The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to EuropeVarious
Philosophy
The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to Europe
Various
World War, 1914-1918
We are diligently given to understand that all these "Princes" and all
the German people have entered heart and soul into this war, and without
the slightest doubt as to its righteousness and as to the destiny of the
empire, this modern military autocracy, ultimately to be completely
victorious. This is hard to believe, although it must be admitted that
the cowardice of the Socialists and the obsession of the professors are
remarkable phenomena. As to the latter, however, we must remember their
dependence on the Government, not only for their information and their
"call" to speak, but also for their positions in the Government system
of education.
As to the significance of the two names most prominently quoted in this
connection, I am not at all impressed, as so many of my colleagues
appear to be. An intimate friend of mine some twenty years ago was
several weeks en pension in the same house where Haeckel had his
apartment, and even then he was notorious for his hatred of foreigners
and of women. Those of us who have followed closely his career know how
often he has written with more than German professorial virulence
against those who differed from his theory of evolution, and that he is
at present scarcely more abusive of England than he has several times
been of his own Government and of the State Church because his system
was not made a matter of compulsory teaching. As to Eucken, the reasons
for his obsession are quite different. In his case the feeling and the
utterance are due to intellectual weakness rather than to virulence of
passion.
After all, however, the temper of military and imperial Germany under
the dominance of Prussia has been essentially the same from the
beginning. In illustration of this, let me quote for your readers from a
poem of Heine, written as long ago as 1842. I do this the more readily
because I have recently seen, to my astonishment, Heine placed beside
Goethe as representing the better temper of the Germanic civilization as
opposed to the blinded judgment and immoral hatred of the modern German
Empire:
Germany's still a little child,
But he's nursed by the sun, though tender;
He is not suckled on soothing milk,
But on flames of burning splendor.
One grows apace on such a diet;
It fires the blood from languor;
Ye neighbor's children, have a care,
This urchin how ye anger!
He is an awkward infant giant,
The oak by the roots uptearing;
He'll beat you till your backs are sore,
And crack your crowns for daring.
He is like Siegfried, the noble child,
That song-and-saga wonder,
Who, when his fabled sword was forged,
His anvil cleft in sunder!
To you, who will our Dragon slay,
Shall Siegfried's strength be given;
Hurrah! how joyfully your nurse
Will laugh on you from heaven!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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