the pacifist pressure of the South Germans, and • probably, also, of other non-Prussian peoples.