1917-06-09 — Page 7

NATIONS' SOULS.

SOME SURPRISES.

[BY MAURICE MARTERZINOK, THE GREAT BELGIAN DRAMATIST AND POET:]

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, JUNE 9mm, 1917.

NORWAY AND SUBMARINE

WAR.

OVER FOUR HUNDRED. TESSELS SUNK.

In the admirable and touching pages The Christiania correspondent of the in which Octave Mirbeau bequeaths to Morning Post telegraphod on April ue his last thoughts, the splendid friandard: who has just been taken from all who in The Tidens. Tegu, roviewing the history this world hunger and thirst after justice of the German submarine campaign dur. expresses his surprise at finding how ining 1918-17, more particularly as it has the supreme moments of its life the collec affected Norway during the past three tiva soul of the French nation differs months, emphasizes the ruthlessness with from the soul of each of the individuals which the campaign has been conducted of which it is composed.

und the tremendous increase in the loses

He had devoted the best part of his inficted

4

and

work to examining, dissecting, present ing in blinding sometimes unbearable light and stigmatising with maequalled eloquence

bitterness the 'weakness and selfishness, the folly and meannessen, the vanity and

and

the

STATE OF GERMANY, ONLY FIGHTING TROOPS WELL

· FED,

PUBLIC OPINION DEPRESSED.

Da German

A

Ia

TRADITION.

[BY A RETIRED REGULAR OFFICER.] We were talking of the Old army and the New My friend belonged to the Old, ball been wounded months ago and

of

us but keen to uphold our data |

But

serdid money-sense, the dant of conlentlessness and in utter disregard of frime of mind. They talk only of food, hâs behind it the wholef

Ships in ballast and ships with cargous ирод Norwegian shipping. of coal and coke destined for Norway ships trading between neutral ports and even ships which have,, unwittingly cn tered the danger zone in the last German submarine proclamation ignoranes of in which that zone was defined, have all been sent to the bottom with pitiless re science, honesty, charity, dignity, the human lives, the loss of which is increas- shameful stains on the life of his following daily. Up to date, Norway alone countrymen.

has lost 420 ships with a total of 600,000 Then, in the hour of insistent duty, tons, This record does not include a there might have been seen arising sud-number of large steamers whose fute is denly, as in fairyland, out of the muddy unknown, but, which have been missing water, which he had so long stirred with for so long a time that their destruction, rough and generous disgust the purest, and the toas of the whole of their crows, noblest, most patient and fraternal spirit may now be assumed. of heroism and sacrifice which the world has ever known, not only in the most glorious days of history, but even in the time of the most romantic legends, which were bus glorious dreams that the world Dever hoped to realise.

THE COMMONPLACE BECOMES NOBLE.

I could say as much of another nation,

According to official statistics quoted by the journal named, Norway had on January 1st, 1915, on her shipping regis- ter 2,137 steamships and 493 sailing ships, with an aggregate of 2,400,000 tons. Since that date the losses have amounted to about 20 per cent of the number and 25 per cent of the touange of the fleet. At the beginning of this year, notwith number of new ships launch- The Belgiune,ed, the fleet under the guise which they always showed cluding 368 sailers).

vegsels (in- us, gave no promise of noble soul. three months of this year the fleet was They seemed to as narrow and limited detroyed by submarines or mines, the reduced by 140 vessels, of 238,000 tone, rather commonplace and honest in á mean, inglorious way; they were without losses for each month being as follows: ideals or generous aspirations, wholly January, 4 vessels, of 67,000 tons; Feb absorbed by their petty material well-ruary, 41 vessels, of 63,000 tons; March, being, their petty local wrangles.

84 rescis, of 103,000 tons.

a gentleman who has spent the last three" Of course they have no tradition!"

There has arrived in London recently no on the Staff, years in Germany. He is a neutral who What exactly do you mean by tradi weeks by a circuitous route, which was able to get away within the last tow tion?" I asked, and by way of lessening. brought him into Paris. In an interview added, I understand tradition to be a any appearance of profound ignorance, he said that he was surprised at the en with representative of the Morning Prat sort of cross between History and Cur dition of both Paris and

lom, consisting for the greater part nd London. the way, certainly not so bad as we were

unwritten testimony promulgated Paris I found things not at all out of teid in Germany, and tread we wy und Regiment as an example; when. view to promoting esprit de coupe, with a "Exactly so," he replied." Now take buite un Regiment was formed in 1675-just that I had been eating ever a new man joined we told him-thi

dietition, it is an good; and, mind you, campaigns we had been in, the battles we

bread, black, laugh, doughy, and in fact, and allowed it to soak in 1 Then Your bread in London is later and by degrees we mentioned the in Germany I was in a position to pay bad fought, what our Regiment had don for of the country, and particularly the big him with the facts of our history and good food. As to the general state and so forth; and in this way imbued fort, Bremen, and others, where commercial cities like Hamburg, Frank made him not only pivad to frode had existed, ho suid: People everywhere are in the most depressed the

