33 



large and powerful one. We believe our cause to be righteous, 

 and are prepared to support it to the death. 



The German view of a nation's duties is very different and 

 irreconcilable with ours. For us the State is but ourselves in a 

 special aspect. If we do not' like the policy of our representatives 

 we change them. For the German race the State is an external, 

 self-elected body. Its power is absolute ; it determines what is 

 best to be done, and its Army enforces its decisions. The Anglo- 

 Saxon motto may be conceived as " live and let live " ; the 

 Teutonic command is " live as the State would have you live." 



It cannot be denied that Germany has contributed much in 

 the past to literature, to science, and to the art of music. Indi- 

 vidual Germans have attained the highest eminence and have 

 gained universal admiration. But originality has never, in spite 

 of certain brilliant exceptions, been characteristic of the German 

 race ; their metier has been rather the exploitation of the inventions 

 and discoveries of others ; and in this they are conspicuous. The 

 same obedience to command, and the same attention to detail, 

 may be noticed in their industrial and scientific work as in their 

 Army. Of recent years, according to common report, commercial 

 morality among the Germans has been at a low ebb. They are 

 disliked as business men ; their methods are not regarded as fair, 

 or their word as trustworthy. Even in the world of science this 

 spirit is by no means unknown. In spite of their boasted pro- 

 gress in what they imagine to be civilisation, they have been 

 relapsing into barbarism. And the execrable deeds of their Army 

 — murder of defenceless non-combatants, destruction of priceless 

 buildings, heartless cruelty to women and children — all these are 

 merely the outward and visible sign' of their spiritual beliefs. The 

 aim of science is the acquisition of knowledge of the unknown ; 

 while the aim of applied science is the bettering of the lot of the 

 human race. 



The conclusion we arrive at is that this war is a war of 

 humanity against inhumanity, of principle against expediency, of 

 right against wrong. Fortunately, however, the present aspect 

 of the war is favourable to the Allies, and justice and mercy will 

 undoubtedly triumph. The question arises : If the Germans are 

 wholly defeated as we hope, will the progress of science be thereby 

 retarded? Sir William Ramsay thinks not. He asserts that the 

 greatest advances in scientific thought have not been made by 

 members of the German race, nor have the earlier applications of 

 science had Germany for their origin. So far as we can see at 

 present the restriction of the Teutons will relieve the world from 

 a deluge of mediocrity. Much of their previous reputation has 

 been due to Hebrews resident among them, and we may safely 

 trust that race to persist in vitality and intellectual activity." 



Sir William Ramsay concludes: " It cannot be contended 

 that the present war has in any sense been promoted by the 



