Yet,
even if it be conceded that Germany's Kultur is wholly good for
herself--surely a debatable proposition--it does not follow that it is
or would be a universal benefit. Nations may deliberately and
legitimately prefer their culture, with its admitted disadvantages, to
the Kultur which pleases Germany. England is often mocked for the way in
which she "muddles through" successive perils, yet she may feel that the
stereotyping of her people in a rigid administrative frame might be too
high a price to pay for constant preparedness. As for us Americans, we
have made a virtue, perhaps overdone it, of avoiding a mechanical
Kultur. We prefer the greatest freedom for the individual to the
perfectly regimented state. We will move toward culture and cheerfully
assume the necessary risks of the process.
Unlovely and Impressive.
In a broader view, the war may be regarded as a contest between the
metallic, half-mechanical Kultur of Prussianized Germany and the more
flexible civilizations of States that have inherited culture or aspire
to it. Germany herself has rejected the humane and somewhat hazardous
ideal of culture, so she cannot wonder or complain when she sees that
the culture of the world is almost unanimously hostile to her.
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