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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 6

Maximilian - Harden, a wellkno\£n German publicist and journalist, lias expressecl himseif outspokenly as to why Germany went to war. "Let us drop our miserable attempts-to excuse Germany's action," exhorts Herr Harden. "Not against our will and as a nation surprised did we hurl ourselves into this gigantic venture. . . It is Germany that strikes, and from an immovable conviction that her achievements entitle her to more elbow room in tiie world.'' The Kaiser, his eyes upon Heaven, declared piously that the sword was forced into Germany's hands. He stood before the world suggesting a monarch weeping tears of blood for that, after having kept the peace of Europe for several decades, he now had to loose his legions in sqlf Herr Harden finds himself astonishingly at variance also with the leading scientists and plaiii professors of the Fatherland, who have circularised America and England, too, with the plea of justification on Germany's behalf. Two such notable minds as Professor Ernst Haeckel and Eudolf Eucken issued conjointly a declaration that "the whole German world of letters is to-day filled with deep indignation and strong moral reprobation of the behaviour of England." The finer quali-, ties of Britain, according to these thinkers, "have succuiribed" to the ancient English malady, to a brutal national egotism, "which, careless of morality or its opposite, pursues.its own advantage." How remarkable it is that that is exactly what the civilised world is saying of Germany! In a criticism of the Haeckel-Eucken document in the New York '' Times,' 1 the distinguished j Professor F. Jewett Mather, of Prince- j town University, declares that "there] is something profoundly humiliating to my profession to find two of its most distinguished lights,, philosophers both, judging Without consideration of the data, applying with cheap phrases borrowed from chauvinistic journalism to the condemnation which, if! true, could apply only to a few individuals." The world ; has had the evidence before it, and has apportioned the responsibility for tlie present dreadful war, all the sophistry of the German savants notwithstanding. Herr Harden shows a remarkable candour in his declaration of the German military policy, but little foresight or regard, for facts in his prediction as to how Germany will dictate • terms of peace to' the Allies.