1939-12-04 — Page 9

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 4, 1939.

AN AMERICAN COMMENTATOR EXPLAINS THIS

WAR TO SAVE GERMANY FOR WESTERN CIVILISATION AGAINST HER OWN LEADERSHIP

WHEN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW taunts the British Government for having been unwilling to bomb Berlin on behalf of Poland, he presents a dilemma but contributes no- thing to its solution.

ing

material and cultural mankind has ever known.

that

It is the only thing worth fighting for, worth dying for.

ed-for, a thousand reasons, for, which the whole.civilisation bears the guilt. But into that unity Germany must

Against this unity Germany rebell-

return.

of Germany are essential to that civi- For the gifts and power and genius lisation. The West cannot live with-

It is not only the fear of reprisals that restrains the hands of the French and the British from a horror war. The same thing restrains them that prevented any pactnut her. with Russia which would give the Russian Army carte blanche to march into Europe.

Every military consideration favoured acceptance of the Russian terms by the Allies. But more than military considerations are at stake. For the object of this war is not to destroy Germany-which, with the aid of Russia, might not have been difficult- but to save Germany for Western civilisation against her own leadership.

This war, which Mr. Ford called a suppressed by the State. It presumes "phony" war, that perplexes so many the separation of State and culture- minds, some of them in our Congress, i.e., the separation of culture from is not perplexing at all to the aver- force. age French poflu or to the simplest Englishman.

FIGHTING WITH INHIBITIONS

He knows that this is not a war to maintain the status quo of Ver- sailles or British imperialism. was he would not fight it.

If it

great

of

He knows that this is the European civil war, the object which is to determine what sort of Europe he is going to live in.

It is the war of the European spirit against an alien spirit. And because it is this sort of war the Allies fight it with profound inhibitions and fight it only because all means of communication between the rest of Europe and Germany have been clos- ed for years by Adolf Hitler. This is the tragedy of this most tragic war-that communication among peo- ples has been suspended by the leaders of Germany. This is the reason for the seemingly futile bombing with pamphlets in a heartbreaking tempt at communication of Europeans with one another.

seceded

is

of

The essence of the rule of law that contract is superior to arbitrary force; it presumes a continuity relationships, constantly being mo- dified but of universal application at each moment, and from whose so- vereignty no one is exempt, not the King, not the President, not the powerful, not the weak.

STANDARDS OF THE WEST

These are the standards of Wes- tern civilisation, and it is no answer to say that the Christian ethic is not practised, that science and literature are corrupted, or that the law is made by the powerful in their own inter- ests and evaded when it is not. perennial struggle of Western civilisa- tion, the continual revolution in Wes- tern civilisation, is to achieve a more Christian, more scientific and juster society.

The

That adultery flourishes is no argument for the abolition of mar- atriage. That capitalism has abused the institution of property is no argu- ment against private property; that Western civilisation is always fluid, never static, and in constant change and reform is an argument in its favour and a sign of the organic life that is in it.

from with

In 1933 Germany Western civilisation. In 1939, complete consequentiality, Germany opened Europe to Asia.

This war is a civil war to force Germany back into Western civilisa- tion and then reorganise and streng- then that civilisation by co-operative effort, letting bygones be bygones. Like our own Civil War. It is a war to enforce unity.

PRELIMINARY TO PEACE

The peace terms cannot be writ- ten, because the peace terms cannot be dictated. They must be created, together, as a peace for a new and united Europe. In order to make that peace one must have Germany back in the body of Western civilisa- tion.

This war is a fight for the living body of Germany,

It

What is Western civilisation? is not democracy, not parliamentary government and certainly not capita- lism. All of these are merely man!- festions of something else-tempor- ary forms to express a more perma- nent content.

Western civilisation is, never. theless, definable. It is the syn- theals of three things: the Chris- tian ethio; the solentific spirit; and the rule of law.

The essence of the Christian ethic is that the weak have rights as well as the strong, and that the strong must set limitations upon their own power.

The essence of the scientific spirit is that the search for truth transcends the State and may not be limited or

This trinity of concepts is unique to the West. Russia, Asia and Africa have never produced a society which is a synthesis of the Christian ethic, free science and the rule of law. The Mahomedan world does not know it. China, Japan and India do not know it. They know other things, but not these things.

"WE BELONG TOGETHER"

The synthesis is the unique con- tribution of Europe, and only those areas of the earth settled, colonised, ruled and lived in by Europeans or the children of Europeans--the Ameri- Union of South Africa-belong са, Australia, New Zealand,

Western civilisation.

one

GERMANY'S SECESSION

Long before the politicians woke up to the realisation of the tragedy of the German secession-while the po-

liticians were refusing to believe in poets, artists, religious leaders the secession-the scholars, scientists, philosophers of law were

and aware-

aware and dismayed.

