The Star. SATURADAY,OCTOBER 2, 1915. THE TREND OF NATIONALISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11508, 2 October 1915, Page 8

The Star. SATURADAY,OCTOBER 2, 1915. THE TREND OF NATIONALISM.

■ji.VV'''*' - * aggression, which culminatpresent war, has been called :iaf'#fn» against nationalities because L'CJSfe&By'B aim, as typified in Belgium, of little peoples pjiaSffflpj 1 destroying their rights as inpolitical unite. She has been undo the great work of the century—the formation of \3«&afls» The question of nationality £sqfbite a modern one. It began with H&e*&Js% partition of Poland in 1772. says Acton, "no nation fi&a.been deprived of its political exby the Christian Powers. It of wanton violence, oomopen defiance not only of but of public law. For ?s&&s> time in modern history a great suppressed, and a whole naamong its enemies." The destruction of Belgium by was the second crime of in modern history. £ jiMfi« ,: -T! ——— time of Poland's unhappy "nationality" became the |«|&nfijwat question in European poliFrench Revolution had given to the formation of free but the aggressions of |s|*jliS©on destroyed the constructive in this direction. The spirit, still remained. At the |?BSBnBa: Congress the great Austrian Metteornich, was its stern but in spite of the intriguthe spirit of nationality !fsfreact and flourished. In Italy, MazMte4 k its prophet, and in France HI. posed as its good friend. spirit of natioality had given new and Italy; it had freed lffip3isßcan States from the sway of the fpi|ttS^' | and it had consolidated the German States. Byron Wjp& Browning had been the champions and Italy respectively and struggles- of small States of Europe |ija>d %een eagerly championed by the cf writers of the early and nineteenth century. jHf&wl'i! wo choose to analyse the of the present conflict we will f'fiiwl jpiat nationality has been the imr peftting <Jause. German ideals have f Ijtoßd anti-national. She is out to kill, I very formidiable array of force Ised to life the dormant spirit om among European peoples, sspectiv© nationalities have maoed and they have arrayed es if not in force yet in cornapathy against the aggressor. ■mans as a nation have been f blinded iby their fatuous to the significance of nationTiey of all nations should have realised its importance. They eir own existence to the spirit tnality, but they were out to in others what had called their into ' being. They tried to he national spirit in Poland, uid Luxembourg, and in each they have failed. They are ikely to succeed in France and believed in a " Commonwealth 38 " such as we see in the British He did not wish the nationsmall States to be destroyed, thought if small nations like ,' Sweden, Denmark, Holland gium could come into one Comth of States it would enlarge fe, afford each the protection ■a and keep the stability of the Federation with nationality, •ely nationality was to him the d goal of the future. A willing ;m was the only solution of the ation problem. Perhaps after sent war is over the energies of »n and diplomats will be turned direction instead of secretly disruption and keeping certain ,6f Europe in a constant state oil.