I quite understand ** I and the absence of any cheering news it in history, or imbibed it with their. our nation they have learat which would realise the promises ori- mothers' milk and it is in their blood. ginally made when they entered on the If it were not so we should not have had war is hitting them hard. They knew our new army, an army composed of mil- that it is they who are being attacked come forward in the past two years. Of what is going on, but always take the viow lions of

who have voluntarily They seem to have forgotten that they course there is good and bad tradition started on #

conquest, though and it is sometimes hard to define where when the conflict began that view was history ends and where custom begins." proclaimed loudly enough. They believe that Germany can never lose in the end, remarked.

I don't quite follow you," my friend that their line in France is impreg mean by bad tradition, bad tradition "I don't know what you nable, and that though the Zeppelins have cannot live fizzled ruins, and their attacks on the coast have are done solely because they were done out and have not laid London in "We all know of some things that not destroyed the fortresses," yet they a hundred years ago, and that are not thoroughly believe, although they can see in themselves. Tradition can be baal pin their faith to the-boats. They good or sensible, but perhaps the reverse, no practical results, that they are right see what you mean," he answered, in banking on the submarines; that by but my point is that the New

army is knees

They may be, but they are learning LOST COMMERCIAL SUBMARINES,

the art of war in practice" I answered. "It is known, too, that their idea that

And so we chatted on, my friend being is a failure. In the ports it is known New army was, in spite of the absence of the U-boats could be used commercially very ready to concede how splendid our that both the Bremen and the Deutschland what for a better word we called tradi- are either sunk or in the possession of tion, and then applied to much else the British Navy, but the Government besides, issues official statements that all is right with these boats, but that for military reasons it is imposible to say anything about them.

War of

our best

נו

which I know well, since it dwells in the standing the bereding the first them they will bring England to her without even theoretical trudition,"

land where I was born.

Yet when the same hour of duty sound- ed for them, more menacing and formid able than for others because it sounded, anysterious and terrible, before all others while there was everything to gain and mothing to lose-but honour, if they proved faithless in a plighted word; at the first call of a conscience aroused by fire, without hesitating or glancing at what they had to meet er undergo, with an irresistible and unanimous of soul, they astonished mankind by a decision such as no other people had ever taken, and saved the world, well knowing that themselves could not be saved. And this assuredly is the noblest sacrifice that the heroes and martyrs, who hitherto seemed the devoted knights of sublime courage, could achieve on earth.

outburst

THE AMIABLE BECOMES A BLAST, On the other hand, those of us who had had occasion to mix with Germans, who kad lived in Germany and believed that they know German manners and letters, thought it beyond controversy that the Bavarians, Saxons, Hanoverians, and Rhinelanders, despite sertain defects of aducation rather than character which grated upon us somewhat, possessed also certain qualities, notably a gemal kind ness, gravity, laboriousness, steadiness, an uncomplaining temper, simplicity of domestic life, a sense of duty, and habit of taking life conscientiously, which we had always ignored or succeeded in lasing

#

and a Zepp, had been brought down in A Zepp. raid had recently occurred, dames. What traditions had the Flying Corps behind them?

The opportunities for the replactment of the lost tonnage are extremely limited, as the Norwegain shipyards are not able to construct more than 30,000 tons yearly, while the fulfilment of the shipbuilding contracts on behalf of Norway in the Food is very short. United States has been made extremely city where I lived the principal article were formerly peaceful fisher-folk, wore Ming-sweepers manned by men who In one great problematical by the imminence of the of diet was mangel wurzels. No potatoes day and night fishing for mines and sub- outbreak of war between the United could be had, and though fish arrived it concludes that if the destruction of ton- poses.

marines. States and Germany,

What traditions had they to The Tidens Tegn was all commandeered tor military pur

spur them on or guide them!

