Morethan official Germany, however, stands for Romance. The genius of the people is inherently Romantic (and also official!). We are debtors to a tribe of detached individuals; and perhaps Romance (but we hope not too much). It is for this reason that of those two figures,—our Genial and Realistic Barbarians on the one side, and the Champions of melodramatic philosophy, on the other, we dispassionately prefer our own side! I hope that so far, partiality has not “ plereed ” or percolated too much. We have all of us had so much cause for uncomfortable laughter at the beginning of the War in reading articles by our leading journalists proving that “the Hun” could only see his side of the question, that this was the peculiarity of “ the Hun,” whereas other races always saw with their neighbours’ eyes and in fact were no race at all, that we have become rather shy on this point. Germany, in the things of the spirit, was long ago subjugated by France, as a slight acquaintance with her best young gentlemen will convince anybody. But she still mysteriously holds out in the material and political domain ; (commerce the hey to this enigma, of come.) It is commonly reported that the diplomatic impossibility of a visit to Paris, from time to time, darkens the whole life of the Kaiser. The German’s love for the Freneh is notoriously “un amour malheureux,” as it is by no means reciprocated. And the present war may be regarded in that sense as a strange wooing, The Essential German —— will get to Paris, to the Cafe de la Paix, at all costs; if he has to go there at the head of an army and destroy a million beings in the adventure. The monstrous carnival of this race’s thwarted desires and ambitions is what 1914 has sprung upon us, without any really fundamental issues being involved, and yet the absolute necessity to resist and definitely end this absurd agression from the centre of Europe. We are, in a certain sense, then, up against such a flgure—namely that of the fantastic arrogance of a Prussian officer engaged in an amorous adventure. The Martinet and the Coquette are mingled. He is also a Samurai. This anyhow, is the Commis Voyageur, and accredited personal figure that Germany’s obscure commercial forces have engaged (because of his distinguished, frank and alluring manners), to represent them, and whom they haveincidentally armed very thoroughly.
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