LAND AND AVATER 
September 5, 1914 
ROME OR CARTHAGE? 
NEVER since the Romans dreed tlie di'cad decree " Delenda est Carthago " lias such an 
avowal been made to the Avorld as is revealed in the book of General Ericdrich Von Bernliardi, 
"Germany and the Next War," written as far back as 1911. The destruction of the British 
as a world -empire and their replacement by the Gennans is the leit motif. 
Every citizen of the British Empire should read the book. Quotations, however copious, are inadequate. 
Tlie work has small literary craft, its arguments and technique are clumsy, but its theme is temble. 
Bernhardi continually stultifies his own arguments. He explains at length that Germany is 
surrounded by crafty and jealous enemies, aU eager for a favourable opportunity to declare A\-ar. Later he 
points out, equally strongly, that Germany must go to war at all costs for the pui-pose of accjuiring colonies 
either from Portugal, Belgimn, France, or England. The \\Titer is careful not to include South America, as 
it is obvious that friendship with the United States must be couiied. 
Having explained to his own satisfaction, and, no doubt, to that of the German people, that the English 
are incapable of colonising as it should be done by a cultured and enlightened race, and emphasised how that 
this great work is solely the prerogative of the races of Central Europe, he completely knocks the bottom 
out of argument when he says — 
" The political and national development of the Gei-man people has always, so far back as German 
histoiy extends, been hampered and liindercd by the hereditary defects of its character — that is, by the 
particulai'ism of the individual races and States, the theoretic dogmatism of the parties, tlie incapacity to 
sacrifice personal interests for great national objects from want of patriotism and of political common sense, 
often, also, by the pettiness of the prevailing ideas. Even to-day it is painful to see how the forces of the 
Gennan nation, which are so restricted and confined in their activities abroad, are wasted in fruitless quarrels 
among themselves." 
Mr. Edward Arnold did his countrymen a service by publishing a cheap edition, which can now be 
obtained everywhere. It is an antidote to British apathy. Our recruits and volunteers should cany it in 
their knapsacks to learn from it the details of the work before them. [Editor Land and Water.] 
THE TEUTON UiNVEILED. 
Our paxks contain groups of men drilling in liliaJd cr 
plain clothes (whilst unifonrua are being made), but they are 
not a tithe of those who should become our effectives. Our 
business folk havei failed to grasp the situation; they try to 
conduct business as vsual rather than conduct it by the aid 
of women to fill the places of men. 
The feeling is too prevalent that paying is equal to 
fighting, and that those who pay have done their duty. The 
public appear to be soothing themselves with thoughts about 
our Army being abroad fighting, our Navy protecting our 
shores from invasion, our race from the colonies sending 
lighting men, and whilst those lay down their lives the 
" Steam Roller " of Russia is coming to flatten out the 
Germans, so that all the patriotic work left for our people at 
homo is to " capture Germany's trade." 
Further from the capital we glean a livelier impression cf 
alertness. Tho Scotch are pouring recruits into the wa.r depots 
in relatively greater numbers than the English ; even in Ireland 
tho able^-bodied man is under arms, or aching to find a rifla 
to carrj'. In northern and middle England the martial spirit 
is aroused ; they only think war ! Canada, Australia, South 
Africa, and India are arming, and yet the War Office of Grea;b 
Britain has only just got its first 100,000 men. 
Yet southern England breeds no slackers, they only want) 
to be aroused. They do not know the war game, they do nob 
luiderstand its gravity. They for so long hava only had to 
fight against trade competition that battb rivajlry ia strange 
to them; they havo been at peace so long and tho Teuton seems 
so friendly, that they do not see what has been prepared for 
tlicra or what they ai'e " up against." They are strange to the 
inward spirit of tho militai-y Germanic race and its belief in a 
God-ordained mission to conquer the world and impose a 
domination upon the other " weaker " races peopling the 
Earth. 
To present in tabloid form some of the doctrines of the 
Germanic religion of conquest the text book of Germany's 
military spirit must bo drawn upon. It is called "Germany 
and the Next War." The author appeais to be a Gei-man 
patriot, soldier, diplomat, preacher, prophet, and standard 
bearer. 
