664 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



States. It was originally published by the New York Times, 

 and has since been sold by the Times in the form of a pamphlet 

 for one penny. Mr. Beck is an able American lawyer, who has 

 had much experience in disentangling important conflicting 

 pleas ; he approaches the discussion of the cause of the war 

 from a quite impartial standpoint and furnishes a quite impartial 

 analysis. The document is therefore a very valuable one — and 

 it completely demolishes the excuses which the Germans have 

 put forward in mitigation of their barbarous and wicked action. 

 It is evident that Germany had carefully prepared her plans 

 long before the commencement of the war, and that she used 

 the Sarajevo crime merely as a pretext for her attack upon 

 surrounding nations. Mr. Beck complains that German official 

 publications have suppressed many vital documents, and sums 

 up as follows: "(i) That Germany and Austria in a time of 

 profound peace secretly concerted together to impose their will 

 upon Europe and upon Servia in a matter affecting the balance 

 of power in Europe. ... (2) That Germany had at all times 

 the power to compel Austria to preserve a reasonable and 

 conciliatory course, but at no time effectively exerted that influ- 

 ence. ... (3) That England, France, Italy, and Russia at all times 

 sincerely worked for peace. ... (5) That Germany, in abruptly 

 declaring war against Russia for failure to demobilise when 

 the other Powers had offered to make any reasonable concession 

 and peace parleys were still in progress, precipitated the war." 

 He concludes that " The German nation has been plunged into 

 this abyss by its scheming statesmen and its self-centred and 

 highly neurotic Kaiser, who in the twentieth century sincerely 

 believes that he is the proxy of Almighty God on earth, and 

 therefore infallible," and that " this detestable war is not merely 

 a crime against civilisation, but also against the deceived and 

 misled German people." 



The first question which any man accustomed to disentangle 

 truth from falsehood will ask is this, What on earth did Germany 

 and Austria expect to gain by this struggle, even if victorious ? 

 The fact is that no possible gain would compensate for one- 

 millionth part of the loss which was sure to be inflicted by the 

 struggle itself. Before the war Germany was very prosperous 

 in everything, and, even if she succeeds, she will not obtain 

 more prosperity than she would have obtained had she elected 

 to continue in the paths of peace. She reminds one of a 