The persecution of the Jews was not a crisis of Jewry. It was a crisis of

against the Christian ethic. The first Christianity, a declaration of war

to see its profound threat to one of the three pillars of Western civilisa- tion were German pastors and priests. The universities of the West took States did-by up arms against Naziism before the a spontaneous and immediate realisation that another. pillar was tottering.

And the learned law journals were awake while France and Britain slept. The Allies did not bomb German cities because they are cities of Wes- tern civilisation, This tragic war is being waged by men who loved Ger- many. Is it not significant that the French Propaganda Ministry should be headed by Jean Giraudoux, the French writer who has used his pen most powerfully in behalf of the Ger- man cause in a moving effort to bring about the spiritual unity of Germany

and France?

in the world the enemies of Nazlism Is it not significant that everywhere

Find

are the friends of Germany? tists, the economists who first took up the journalists, the writers, the scien-

their pens against the Versailles sys-

X'MAS

NAZI RADIO TOLD TRUTH--IN. ERROR

Truth came over the German radio yesterday and enraged all good Nazis. An announcer had been careless enough not to re- hearse the broadcast.

He was Interviewing children In a German village in south- ern Poland. This is what Ils- teners to the Warsaw station heard.

Announcer: Do you know that your fore-fathers came here from Germany? Child: No.

Announcer: But they did. Why did they come? Child: I don't know.

Announcer: Be a clever boy. Was it a Journey for pleasure? They were asked to come by the Polish kings to Improve Polish agriculture. Isn't that so? Child: I don't know.

Announcer: Do any of you children know an old German song. Children in chorus: I don't know.

The announcer will probably be sacked and sent to a concen- tration camp for his careless

ness.

tem and you will find the enemies of Naziism.

"COME BACK TO'US"

For these were the men who most West, who passionately cared for the unity of the regarded the post-war situation as an affront against the West, who warned that rebellion was brewing in Germany against the West. No, it is not a "phony" war. It is the terribly real war, in which weapons are taken up reluctantly by men in whose hearts are fury and love; a war not to divide but reunite; war that could better be waged and better be settled with words, but outlawed by the seceders, cannot be because communication is

a

а

The cry of Europe to Germany is, with us for a new Europe. "Come back to us, be one of us, work Come back, come back, come home!"

AND NEW YEAR HAMPERS

We beg to notify Customers that Assorted Hampers suitable for the Festive Season may be obtained from us at the following Special Rates:-

No. 1 HAMPER-

1 Qt. Moet & Chandon Dry Imper-

ial Champagne.

2 Pt. G.F. Peppermint.

1 Pt. D.O.M.

1 Qt. Martell's Cordon Bleu Brandy.

1 Qt. John Halg Gold Label Whisky

or "Perfection" Whisky.

-$80.00

1 Qt. Superb Tawny Port.

2 Qts. St. Julien Claret.

1 Qt. Old Brown Sherry, Black Seal.

1 Qt. Taylor's Old Tom or Dry Gin.

1 Qt. Burgoyne's Burgundy.

1 Phial Angostura Bitters.

No. 2 HAMPER-

1 Qt. Guillemart Champagne. 1 Pt. D.O.M.

the to

1 Qt. Burgoyne's Burgundy.

These countries are ruled by one kind of spirit, the Western spirit, and inhabited by one kind of man, the Western man. Wa belong together. We have God, one univeralty, one solence, ong ethic, a 'common literature and a common concept of law. It is the world's greatest and most creative civilisation, although it has not the most numerous population by any means, It has produced almost the whole of modern science and technology; it has made the greatest conquests of nature; it has liberated the human mind as it has never been liberated; it has created the secure societies in all history; it has produced the highest standard of liv-

most

1 Qt. Martell's *** Brandy.

2 Qta, John Halg Gold Label Whisky

or "Perfection” Whisky.

-$72.00

2 Qts. Tawny Dry Port.

2 Qts. St. Julien Claret.

1 Qt. Taylor's Old Tom or Dry Gin.

1 Qt. Manzanilla Sherry.

1 Phlai Angostura Bitters.

No. 3 HAMPER-

1 Qt. Burgoyne's Burgundy.

1 Pt. G.F. Peppermint.

1 Pt. D.O.M.

2 Qts. Tarragona Port.

2 Qte. John Halg Gold Label Whisky

or "Perfection" Whisky.

-$60.00

1 Qt. Pellisson Brandy.

1 Qt. Amontillado Sherry.

1 Qt. Taylor's Old Tom or Dry Gin.

2 Qts. Medoo Claret,

1 Phlal Angostura Bitters.

Other Hampers made up to suit Customers' requirements.

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TEL. 20135.

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