The first of his prophecies has pr-oved true. War has 
come, and with it the spirit of vengeance, ferocity, and detei- 
niiuation. This is what he calmly prophe.?ies as the harvest to 
bo reaped from the seed Germany sowed. In the opening 
chapter of his book the song is sung of tho Soldicr-Priest- 
Projjliet. It is of the splendour of war, the Divino minion 
of those who wage it, and the glorious paiailise of tho happy 
wp trior. To understand Bernhardi and imbibe his spirit we 
quote his "words :l 
THE SONG OF THE SWORD. 
War ifl a hiolosical necessity of the first importance, a regu- 
lative elen'.civt in the life of maiildnd which cannot bo dispensed 
.with, since without it an unhealthy development will follow, which 
excludes every advancement of the race, and therefore all reaJ 
civilisation. " War is the father of all things." 
Strong, healthy, and flourishing nation* increase in numbers. 
From a given moment they require a continual expansion of their 
frontiers, they require new territoiY for the acoommodatiou of 
their surplus population. Since almost every part of tho globe is 
inhabited, new territory most, as a rule, be obtained at the cost 
of its possessors — ^that is to eay, by conquert, which thus becomea 
a law of necessity. 
*•••■• 
Might is at once the supreme right, and th« dispute as to 
what is right is decided by the arbitrament of war. War givea 
a biologically just decision, since its decisions rest on the very 
natiu'e of things. . . . 
• *•«»• 
The efforts directed towards the abolition of war most not 
only be termed foolish, but absolutely immoral, and must be stigma- 
tised as unworthy of tho human race. To what does the whole 
question amount? It is proposed to deprive men of the right and 
tho possibility to «acriiice tihair highest material possessions, their 
physical life, for ideals, and thus to realise the highest mor;il 
unselfishness. It is proposed to obviate the great quarrels between 
naltions and States by Courts of Arbitration — that is, by arrange- 
ments. A one-sided, restricted, formal law is to be established 
in the place of the decisions of history. The weaS nalion is to 
have the same rig^ht to live as the powerful and vigorous nation. 
The whole idea represents a presmnptuoua encroachment on the 
natural laws of development, which can only load to the most 
disastrous consequences for humanity generally. . . . Tha 
incvitflibleness, the idealism, and the blessing of war, as an indis- 
pensable and stimulating law of developmcut, muet be repeatedly 
emphasised. . . . 
Bernhardi discusses the past of tho Germanic States In 
Europe during tho Napoleonic Wars to point out the danger 
of neutrality v.licn the world is on fire. 
According to all human calculation, the participation of Pru.«si» 
in the war of 1805 would have given the Allies a decisive 
superiority. The adherence to neutnility led -to the crash of 1805, 
and would have meant the fin.nl overthrow of Prussia as a State 
had not the moral qualities still extsted thcrs which Frederick the 
Great had ingrained on her by his wars. 
Among all political sins, tho sin of feebleness is the most 
contemptible ; it is the political sin against the Holy Ghost. 
[Treitsohke.] 
In the opinion of the Teuton Germany is tho, "pre- 
dominant partner " in the Germanic family and in the Triple 
Alliance. 
The internal disruption of the Triple Alliance, as shown 
t'early by the action of Italy towards Turkey, threatens to bring 
tiie crisis quickly to a Ivead. The period which destiny has allotted 
us for conceJit rating our forces and preparing ourselves for the 
deadly struggle may soon be prssed. 
While the aspiring Great Powers of the Far East cannot at 
present directly influence our policy, Turkey — tho predominant 
Power of tho Near East — is of paramount importance to us. She 
is our natural ally ; it is emphatioally our interest to keep in close 
touch with her. The wisest course would havo been to havo mads 
her earlier a member of the Triple AUfenoe, and so to havo pre- 
vented the Turco-Italian war, which threatens to change the whole 
political situation, to our disadvantage. Turkej would gain in two 
18* 
