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Show much in the past, she has often been the theatre of conflict, she has been the scene of great battles under Marlborough, she contains the-field‘of Waterloo. But she did not know what were the fiendish p0881b1lit1es of warfare till she was invaded by a treacherous friend. There has been no desolation like it since the Thirty terrible Years which plunged Germany into ruin. But nearlv three centuries have elapsed since then, centuries of culture, especially ‘of German culture, in which we hoped that we had progressed far from the possibility of the recurrence of such horrors. We were wrong, German culture had taken a quick turn, and left civilisation, honour, and chivalry far behind. The fruits of that culture are mines sown broadcast in theiocean to destroy indiscriminately enemy, neutral, or friend, and bombs to fall on peaceful cities to kill women and children. " By their fruits ye shall know them." The Prussians indeed have abandoned the Christian God, and substituted the worship of a Pagan deity which they call Force or Might; Might to supersede Right and all other moral forces. Of this squalid idol they are fortunate enough to hold the permanent proxy ; before this Moloch, if they worship anything, their chiefs bow the knee. Its motto is Hate. Its angels are Fury, Destruction, and Rapine. It has apparently no honour, no faith, no reverence. In its name they ravage, massacre, and plunder. Before its shrine they burn their treaties as incense. By its aid they hoped to subdue the world. Belgium was the first Victim. But the harrying and devastation of Belgium was only an incident. France crushed, Russia humbled, Holland annexed were, it would seem, only the WWW milestones on a triumphant march to the real, supreme object, the humiliation and destruction ~of the British Empire. Even that might not be the ultimate aim, for, Wltl'l Europe prostrate, the liberties and prosperity of America would alarm the jealousy of the tyrant and call Moloch once more IIIIO TCqIIISIIIUn. Ilow our practical and prosaic nation has earned this stealthy and masked but determined hostility it is not easy to guess. And it is impossible to believe that'every German participates and approves of all that has been done in their name. But in war criticism and dissent are always criminal and always silent. ' lhe desolation of Belgium was, then, it appears, only an incident in this subterraneanpolicy. That consideration is but little solace to a ruined nation. Iheir reward was to have been to become a Prussian province, \xitlhlall tl‘i‘e‘hberty, independence, and happiness that that position involves ; to )(I in IdLl .1 second Iosen or Alsace. But, as things are, their only consolation, bleak lor the moment, but eternal, can be that they have been the ;‘:ll]}i{ll‘;l]rtl in a battle of emancipation for_the human race, that they stood on i a om and nailed to the flagstati the Simple assertion of Ri ht as a ainst i‘llglll, that they have immortalised themselves and will stang eternaflly as itioes. IIistory Wlll pay homage for all time, as we now, to the King and reserve their ' 0 i and satcguard the liberties of Europe. p wn independence By RUDYARD KIPLING THE OUTLAWS * Through learned and laborious years They set themselves to find Fresh terrors and undreamed-of fears To heap upon mankind. All that they drew from Heaoen above Or digged from earth beneath, They laid into their treasure-trace And arsenals of death, While, for well-weighed advantage sake, Ruler and ruled alike Built up a faith they meant to break When the fit hour should strike. They traded with the careless earth, And good return it gave ; They plotted by their neighbour's hearth The means to make him slaw. When all was readied to their hand They loosed their hidden sword And utterly laid waste a land Their oath was pledged to guard. Coldly they went about to raise To life and make more dread Abominations of old days, That men believed were dead. They paid the price to reach their goal Across a world inflame, But their own hate slew their own soul Before that victory came. £47m the nation g who .. sacrifi . ced. all but Iionour to 18 W 9 1914. ‘ Copyright in the United States of America by Rudyard Kipling, November I |
