The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards FellowshipPicton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
History
The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship
Picton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals, charities, etc.; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
Annette Kolb, daughter of a German father and a French mother, had the
courage to proclaim openly in a public lecture at Dresden that _she was
faithful to both sides_, and to express her regret that Germany should
fail to understand France. After all, German intolerance must have its
limits for such a bold speech to be possible.
Wilhelm Herzog in the Munich _Forum_ has attacked the intellectual
fire-eaters, the patriots who insult other peoples and the Chauvinists
generally. He defends France, the French army and French civilisation,
against the brilliant novelist, Thomas Mann. Above all does he condemn
the intellectual babble: “The wrong that these privy councillors and
professors have done us with their ‘Aufklärungsarbeit’ can hardly be
measured. They have isolated themselves from humanity by their inability
to realise the feelings of others.”
Mr. Lowes Dickinson has called attention in the _Hibbert_ of October,
1915, to a pamphlet by Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Förster, entitled
“Deutschlands Jugend und der Weltkrieg.” The same pamphlet is quoted in
_The Ethical Movement_ of the same date. Here are some extracts:
“Hate disorganises, love disciplines. Fill yourselves with
deepest sympathy for all who suffer in war, whose hearts are
crushed, whose bodies are broken, whose homes are burned ...
and win a peace which shall make the recurrence of such things
for ever impossible. Such a purification from the passion of
hate is often easier on the field than at home. Those who remain
behind have an abstract enemy in view. The soldier sees living
men who suffer and die like himself.” It will startle the
English reader to find Dr. Förster pleading earnestly that the
English soldier is not responsible for the ways of his
government or of his leaders. The Germans are to remain true to
themselves whatever the others may do. Each side, observe,
accuses the other of barbarous methods, and impartiality is
impossible. The most that one can expect of the ardent partisan
is perhaps that he should, like Dr. Förster, urge those on his
side to remain true to their ideals, whatever the enemy may do.
“England has given us also the Salvation Army, and invaluable
higher points of view for the treatment of Labour questions and
social work. She has taught our revolutionary spirits and
moderated our party passions. Let us always remember this, and
in that remembrance grasp again in the future the proffered
hand.” For Dr. Förster it is for this better England that
Germany now fights, just as for many an Englishman it is for the
better Germany that England is fighting. “And it is better for
us to fight for that better England than to rage and spit upon
... Grey and his followers. In sleepless nights kindle the
eternal light of Christ in your souls and try to love your
enemies. Think of that great William Booth and of all the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account