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

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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

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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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change her spirit toward other people if she wishes to be equal to France, England or America. The spirit of militarism must be stamped out. The political organization must take a new turn with the individuals ruling themselves. When nationalism triumphs over imperialism, when Pan-Germanism gives way to national feeling, when barbarism is overcome by regard for humanity, then and only then may we look for a prosperous and peaceful Germany.