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the universal detriment of the virtue of humanity. And when the Allies succeed there will still be Germany's iniquity for good men everywhere to mourn over, for it means so much loss of virtue, not merely to Germany, but to the whole world, and the world cannot afford to lose virtue, which is the most valuable product of humanity, for just as jén ("humanity," "humane,") is jên (mankind), so të (virtue) is mankind's greatest fé (possession).
No good man (chün tzi) can rejoice even over his neighbour's loss of goods, although they be lost through the neighbour's own neglect or ill-doing. How much less can a good mau have pleasure in his neighbour's loss of that which is the highest attainment of the human race, and unspeakably more valuable than mere worldly goods? The constant renewing of the people, and the obtaining a foothold in the summum boxum of humanity, depends entirely upon lustrous virtue. When the bright orb of day gives way to the blackness of night travellers grope their anxious way, or sit still in despair. When Justrous virtue loses its lustre the summum bonum fades from sight and the people are not renewed, but destroyed. If when the brightness of an individual's virtue is dimmed, it results in loss and injury to himself and his fellows, how much more dreadful the loss and injury, and bow much farther reaching when the virtue of a great and powerful nation is beclouded? And what is to be said when that nation has borne so great a title as Great Virtue Nation?
The writer of this, like multitudes of his fellow countrymen, has always had a high We have regard for Germany. There are many more like him to France and Russia. looked upon Germany with eyes of friendship, bave held Germany in esteem, and looked forward to closer union in all things that make for buman welfare. But Germany, intoxi- cated by the strong wine of her military strength, and overcome by the fumes of the incense it has offered to the Spirit of War, has turned our foe. If a man's former friend turns foe, that is not a matter for hatred but for sorrow. If the friendship has been sincere, the only feeling will be one of anxiety, as when a friend is raving with fever, combined with eagerness for his speedy recovery.
The sickness which has come over Germany is the worst and most dangerous form of sickness, for it is a moral sickness. Without good faith (bsin), says Confucius, I do not know how a man can get on. How much less can a nation get on without it? Good faith (hsin), or, as between nations, covenants (yo), are the yokepins which enable the nations to Even savage progress. Without good faith, without covenants, wars would never cease. tribes know the value of these and trust their safety to them. The sacredness of covenants The sacredness of covenants is the only basis on which even savage life is possible.
is the only basis on which commerce can be maintained. How much more important, then, is the maintenance of the sanctity of covenants necessary amongst civilised nations? Mr. Theodore Marburg, a German-American, formerly American Consul in Brussels, the Belgian capital, who "regards the diplomacy of Germany as immoral and its military ethics as indefensible," says that "by any code of ethics the business of life requires mutual "confidence. Confidence rests on the observance of understood laws. Germany's refusal to "stand by treaty obligations was a blow at the world's civilisation, and all the interests of
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"human progress require that such a violation of law should not be successful. A victory for "Germany would be a disaster for the world." That is the view, not of an Englishman, but
of a neutral of German descent, who has seen the horrors perpetrated by Germany in Belgium.
If the sacredness of solemn treaties between nations can be despised and rejected with impunity, then anarchy with all its woes, and a reversion to a condition worse than barbarism are the inevitable consequences. Every civilised nation knows this. Confucius has said, "A covenant though old must be kept." Yet Germany, which prides itself on its Kultur, has daliberately cast good faith aside, repudiated her treaty bond as a scrap of paper," tora it to shreds and cast it to the four winds. This treaty was a treaty specially entered into in 1839, and twice since confirmed, in order to avoid war being waged in Belgium. Yet, without warning, Germany broke her word to a small and neutral nation, merely in order to strike a blow at France before France was ready to defend herself, Germany has also invaded Luxemburg, whose neutrality she herself in 1867 proposed should be guaranteed inviolable. The nations agreed to this proposal, and along with Germany entered into a binding covenant. But, immediately she decided on war, Germany did not hesitate to tear up her bond, and despite the protest of the ruler of Luxemburg, violated the land she bad sworn to keep inviolate in order to stab France in the back. Luxemburg was too small a State to resist her oppressor as Belgium did, and not only has she now to endure the oppression of the German armies, but later, when the Allies drive back these armies, Luxemburg, like Belgium, is likely to become a great battlefield, and suffer the cruel ravages of War.
Germany began the present war, not by invading France, but by invading Belgium, against the determined protest of the Belgians, Belgium, though a small State, was yet strong enough to check for a time the German army. It was the effort of a brave youth against a powerful armed bandit. The heroism of Belgium fighting for its life against a monstrous horde will live in the pages of history. But though that berpisni probably saved Europe and the world from the brutality of a Prussian military tyranny, Belgium had to suffer all the woes of that tyranny in their worst form. Now, alas it lies ruined, its people murdered, its cities ravished, its priceless memorials of antiquity destroyed, its mothers weeping over their slain children, and its smoking towns and villages left to mark the track of the nation called in China "Virtue Nation." More correct would it be to translate the name Deutsch by Tiu-të-ck'i kuo (Throw away virtue and covenant kingdom), which is indeed a near Chinese approach to the European word for Germany.
Nothing could contrast more painfully with the nobility of Belgium in withstanding the giant Germany, than the utterly soulless way in which the German Chancellor spoke of the sacred treaty in which Germany had solemnly pledged protection to Belgium, as only a scrap of paper." The nobility of Belgium can only be equalled by the dishonour of Germany,
If a further proof of the guilt of Germany be needed, we have but to consider the attitude of Italy, and the guilt stands undraped before the world. When the Triple
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