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Chapter Five is headed: "World power or downfall."
He blames
The object of this chapter is to show that German diplomacy must work to strengthen Germany. Austria and Italy must obtain a suitable opportunity for going to war against the rest of Europe. German diplomacy for not having "created a cause of contention between Italy and France; that would have added to the security of the Triple Alliance," by making these two countries bate each other instead of being mutally friendly. A light is thrown on the present war, "We must be solicitous to promote which arose over Serbia, when the Author says, Austria's position in the Balkans, and Italy's in the Mediterranean. Only thus can we calculate on finding in our Allies assistance towards realising our own political endeavours." la regard to France he says: "It must be regarded as a quite unthinkable position that an agreement between France and Germany can be negotiated before the question between them has been once more decided by arms." Later he says: "In one way or another we must square our account with France if we wish for a free hand in international policy. This is the first and foremost condition of a sound German policy." "France must be Thus does he seek so completely crushed that she can never again come across our path." to envenom his countrymen to further unprincipled attacks on France.
In another place, speaking of extending the German African possessions, he says: "A financial or political crash in Portugal might give us the opportunity to take possession of the Portuguese Colonies in Africa. Other schemes for obtaining extensions of territory in Africa are mentioned, and he adds, "If necessary, they must be obtained as the result of a "successful European war." And he declares that "the all-important point is, not to postpone that war "as long as possible, but to bring it on under the most favourable conditions possible." This is what Germany has now tried to do.
Bernhardi and the German Government made terrible miscalculations in regard to Britain. Their minds, warped by Prussian Militarism, found it impossible to believe that it was on the ground of mutual friendship and goodwill that Britain and America agreed to avoid war by entering into a permanent Treaty of Arbitration. Minds poisoned by militarism could only attribute this agreement to mutual fear, not to good-will and esteem,
Further, having covered every nation with spies, the militarist Prussians came to the conclusion that Great Britain was old and decayed and falling to pieces. They came to this conclusion through a misapprehension of the policy of England towards its colonies and dependencies. It is not the policy of England to compel the various peoples over whom she rules to accept the British system on bloc, as these people would have to swallow the Prussian system were Germany to rule them. The British policy is the reverse of the Prussian, preferring to allow the Colonies and dependencies to preserve or develop their own institutions, and to allow them a free hand in the development of their own racial ideals. Had Prussia ruled over these people she would bave insisted on Prussianising them, for to Prussia there is only one universal model, namely, Prussia, which hates free institutions and national liberties. Consequently, the German Government, like Bernhardi, ignorantly calculated that, if England were attacked, all ber
colonies would rise against her, India and Egypt would rebel, and anarchy would result everywhere. The rigid political mind of Prussia cannot understand that, while the various peoples of the British Empire may have their own little political squabbles, any attack on Britain only drives all her people, of every clime and colour, to rise as one man in her defence. This war has given glorious evidence of this, by the magnificent way in which all India, and all the Colonies, have freely tendered their wealth and their manhood in the service of their King. It is freedom, not Prussian slavery, that these people love. No greater surprise has come to purblind Germany than the amazing unity of the British Empire.
But the greed for power of Germany, and her resolve to move the world to arms and slaughter, may be seen in the words of Bernhardi, who says: "We have fought in the "last great wars for our national union and our position among the Powers of Europe; we "now must decide whether we wish to develop into and maintain a World-Empire, and procure for German spirit and German ideas that fit recognition which has been hitherto "withheld from them. Have we the energy to aspire to that great goal? Are we prepared "to make the sacrifices which such an effort will doubtless cost us? Or are we willing to "recoil before the hostile forces, and sink step by step lower in our economic, political and "national importance ?" And he closes Chapter Five by saying: "We must rouse in our people the unanimous wish for power," and "the determination to sacrifice on the altar "of patriotism, not only life and property, but also private views and preferences." "alone shall we ... grow into a world power and stamp a great part of humanity with the
'impresa of the German spirit;" in other words Prussianise the world, including China.
JE
IV. The German Emperor.
דין
"Then
In the hands of the German Emperor lay the fate of Europe at the end of July, 1914. It was a grave responsibility, such a responsibility as has never yet been placed in the hands of a European monarch. What was his fitness for such a task? He has posed as the friend of Peace, but what has been his training for Peace? He has declared himself as opposed to War, but what has been his environment ?
He was six
years of age when Prussia conquered Denmark, eight years of age when Prussia conquered Austria, and twelve years of age when Prussia conquered France. In his youth he breathed the intoxicating air of conquest. As he grew up he was surrounded by gorgeous officers, his wardrobe was full of uniforms, in which he loved to appear in public, and the atmosphere of his court was that of military show and parade. His greatest pride, indeed, was his army, into which every year the youth of his country was drafted. Thus, not only the Kaiser, but the Crown Prince and his other sons made military parade their chief delight. In like manner the whole German nation has been brought up to look upon the Army as the greatest thing in the world, and the Head of the Army, the Kaiser, as a being unique and possessed of Divine right.
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