Berrien Springs High School - Canoe Yearbook (Berrien Springs, MI)

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In early German history, there was a certain king— Ariovistus. Caesar describes his character with these few words, “barbarity, irascibility, stubbornness and cruelty.” It was during his reign that the Germans allied themselves with the Sequanians, a Gallic tribe, to help cany on war with the Haeduans, another people of Gaul. After the war was over the Germans took one-third of the territory of the Sequanians to live in. Later they demanded two-thirds and then all of the territory. Germany has not shaken off the ideal that might is right. A modem example of this greed is the annexation of a portion of Poland. Ariovistus also adopted plural marriages to increase the fighting population. This same thing was countenanced by the late kaiser. In the year 410 A. D. the Germans overran Italy and marched on Rome. The Romans sent ambassadors to treat for peace. The enemy demanded a huge indemnity which the Romans raised by stripping the temples of their ornaments. After it was paid the Germans demanded lands in Italy but this was refused. They then turned about, marched on Rome, took the city and for four days and nights that proud city was given up to sack. Immense quantities of gold and silver were taken from the rich. Costly works of art were wantonly destroyed. The streets were wet with blood and the whole scene was illuminated by the light of burning buildings. It was at this time a new element of cruelty was added to the Germanic tribes. This element was the Huns from Asia. They marched into the Roman Empire but were defeated in a great battle, after which they turned northward into Germany and settled down. It was the boast of these Hun leaders that grass never grew where his horse’s hoofs had trod. During the middle ages, while Christianity was spreading, the Teutons organized a society which they called “Brothers of the Teuton Home.” This society was supposed to be formed for spreading the Christian religion but in reality it was organized for plunder and robbery. The kingdom of the Poles was destroyed and desolated. They slew the king in his own castle with no protest but that he was an infidel. They wasted and ravaged the

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a German Veneer X X X By J. W. MONAWECK Before the great World War, Germany was thought to be one of the most cultured and highly civilized nations of the world. No one thought his education complete unless he had studied under the great German masters. The Germans made science their specialty. In this last war they devoted this culture to the wrong use. They have used it in plundering, murdering, robbing and committing other atrocities and today militarism has made the soldiers little better than beasts. As the Teutons were two thousand years ago, so are they today. Even so far back as history goes, they were continually fighting among themselves or the countries near by. Caesar in his Commentaries says that “fighting was the joy of their lives.” They studied the science of death and devastation and applied it as an art. Cruelty and lust for blood was stamped upon their very souls. AH their lives were devoted to military activities. The ideal of the German people was to devastate the bordering territory as far as possible so that there would be no near-rivals or annoying neighbors. This nation in ancient times was divided into numerous tribes and every year part of them waged war while the others farmed the lands. The next year it was vice versa. The object of this was to discipline the men and develop in them a love for fighting. In late years Germany has accomplished these same measures by her system of military training. In early history individual ownership of the land was forbidden in order that the state might be supreme in command. This policy has continued down to the present time. “Exalt the nation and repress the individual” has been the creed of these barbarians all through the ages.

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whole kingdom with fire and sword. Cities, towns and castles they seized and held for themselves by right of war. All of this was done under the pretext of Christianity. The motto of these “brothers” was “Gott mit Uns” the same as that of the German army today. In this age war was made to pay; pillage was reduced to system. When Henry V was crowned at St. Peters, the German guard stripped the Italian clergy, present at the coronation, of their vestments and jewels. The spoil of the different countries was taken into Saxon Germany. Fire, massacre and spoilation were the usual concomitants of German wars in medieval times. These Teutons believed that money talked and the power of gold to influence and corrupt was proverbial. “A warring and greedy land” is the way medieval writers described Germany. Brutality was a characteristic not only in this last war or the war of 1871, but it has continued all through the centuries. But what is the reason that this nation has not advanced morally as we know it has materially? Students of psychology say that national psychology is the determining factor in a nation’s evolution. German political thinking is naturally and historically imperialistic in form. Each ruler has deliberately and carefully infected the people with “Kultur.” At one time culture and “Kultur” were thought to be the same, but late events have shown that “Kultur” is the uniting of individual energies of the subjects for the kaiser and their individual gain. “Kultur” also crushed the weak by the powerful, depressed and lowered the morals of the individual so that they almost worshipped those in command. “After me you come first” is the common proverb of the German people. National feeling has never been a strong or permanent sentiment in their hearts. Prof. Thompson, writing on the subject of Pan Germanism, says: “In the main it re- mains true that Germany always has been and still is imperialistic and not national, in its political theoiy, psychology, its past history and present policy.” And now since German morals are so low she must