The most virile14 and aggressive power in the center of Europe is Germany proper--this term of Germany, including the whole of the Teutonic races, such as the German-speaking portion of Austria, Hungary (for your true Hungarian is a keen admirer of strength and force), Holland, Switzerland and in all probability the Norsemen and Viking branches of the Teutonic clan15, meaning Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Social and commercial aims and aspirations16 in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, independent as they are and probably always will be, still show a decided trend to Central Germanic cohesion17. The whole of Europe is roughly divided into three dominant18 races--the Teutonic, the Latin and the Slavish. The Teutonic has Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Norse subdivisions. The Latin, Gallic, has the French, Italian and Spanish nations; and the Slavonic comprises the Slavs and Romanic races with their innumerable subdivisions such as Moscovite, Chech, Pole, Croat, Serb, Bulgar, Bojar, etc. These three groups are distinctly different in habits, thoughts, manners and ambitions. Through race and religion they are also deeply antagonistic19 by reason of its higher commercial development (I do not say education, and art, music or literature, for there your Latin or Slav excels), the Teutonic races have outstripped20 the other two. Commercialism means consolidation21 and concentration and since the Napoleonic wars the Germanic races--at the beginning slowly but within the last twenty-five years rapidly--have drawn22 together at an astonishing pace. In countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Switzerland, each possessing their own petty machinery23 of expensive government; existent only through the mutual24 jealousies25 of their bigger neighbors, there has grown up a decidedly incorporating spirit. Notwithstanding the natural disinclination of the ruling factions27 of that country, the general mass of the people are by no means averse28 to become members of a vast central European empire, the unswerving ambition of the house of the Hohenzollerns.
Since the days when the Counts of Nuremburg became electors of Brandenburg, from the grosse Kurfurst, Frederick the Great, to the present Emperor, the house of Hohenzollern has shown itself to be the most virile dynasty in modern history. Not always clever, they possessed29 the rare faculty30 of finding, developing and using men having the necessary ability to execute their current policies.
In thoroughly31 feudal32 and aristocratic countries such as comprise Central Europe, especially Germany, decided, unswerving aims are necessary. If these policies are conducted in a clear, level-headed manner, judiciously33 developing the wealth and culture of the general masses, the stability of such a government or throne is well-nigh unshakable.
It has often been spoken and written that in countries such as Germany and Austria, Socialism, to quote but one of the numerous "isms," has undermined existing governmental powers. To a close student, these assertions are absolutely wrong. Teutonic Germanic races have ever been given to deeply analytical34, philosophical35 studies, criticising and dissecting36, the policies of their rulers. But underlying37, you will find a deeply practical sense and appreciation38 of material benefits. The German Socialist39 is in fact a practical dreamer, quite in contrast to his mercurial40, effervescent Latin prototype. The rulers of Germany have learned the lesson that the stability of a throne rests in the welfare of her people and everyone must admit that they have succeeded in this respect better than any other dynasty known to history. Germany without doubt is the most uniformly prosperous and civilized41 country in the world. And therein lies the danger, as no sane42 and prosperous business can afford to stand still. Neither can a solvent43 virile nation such as Germany, mark time. For this reason: Two things must happen in the near future. Germany must expand peacefully in Europe, to the northeast and west; or there will be war. The reasons for this I gave in the chapter on "The Isolation44 of France."
And that the chances of peaceful and really sensible adjustment are thoroughly discounted among German men of affairs, must be pretty obvious to the careful reader. An intensely practical and saving people such as the Germans would not spend billions in money, a vast amount of time and labor45, in perfecting and keeping up a fighting machine without being thoroughly convinced of the necessity of this investment. Strong, wealthy and powerful as Germany is to-day, the strain is tremendous and for this reason alone existing political and geographical46 conditions in Europe must undergo a decided change.
These changes are bound to occur but it is hard to set a correct time. It may be to-morrow; it certainly will not be more than a decade hence. The death of the Emperor Francis Joseph will precipitate47 it at once--and he is old and feeble.
