Behind the Scenes in Warring GermanyFox, Edward Lyell
History
Behind the Scenes in Warring Germany
Fox, Edward Lyell
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
"Your country," he said, "has not yet attained its nationalism, but it
is most wonderful, because it is not formed like Austria, of half
civilized, uncultured races held together by the monarchical system, but
because it is welding itself together from material, a large part of
which was composed of the scum of Europe. I wonder that it has been able
to make the strides towards nationalism, that it already has. No state
in the world has progressed so far by comparison towards national
consciousness as has America in so short a time. Up to now, America has
been the student of Europe, but from now on, America will be the
teacher. To-day doubly so; with the Panama Canal you are the forepost of
the white race against the yellow. The geographical and moral position
that your country holds, imposes upon it a great duty. It is to hold
back the East. Your country cannot step aside from the yellow races. You
must be prepared to cope with them."
"What, Professor! You are suggesting armament for the United States.
Why! that is against every teaching of the peace propagandist in our
country."
"If the people of the United States," stated Professor Stein
deliberately, "believe that the peace movement is bound to save them
from war, they have either totally misconstrued it, or they have been
grossly misinformed. A nation must be prepared for war. If the rulers of
a nation leave their country unprepared, they are guilty of criminal
neglect. In China its four hundred millions of people are unprepared,
and are therefore at the mercy of a few million Japanese who are
prepared. That is because in this generation might is right, and all
that we workers for peace can do, without injuring our states, is to
face the facts of this generation, be prepared for war, if war there is
to be, and keep on working for our ideal. Anything else is a dream."
"But, Professor," I remarked, "that is not the peace idea as it has been
spread broadcast in America. Those who believe in the movement, think
that the peace societies of our country can keep us out of war. What you
have just said disagrees with Andrew Carnegie's peace utterances in the
United States. Would you mind telling me the difference between your
viewpoint and Mr. Carnegie's?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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