GERMAN MILITARISM 583 



country have derived from German militarism. Specifically, we note 

 its greatest influence in the agricultural conditions of the country, an 

 influence which is perhaps best expressed by the phrase " the balancing 

 of the interests of agriculture and industry." 



German militarism soon realized that in time of war the nation cut 

 off from all supplies will have to feed not only its army but also its 

 population. For this reason, special efforts were made to foster agri- 

 culture. On general principles, industry and agriculture are sworn 

 enemies. Industry wants cheap food for its workers ; agriculture wants 

 high pay for its products — meat and cereals. It is one of the greatest 

 achievements of modern Germany — and this is especially due to Em- 

 peror William II. — that these ever clashing interests were reconciled, 

 and that they were made to see that for the common good compromises 

 concerning taxes, duties, etc., must be adopted, under which both indus- 

 try and agriculture could prosper. Hence, a give-and-take policy re- 

 sulted, which has accomplished the greatest good for the greatest number, 

 and has elevated agriculture to such a flourishing state that the feeding 

 of the German people to-day is independent of foreign produce — quite 

 different from England, where agriculture was sacrificed at the altar 

 of the industry and where the soil was so outrageously neglected that 

 the nation depends for its food supply almost wholly upon the impor- 

 tation of meat, flour, eggs, cereals, etc. 



To bring about this magnificent result in Germany, agriculture was 

 forced to produce as much as the soil could possibly bear, and conse- 

 quently farming became intense. Cultivation of the soil, the feeding of 

 animals, etc., became a science. Other sciences, especially chemistry 

 and botany, contributed to the culture of plants adapted for the varied 

 conditions of the climate and soil of the empire. Seeds were developed 

 and improved to a marvelous extent. While the sugar beet at the begin- 

 ning of the last century, when the manufacture of beet sugar was started, 

 contained only about 4 per cent, of sugar, the quality of the seed was 

 gradually so highly improved that they now produce beets with over 22 

 per cent, of saccharine contents. This seed is exported all over the 

 world from Germany, and during the present war one of our greatest 

 worries is that we may not obtain this excellent material from Germany 

 in time to prepare our next year's crop. 



The cultivation of potatoes, which were originally introduced into 

 Germany from the United States, has been brought to such a wonderful 

 stage of development that two distinct classes of potatoes are raised, 

 the one rich in carbohydrates but poor in nitrogenous matter for the 

 fermentation industry, and the other rich in nitrogenous matter for 

 eating purposes. Curiously enough, seed potatoes are now imported 

 into the United States from Germany because our farmers allowed this 

 vegetable to degenerate to such a degree that it has substantially lost 

 all value for seeding. 



