Germany, The Next Republic?Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
History
Germany, The Next Republic?
Ackerman, Carl W. (Carl William)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Germany
"The new psychology," said Professor Shaw, "has discovered the new
will--the will that turns inward upon the brain instead of passing out
through hand or tongue. Wilson has this new will; the White House
corroborates the results of the laboratory. To Roosevelt, Wilson seems
weak and vacillating; but that is because T. R. knows nothing about the
new will. T. R. has a primitive mind, but one of the most advanced
type. In the T. R. brain, so to speak, will means set teeth, clenched
fist, hunting, and rough riding.
"Wilson may be regarded as either creating the new volition or as
having discovered it. At any rate, Wilson possesses and uses the new
volition, and it remains to be seen whether the political world, at
home and abroad, is ready for it. Here it is significant to observe
that the Germans, who are psychologists, recognize the fact that a new
and important function of the mind has been focused upon them.
"The Germans fear and respect the Wilson will of note writing more than
they would have dreaded the T. R. will with its teeth and fists."
As a psychologist Professor Shaw observed what we saw to be the effect
in Germany, of Mr. Wilson's will.
THE WILSON WILL
* * * * * * * *
The United States enters the greatest war in history at the
psychological moment with a capable and determined president, a united
nation and almost unlimited resources in men, money and munitions.
There is a tremendous difference between the situation in the United
States and that in any other European country. During the two years I
was in Europe I visited every nation at war except Serbia, Bulgaria and
Turkey. I saw conditions in the neutral countries of Holland, Denmark,
Switzerland and Spain. The one big thing which impressed me upon my
arrival in New York was that the United States, in contrast to all
these countries, has, as yet, not been touched by the war. Americans
are not living under the strain and worry which hang like dreadful dull
clouds over every European power. In Switzerland the economic worries
and the sufferings of the neighbouring belligerents have made the Swiss
people feel that they are in the centre of the war itself. In France,
although Paris is gay, although people smile (they have almost
forgotten how to smile in Germany), although streets are crowded, and
stores busy, the atmosphere is earnest and serious. Spain is torn by
internal troubles. There is a great army of unemployed. The submarine
war has destroyed many Spanish ships and interrupted Spanish trade with
belligerents. Business houses are unable to obtain credit. German
propaganda is sowing sedition and the King himself is uncertain about
the future. But in the United States there is a gigantic display of
energy and potential power which makes this country appear to possess
sufficient force in itself to defeat Germany. Berlin is drained and
dead in comparison. Paris, while busy, is war-busy and every one and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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