The Land of Deepening Shadow - Germany-at-War | Page 7

anti-militaristic citizens,
and the second was the combination of Great Powers which she made
up her mind she must fight sooner or later if she would gain that place
in the sun which had dazzled her so long.
Her success against the opposition within her was phenomenal.
Germany was defending herself against treacherous attack--that was the

watchword. The Social Democrats climbed upon the band-waggon
along with the rest for the joy-ride to victory, and they remained on the
band-waggon for more than a year--then some of them dropped off.
The story of how all Germans were made to think as one man is a story
of one of the greatest phenomena of history. It is my purpose in the
next few chapters to show how the German Government creates unity.
Then, in later chapters, I will describe the forces tending to disintegrate
that wonderful unity.
Germany entered the war with the Government in control of all the
forces affecting public opinion. The only way in which newspaper
editors, reporters, lecturers, professors, teachers, theatre managers, and
pulpit preachers could hope to accomplish, anything in the world was
to do something to please the Government. To displease the
Government meant to be silenced or to experience something worse.

CHAPTER III
THE CRIME AGAINST THE CHILDREN
The boys and girls of Germany play an important part in die grosse Zeit
(this great wartime). Every atom of energy that can be dragged out of
the children has been put to practical purpose.
Their little souls, cursed by "incubated hate," have been so worked
upon by the State schoolmasters that they have redoubled their energies
in the tasks imposed upon them of collecting gold, copper, nickel, brass,
paper, acorns, blackberries, blueberries, rubber, woollen and war loan
money.
All this summer on release from school, which commences at seven
and closes at three in most parts of Germany, the hours varying in some
districts, the children, in organised squads, have been put to these
important purposes of State. They had much to do with the getting in of
the harvest.

The schoolmaster has played his part in the training of the child to
militarism, State worship, and enemy hatred as effectively as the
professor and the clergyman.
Here are two German children's school songs, that are being sung daily.
Both of them are creations of the war: both written by schoolmasters.
The particularly offensive song about King Edward and England is
principally sung by girls--the future mothers of Germany:--
O England, O England, Wie gross sind Deine Lugen! Ist Dein
Verbrechen noch so gross, Du schwindelst Dich vom Galgen los. O
Eduard, O Eduard, du Muster aller Fursten, Nichts hattest Du von
einem Rex, Du eitler Schlips--und Westenfex.
[Oh, England, oh, England, how great are thy lies! However great thy
crimes, thou cheatest the gallows. Oh, Edward, oh, Edward, thou model
Prince! Thou hadst nothing kindly in thee, thou vain fop!]
Da druben, da druben liegt der Feind, In feigen Schutzengraben, Wir
greifen ihn an, und ein Hund, wer meint, Heut' wurde Pardon gegeben.
Schlagt alles tot, was um Gnade fleht, Schiesst alles nieder wie Hunde,
Mehr Feinde, mehr Feinde! sei euer Gebet In dieser Vergeltungsstunde.
[Over there in the cowardly trenches lies the enemy. We attack him,
and only a dog will say that pardon should be given to-day. Strike dead
everything which prays for mercy. Shoot everything down like dogs.
"More enemies, more enemies," be your prayer in this hour of
retribution.]
The elementary schools, or Volksschulen, are free, and attendance is
compulsory from six to fourteen. There are some 61,000 free public
elementary schools with over 10,000,000 pupils, and over 600 private
elementary schools, with 42,000 pupils who pay fees.
Germany is a land of civil service; to enter which a certificate from a
secondary school is necessary. Some authorities maintain that the only
way to prevent being flooded with candidates is to make the
examinations crushingly severe. Children are early made to realise that

all hope of succeeding in life rests upon the passing of these
examinations. Thus the despair which often leads to suicide on the one
hand and knowledge without keenness on the other.
Hardly any class has suffered more heavily in the war than the masters
of the State schools, which are equivalent to English Council schools
and American public schools. The thinning of their ranks is an eloquent
proof of the heaviness of the German death toll. Their places have been
taken by elderly men, but principally by women. It is a kind of Nemesis
that they should have fallen in the very cause they have been
propagating for at least a generation.
Those who knew only the old and pleasant Germany do not realise the
speeding up of the hate machine that has taken place in the last decade.