[falcoxek] conflict OF EDUCATIONAL IDEAS 231 



world is moved by balancing forces which can be only held in check 

 by a counter force, and that war is the natural condition of the human 

 race. International law, public morality, peaceful intercourse are 

 light in the balance when the selfish interests of nations weighted by 

 the mailed fist press down the other scale. 



How did this perverted state of mind originate ? To secure this 

 forceful supremacy all the human and material resources of the 

 Empire have been organised. Science has become a superb instru- 

 ment for this purpose. All that it could do in schools, technical 

 institutes, universities under rigid direction was done to render the 

 people at once efficient and aggressive. The State was even socialised. 

 For the same end the masses were graded up with no small measure of 

 success towards the elimination of waste in human material, and the 

 effectiveness of the government became a source of pride to the 

 people. Their complete educational system in its twofold depart- 

 ments of the school and the barracks, where the youth are drilled into 

 being not primarily men but Germans, has been directed to the pro- 

 duction of this German State. On the production of this temper 

 hear Biilow : "Working-power, organisation and method are the mighty 

 corner-stones of the gigantic edifice of German economic life, three 

 truly German qualifications which no one possesses in such a high 

 degree, for they are due to the personal sense of duty, so much more 

 developed amongst us than elsewhere, to specifically German con- 

 scientiousness, to German thoroughness and to the scientific education 

 of the German"; or Naumann: "Into everything there enters less 

 of the lucky spirit of invention than of patient educated industry; 

 we believe in combined work — the most practicable, safe and durable 

 human machinery." 



The Junker-capitalists have had their reward. Their Kulturstaat 

 is marvellously organised; it is penetrated by the war-spirit, morality 

 does not soften force nor right control might, and in action it displays 

 frightfulness of set purpose. What reward have they received ? We 

 know the world-judgment; even Biilow is content to admit that "the 

 educated classes of Paris and London feel a mixture of pity, fear, 

 respect and aversion towards the German type," and Naumann may 

 speak for their allies; "The Austrian regards the Prussian system as 

 a strange machine, whose efficiency is not to be denied, but whose noise 

 and mechanical accuracy make him shudder." 



What else have they reaped ? Their system was over-wrought, 

 their industry overdeveloped and Germany was faced with economic 

 disaster unless she could seize upon new wealth. National necessity 

 knew no law. She would proceed to extort larger fields from the 

 world. Her militarism which had created her spirit of economic 



