PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 62

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF * EUROPE.

According to H. Belloc in his biography of Marie Antoinette, a gradual but definite transformation of Europe took place between 1668 and 1741—the former date marking the treaty which closed the last clear struggle between France and Spain, and the latter " the first great battle, Mollwitz, in which Prussia, under Frederick the Great, appeared as a triumphant and equal opponent against the Catholic forces of- the Empire. . . Europe was now hopelessly, and, as it seemed, finally, riven asunder; and those who proposed to continue, those who proposed to disperse the stream of European tradition, gravitated into two camps, armed for a struggle which is not even yet decided." lint what led up to this transformation?

It is a long story, but Belloc's argument is briefly this: The religious schism of the sixteenth century, the Reformation, "which maimed for ever the life of the Renaissance," left a welter of small States hopelessly separated by the violence and self-sufflcience of the new philosophy. But though Gaul [France] remained true to her national tradition, she failed to " lead the popular instinct of Europe against the Reformers," so failed to heal the schism by the sword and re-establish "the humanity of the Renaissance." But why did France not institute a crusade?

Because, of the political power of the Spanish-Austrian Empire. "In their secular opposition to this power it was the business of their diplomatists to spare the little Protestant States, and to use them as a pack for the worry of great Austria, whom they dreaded and would break down." And so, "when it was death to say Mass in England, the wealthy Calvinist just beyond the Channel —at Dieppe, for instance—was protected with all the force of the law from the fanaticism or indignation of his fellow citizens."

It,, then, was the political power of the Spanish-Austrian Empire which brought about the gravitation of Europe into two camps in the eighteenth century—Protestant and Catholic—that is, according to Belloc. PRUSSIAN POWER THE NEW FACTOR,

It was at this time " that there was established within five years the permanent strength of Frederick the Great and the new factor of Prussian power —a complete contempt for the old rules of honour in negotiation, and for the old rules of contract in dynastic relations." But. when and how was this contempt shown.

It was after Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian succession. Before her father died he had got the European sovereigns to sign the Pragmatic Sanction, by which they agreed to recognise Maria, . his daughter, as his successor. " Frederick of was the warmest in acknowledging the title of Maria Theresa; he accepted her claims, guaranteed the integrity of her possessions, and suddenly invaded them." "A SCRAP OF PAPER." "By the end of the year 1745 Silesia was finally abandoned by Austria; the Prussian soldier and his athiest theory had compassed the first mere conquest of European territory which had been achieved by any European Power since first Europe had been organised into a family of Christian communities. It had been advanced for the first time that Europe was not one, but that some unit of it might overbear and rule another by arms alone; that there was no common standard nor any useen avenger upon appeal. That theory had appealed to arms, and had conquered." Belloc contends, of course, that before the Reformation there was unity under the Catholic Church ; that after that two opposing forces got to work; that France, had she not been afraid of the growing political power .of the Spanish-Austrian Empire might have instituted a "crusade backed up by the sword and restored unity; that because of this want of unity the' materialistic atheistical Prussian Empire came into existence with its Might •is Right making treaties, "scraps of paper," when it suited a dynasty to do 60. There France, to save her soul, gave up "her whole energies for four generations. The defence succeeded." . . After a century of peril the French "emerged under Louis XIV, not only the masters, but for a moment the very tyrants of Europe." The book was published in 1909, and in it the following sentence occurs, after a reference to Frederick the Great, as a triumphant opponent against the Catholic forces; of the Empire—presumably the Austrian Empire is meant: "Europe was now hopelessly, and, as it seemed, finally riven. asunder; and those who proposed to continue, tho?e who proposed to disperse the stream of European tradition, gravitated into two camps . armed for a struggle which is not even yet decided." Belloc, as a historian, must have foreseen the war just ended. It seems to me that the two forces • democracy and autocracy are the two factors, and not as he assumes, two great religious forces', unless he makes democracy identical with one and autocracy with the other. And why associate Protestantism with the Atheism of Prussia? In these Chats, religion, and rightly so, is tabooed, but that does not mean that we must ignore history and the historian's interpretation of historical events. We must have all phases of > it discussed and use our own judgment in making a balance. In reviewing the history of the past, Belloc can be read with interest and profit, but it is probable he is a 3 one-sided as he has been in his comments on the present war. Accordng to his articles

in "Land and Water" and in cm-rent periodicals, one would judge that Germany had been losing so many men that, by the end of 1916, even if not before, she was hopelessly beaten, and anyone guided by him would have said definitely that jjeace would have come by that time. As we know, Germany went on two years longer, and many of us think it is a pity we did not continue a month longer. We must read all we can, but at the same time learn to discriminate, and not allow our prejudices to blind our judgment. Some time ago, I gave a reference to some of the legends of history stated as solid facts. I am afraid that Belloc imports fiction into his history and assumes it to be a fact.