Workmen were turning out munitions page is continued at the present rate the the card allowance--which is no suth-instead of ploughshares in

Food can be had outside the existence of the Norwegian commercial cient to furnish subsistence but at prices ad not labour departed wholesale from

pricestories,

many fac What were their traditions ? flect will be seriously mensced.

which are horribly high. The winter has been intolerably bad, and no coal was any traditions they had lefore the wa available, so that even in the great con regard to hours, output, holidays, and

THE TSAR'S UNHEEDED WARNINGS.

dlaet

tres all places of public resort had to be on is useful in its way, but be-

closed down and cafés and theatres outr side Berlin had to stop. In the circum stances it is not surprising that even over German, victories, real or imaginary there is no more fagging of bauses and be known as compulsory merry making, business premises. Latterly this came to

stopped, and was so obviously absurd that it was

The

Fo

never

and above all is the spirit of the people. The one great tradition crudely Shall be Slaves is born and bred in our expressed in the words" Britons Never The Moscow Utro Rosnye says:-

flood and means a good deal more than by the commission of investigation at Among the correspondence discovered the Court of Nicholas II., a large number

think. It means that we are free and sympathise with the oppressed, and to of letters have been found addressed to

intend to

to remain so; and it leads us to the ex-Tsar by the crowned heads and power. The real bosses are the military or if we have been, we have members of the Royal families of several men, who order every detail of life, from or

The civil authorities are without any tradition that we have never been henten, uphold the use of justice. It is our Allied and doutral countries. All these the number of boots you may possess to acknowledged it, and never will. The correspondents insisted in their letters on the putous which you may buy the necessity for the Tsar, to make

determination never to give in or amilitary authorities hold all the actual is after all a bigger asset than any local to "civil peace with his people," and also

I dream of

giving in until victory is won,

power, and they are going to hold it as detail; and this may be said without anything so long as they retain the please, and do not care bang about

war than the at of uniforms, the polish of buttons, the goose step or any other long as they possibly can. The Socialists are very active, and are finding ways and detracting one jot from our original the means of circulating leaflets against theile perfect discipline, superlative cour contemptible little army " which with with a strong stimulas and made them", magnificent pluck and wonderful In these letters Government. Russia has furnished then

more daring. That is why the Emperor tribute which we call tradition, saved the is beginning to talk of political reform, situation in the early days before we esprit, due in a large measure to this at- and whatever way the war goes now there ware ready will be a change. Each soldier at the front is a latent Socialist, and either there will be a great democratic advance Germany back in history. 300 or 400 years. or a tremendous reaction which will send

to alter his methode of government for Power in the State. They do what they tradition, and will do more to win the

II's answers to this advice are couched the sake of the Allied cause." Nicholas in very cold terms.

Nicholas II, by the members of

The most urgent advice was given to Danish Royal family. he was reminded that Russian internal dissensions, which were inevitable under the old system, formed part of the Ger- an play of war and of the Kaiser's

So, despite the warnings of history, we were atruck dumb with amazement, we refused at first to believe the early tales of atrocities which were not incidental, As in overy war, hat designed, preme- ditatod, systematic, and performed with a light heart by an entire people "plomatic game. itself of sober purpose and with the of perversity outside the pale of human- ity transforming itself of a sudden into Repack of devils more formidable and destructive than all those that hell had aitherto belched into our work.

THE COLLECTIVE SOUL.

parably farther than those of a single a future and a past stretching incam human life. It is admitted and repeated again and again, that it is the dead who usher it in. It is certain that the dead We knew already, and Dr. Gustave Lenimue to live in it a far more active Bon had demonstrated to us in a curious

life than is way, that the soul of a crowd does not

nerally believed and con- tre! it unknown to itself; and the future, resemble the soul of any of its component though it stand at the other end of the members. According to the lenders and compriss all those who are not to the circumstances which control it, the yet bom, all those whom it loses in itself collective soul is sometimes higher, juster,

like its dead; and they contribute to the more generous, very often, indeed, more voice than the dead.

dresions of a nation no less weighty a swayed

by impulse, more eredulous, rael, more barbarous and blind. But a crowd has only a provisional, momentary oul, which does not survive the short lived and almost always violent occur rence that calls it into being; its eventual and transitory psychology can hardly throw light upon the way in which the deep, secular, and almost deathless soul of a nation is formed.

Great

with Sweden and Denmark. amounts of food come from those coun- NO FOOD FOR LEAVE MEN

tries and also from Holland, and the "Places such as those I have named are

German banks bave made huge profits out deserts, places, and women buy dresses and men through or by permission of Great Bri There are shops and business which this trade is carried on comes of the trade. Nearly all the means by buy clothes, but at high prices. There is in If you had stopped the supplies to no chocolate and no sugar. Very few Sweden, Denmark, and Holland of such men are seen, and not even soldiers on articles as maize you would have ended are so no longer. For one thing they get led to cattle, and the cuttle turn into leave are plenticul. They used to be, but the war long ago. These supplies are no foort when on leave, and I fancy are meat for German troops, glad to get back to the front to obtain a "The Germans are preparing for meal. Drinks of all kinds are plentiful peace. went when a nation lives and puts forth though that is now very thin. Men up culties which will arise from the change