Secondly48, the Church. The mainstay of the Catholic Church rests with the Austrian monarchy50 and with the death of the old Emperor, it would--in fact have to--look to some other country and ruler for protection. There is no Catholic ruler in a Catholic country to-day able to support and protect the dignity of the Church. The German Emperor is a Protestant monarch49, but he is first and last a Christian, and thanks to his usual keen and far-sighted policy, backed up by strong spiritual convictions, religious dissensions are almost unknown in his empire. The Catholic religion enjoys in no country, save the United States, more real freedom from persecution51 than it does in Germany. And the Emperor's personal standing26 with the Vatican is excellent. I need only remind the reader of his perennial52 visits to the King of Italy when he never fails to visit the Vatican, paying his respects as the ruler of twenty-seven millions of Catholics, if you please, to the keeper of Peter's keys.
In my work, I have met eminent53 dignitaries and princes of the Catholic Church who voiced pretty freely--that is for churchmen--their confidences, willingness of their support to the Emperor's general policies.
THE BUFFER54 STATE OF THE NORTH
As Germany has provided herself with a buffer state and ally in Southern Europe, meaning Turkey, so she has cleverly succeeded in creating a similar condition in the extreme north of Europe. Sweden and Norway, at no time friendly to the Moscovite--you need only recall the days of Charles XII--have within the last few years developed a strong martial55 feeling against Russian aggression56. Both countries are intensely patriotic57 and independent and would not on any account tolerate incorporation58. Germany does not want Norway and Sweden, and Scandinavia knows that. They also know that Russia, having a free hand, does want them. Hence they are looking towards Germany to keep a national independence. With German help, Sweden and Norway could maintain, transport and place three-quarters of a million of first-class fighting men in the field and that at strategical and crucial points of the Russian Empire.
The personal domination of the house of Hohenzollern even outside political matters is tremendous, by virtue59 of great wealth and marriages,--the Emperor's sons having married the most wealthy princesses in Europe--besides the privately60 invested fortunes of the Emperor, giving him a tremendous influence in commercial affairs. Wilhelm holds the thunderbolt that will shake the world.
THE END
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1 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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2 paramount | |
a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
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3 alteration | |
n.变更,改变;蚀变 | |
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4 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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5 propensities | |
n.倾向,习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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6 arbitration | |
n.调停,仲裁 | |
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7 millennium | |
n.一千年,千禧年;太平盛世 | |
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8 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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9 pertinent | |
adj.恰当的;贴切的;中肯的;有关的;相干的 | |
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10 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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11 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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12 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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13 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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14 virile | |
adj.男性的;有男性生殖力的;有男子气概的;强有力的 | |
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15 clan | |
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派 | |
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16 aspirations | |
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音 | |
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17 cohesion | |
n.团结,凝结力 | |
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18 dominant | |
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因 | |
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19 antagonistic | |
adj.敌对的 | |
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20 outstripped | |
v.做得比…更好,(在赛跑等中)超过( outstrip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21 consolidation | |
n.合并,巩固 | |
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22 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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23 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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24 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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25 jealousies | |
n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 );妒羡 | |
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26 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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27 factions | |
组织中的小派别,派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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28 averse | |
adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的 | |
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29 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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30 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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31 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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32 feudal | |
adj.封建的,封地的,领地的 | |
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33 judiciously | |
adv.明断地,明智而审慎地 | |
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34 analytical | |
adj.分析的;用分析法的 | |
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35 philosophical | |
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的 | |
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36 dissecting | |
v.解剖(动物等)( dissect的现在分词 );仔细分析或研究 | |
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37 underlying | |
adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的 | |
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38 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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39 socialist | |
n.社会主义者;adj.社会主义的 | |
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40 mercurial | |
adj.善变的,活泼的 | |
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41 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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42 sane | |
adj.心智健全的,神志清醒的,明智的,稳健的 | |
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43 solvent | |
n.溶剂;adj.有偿付能力的 | |
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44 isolation | |
n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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45 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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46 geographical | |
adj.地理的;地区(性)的 | |
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47 precipitate | |
adj.突如其来的;vt.使突然发生;n.沉淀物 | |
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48 secondly | |
adv.第二,其次 | |
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49 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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50 monarchy | |
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国 | |
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51 persecution | |
n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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52 perennial | |
adj.终年的;长久的 | |
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53 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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54 buffer | |
n.起缓冲作用的人(或物),缓冲器;vt.缓冲 | |
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55 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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56 aggression | |
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害 | |
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57 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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58 incorporation | |
n.设立,合并,法人组织 | |
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59 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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60 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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