how much Europe owes to this very German, this Prussian Militarism which they now abuse and denounce.
I have in the above taken the trouble to give this rough short sketch of the German Militarism in Europe in order to make the German people see that I am not prejudiced against them in saying what I am going to say to show that the actual direct responsibility for this war rests more heavily upon them, upon the German people and German nation than upon anybody else. I say that the actual direct responsibility for this war rests more heavily upon the German people and German nation than upon anybody else; and why?—Because power means responsibility.[1]
I say that it is the intense love of righteousness, the intense hatred of unrighteousness, intense hatred of all untidiness and disorder (Unzucht und Unorduung) in the German people which makes them believe in and worship might. Now I want to say here that this hatred of unrighteousness, hatred of untidiness and disorder, when it becomes over-intense, when it is carried to excess becomes also an unrighteonsness, becomes a frightful and terrible unrighteousness, something more sinful and wrong even than untidiness and disorder. It was this over intense hatred of unrighteousness which came from their intense love of
- ↑ Confucius says, "Possession of power without leniency and generosity is a thing which I never can bear to see. (居上不寬吾何以觀之) Shakespeare says:
"Oh, it is glorious
To have a giant's strength: but it is tyrannous
To use it like a giant." See note p. 15.