But even in present tines, at the mo

* a pris There is plenty of whiskey, and have

certainly have prevision, its activity on earth, apart from the in

gin, champagne, and wines, and also beer, object of foreseeing and meeting the diffi nstituted a Ministry with the Buence of those who no longer ate and in forty tight are being taken for of conditions in trade, etc., after the wa those who are not yet, there is outside are constantly undergoing combing out, tion. Herr Ballin, when he makes his the nation, and cutside the collection of The soldiers are very sick of the war, and speeches, says what he is told to say, and diers, and the men who were exempted Their business men understand the situa bodies and brains, which make it up, aif military discipline were not so strict he is not such a fool as to believe that host of forces and found or have not wished to take their the end would soon comes. Despite the his instruction: from the military autho

powers which have not It is natural enough that a should not know itself at all, and that nation consistently, yet none the less terrible, as is revealed by that fact alone trained busines

nation place, a host which does not abide in the fact that they are taking the fit and the rities as to the statements he must make its acts should plunge it into a state of belongs to it as essentially and directs it the people go on accepting what is told himself. Again, this is true of Bethmann and that they know their losses are reflect the truth. He is an American- bewilderment from which it only recovers as effectively as those other forces and when History has to a greater or loss powers which are contained in it. What them, but are always blaming the Aus Hellweg, who is very much of the type cannot help degree explained its acts to it. None our body encloses when we believe

trians and their Alfies for getting them of the men who make up a nation knows

selves circumscribed is little in

our- into difficulties. They

able, scholarly of

personage that Mr. BAI- himself still less does he know his fel-son with what it does not cheiopard Austrians as soldier simply despise the four is. He bas to say what he is told

They know, generally speaking, that clear-headed, long-sighted roan, but

by the military authorities. He is

Emperor.

but the

lowe

Not one of us really knows what man-

it is in what the body does not enclose they are in the soup, and say that their servant of the that the highest and most powerful part diplomacy is rotten, because it makes of our being seems to dwell. It is this!

enemies for them everywhere.

and

、

ner af man he is; not one of us can say that constitutes all the Boating forces so think nothing of America. They believe it is Great Britain that has brought them what he will do in circumstances that much deeper and more numerous than

The best hated people are the British are unexpected and a trifle more serious

They Everyone in Germany understands that than those which form the customare those which seem fixed in the body and navy, which cannot get at the Ameed that if Great Britain had not inter-

she is weeless, with no army and a fissue of life. We spend our lives. spirit that make up the real seal of a questioning and exploring ourselves; our people.

cle are as much a revelation to ourselves

in

rica they do not fear at all, and think They do not show themselves in the United

that if

they can only starve out. England petty incidents of daily life which only way.ted States will also have to give ur life's end, the farther stretches the concern the narrow, mean covering in

to others; and, the nearer we draw to ta of what remains for us still to dis- which a nation goes sheltered; but they trics that thousands of firms are ruined, this opinion, They make no secret of

* Busines is

127.

to their present pass. They are convinc vened they would easily have overrun France, then turned on Russia, when they were in potuession of the Chan- and after, ports, on England, and in turn the unite, join forces, and reserve their par especially in places like Frankfort and ing of themselves as

is dead with so many coun- United States. sionate ardour for the hours of tragic Bremen, and the free port of Hamburg, fate when everlasting destiny is at stake. The women and children are very badly sorts was very much restricted and the

**ing attacke

Perast i talk- In that moment they take decisions which off, milk is scarce and thin, and only control of the people very close, so that Mention was made that travel of all History, inscribe on her records, and of allowed to sick people. Everything in thes, were always well in hand, Large the grandeur, the generous im- reserved for the men at the front. There numbers of Rugiang and Belgiana were pulse, and the heroism astonish even are no beans and no cereals of those who have taken them more. ör What is true of each one of us is very unknown to themselves, often in spite of

ab work on the land, and there was no much more true of a great nation com-themselves, and who are made manifest

FOOD FROM SCANDINAVIA seeming lack of phosphates for agricul prising millions of men. That represents

done is with the Northern countries: everywhere, the apparent ides being to "Where there is still good business ces from the air. Immorality was rife tural purposes, obtained by chemical pro (Continued at joot of nest colum.)

Scandinavia, in fact, and particularly encourage repopulation as much as po

(Continued at foot of next column) Bible-Morning Post

cover. We own but the smallest part of ourselves; there rest, which is almost the whole, does not belong to us at all, but merges in the past and the future and in ether mysteries mars unknown than Iature and past.

THE DEAD LIVE IN US.

in their own eyes as a revelation of them selves, unexpected magnificent, and in. comprehensible. Daily Mail.

any kind.

104]

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