Democracy (in contradistinction to autocracy) has flopped in so many instances that we should really pronounce it bankrupt. But that would be unfair, because democracy itself can never go bankrupt; it is rather the ideas which are called democratic but which, on closer examination, are not that at all, which go bankrupt. During the few months since the European war started, dozens of venerated and cherished ideals have been dumped on the scrapheap of history. When the present generation has forgotten all about them, the next one will dig them up again and pass them off as brand new bits of wisdom. "Nothing exists today that has not existed before." There is more truth in this sentence than in a ton of campaign literature.

Reform philanthropists, humanitarians, and democrats (in the general sense) have denounced and assaulted German militarism with the fury of a maniac.

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According to them, it is the job of the Allies to annihilate this "foe of all progress" once and for all. To be sure, they mean German militarism or, as the Britons call it in more precise fashion, "Prussian militarism". The militarism of France, Russia, and England is not mentioned, and yet these nations are the equals, if not the superiors, of Germany as far as their military budgets are concerned. But it is only German militarism which allegedly threatens the peace of nations and civilization. The British navy, which, as everybody knows, rules the waves and could throttle the commerce of nations, constitutes no danger to peace. Not much!

It is the irony of fate that at this moment Americans, enthusiastic about the "holy mission" of the Allies, get a practical demonstration of what this Republic would have to face if Britannia should ever find any fault with Columbia. Britannia, you know, is a very moral lady; the kind we find described in novels sometimes, who punishes her charges, if they are naughty, by sending them to bed without supper. That is punishment and profit combined. If "Lady Britannia" thinks she has a reason to punish, it must be 3made to pay. Britannia has always brandished the cat-o'-nine-tails in one hand and the prayer book in the other. By this method she has stolen one fifth of all the valuable territory in the world. Did she fight for it with the sword in her hand? Or did she, perhaps, give any cultural values for the acquisition of these lands and peoples? Not at all! How could she fight? The pious soul had at no time more than twenty-five thousand "shilling-soldiers"! Her weapons were the trick and the ruse, the Bible and opium, tin jewelry and printed cotton. The navy was used to protect the stolen goods in all parts of the world. Is this the sort of justified militarism which, according to our American humanitarians, is now engaged in a "holy mission"? What a pitiful misjudgment of past history! England as the protector of liberty and democracy! Of her own liberty, no doubt! But to protect the liberty of others? He who believes that doesn't know Albion. When and where did Britannia ever help the weak?! The native peoples in Australia, America, Africa, and Asia know better.

We could almost get a laugh out of it, if the whole thing were not so 4downright contemptible, watching this self-righteous, bigoted old hag [Britain] capture every mercy ship which, flying the American flag, sailed for Europe to bring relief to hungry people. If we wanted to be scornful, we could say to the sympathizers with the great cause of England: "There are your dear relatives for you!"

But there is no room here for frivolity. All the good and noble instincts in the human soul rebel in righteous indignation against this greedy nation of shopkeepers [Britain] which takes the bread out of the mouths of starving European children. Where is the God to wreak his vengeance on the perpetrators of this heinous crime? How self-complacent must these Christians feel in the knowledge that, through the starvation of innocent women and children, they may gain what they are too cowardly to fight for in an open battle. They do not care to risk their own lives for their "good cause," and because they dominate the high seas, they feel perfectly justified in condemning millions of noncombatants to slow starvation.

And afterwards this jackal [Britain] would boast about his "victory" and his 5successful crusade "to save democracy".

If anybody is still puzzled about the hatred many nations feel for Albion, here is the answer. A people of this type deserves contempt! And he who sympathizes with their cause and what they stand for will get his equal measure of condemnation when this chapter of history is written. Graft, buying off enemies, using others as a shield, sniping from ambush, calumnies and intrigues: these are methods typical of the English. Ireland and France have found that out. Let us hope that the Teutons will wreck this villain among the nations.

The object lesson which the mother country is providing for America should work wonders. But it is too much to expect that Americans should be familiar with German history. Young as this country is, it has assumed so much of the arrogant attitude of old England, that there is nothing worth knowing over here except the Manchester school of thought. Were it not for this philosophy, prevailing in American schools and in society, the single fact that the British 6Empire is compelling all other nations to be armed against it should make us recognize the whole disgraceful business for what it is. And if this glorious Republic doesn't want to become the laughingstock of other nations, she had better start feeling ashamed that a nation of forty millions should dare to lord it all over this nation of ninety millions, by ruining their overseas commerce without being called on the carpet for it. Because that is what "dear old England" has been doing since the time of the Revolutionary War.....

And what does this mighty Republic do about it? She lets her ships be captured. What else can she do? The Hague Convention stipulated that bread is to be considered contraband, if it is destined for the enemy. Since England, surrounded by water and protected by her mighty fleet, can import all the breadstuffs the island needs, this stipulation is very good--for England! In her "Christian spirit," she has approved of this clause which, by its very nature, could only be directed against Germany.

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By this method the Christian nations have made an original English doctrine an international one, namely: In the name of civilization, do not take the sword, but starve your enemy, and his women and children, into submission! That is the English way, that is the Christian way and it is also the democratic way, as Albion understands it. This war will put an end to this humbug.