merest residue of these—­the consequences undoubtedly will be that, freed from the frightful burdens which the upkeep of these entails, they will romp away over the world through an era of unexampled prosperity and influence.  Their science, liberated, will give them the lead in many arts and industries; their philosophy and literature, no longer crippled by national vanities, will rise to the splendid world-level of former days; their colonizing enterprise, unhindered by conscriptionist vetoes, will carry them far and wide over the globe; and even their trade will find that without fortified seaports and tariff walls it will, in these days of universal movement and intercommunication, do fully as well as, if not much better than, ever it did before.  In that day, however, let us hope that—­the more communal conception of public life having prevailed and come to its own—­the success of Trade, among any nation or people, will no longer mean the successful manufacture of a dominant and vulgar class, but the real prosperity and welfare of the whole nation, including all classes.

And in that day, possibly, the other nations, witnessing the extraordinary prosperity and success of that one which has abandoned armaments and Kruppisms, will—­if they have a grain of sense left in them—­follow suit and, voluntarily divesting themselves too of their ancient armour, give up the foolishness of national enmities and jealousies, and adopt the attitude of humanity and peace, which alone can be the worthy and sensible attitude for us little mortals, when we shall have arrived at years of discretion upon the earth.

[Just after writing the above I received the following remarks in a letter of a friend from South America, which may be worth reprinting.  He says:  “In spite of the events of 1815 and 1870, French ‘culture’ is supreme to-day over all South America.  South America is a suburb of Paris, and French culture has won its triumphs wholly irrespective of the defeat of French arms.  Therefore I incline to think that true German culture in science and music will gain rather than lose by the destruction of German arms.  Not only will that nation cease to spend its time writing dull military books, but other nations will be more likely to appreciate what there is in German thought and culture when this is no longer offered us at the point of the bayonet!  German commerce in South America has suffered rather than gained by talk of ’shining armour.’  And the poet, scientist and business man will gain rather than lose if no longer connected with Potsdam.”]

FOOTNOTES: 

[11] It is said that Russia took some steps towards mobilization as early as the 25th.  If she did, that would seem quite natural under the circumstances.

[12] There may possibly be found another explanation of these excesses—­namely, in the galling strictness of the Prussian military regime.  After years and years of monotonously regulated and official lives, it may be that to both officers and men, in their different ways, orgies of one kind or another came as an almost inevitable reaction.