lthough familiar and of long standing in Germany; but it is a
potent reason for the continuance of the war by the Allies until Germany
is defeated; because it is plain to all the nations of the world, except
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey at the moment, that the hopes of
mankind for the gradual development of international order and peace
rest on the sanctity of contracts between nations, and on the
development of adequate sanctions in the administration of international
law. The new doctrine of military necessity affronts all law and is
completely and hopelessly barbarous.

World empire now, as always, is to be won by force--that is, by conquest
and holding possession. So Assyria, Israel, Macedonia, Athens, Rome,
Islam, England, and France have successively believed and tried to
accomplish in practice. United Germany has for forty years been putting
into practice, at home and abroad, the doctrine of force as the source
of all personal and national greatness and all worthy human
achievements. In the support of this doctrine, educated Germany has
developed and accepted the religion of valor and the dogma that might
makes right. In so doing it has rejected with scorn the Christian
teachings concerning humility and meekness, justice and mercy,
brotherhood and love. The objects of its adoration have become Strength,
Courage, and ruthless Will-power; let the weak perish and help them to
perish; let the gentle, meek, and humble submit to the harsh and proud;
let the shiftless and incapable die; the world is for the strong, and
the strongest shall be ruler. This is a religion capable of inspiring
its followers with zeal and sustained enthusiasm in promoting the
national welfare at whatever cost to the individual of life, liberty, or
happiness, and also of lending a religious sanction to the extremes of
cruelty, greed, and hate. It were incredible that educated people who
have been brought up within earshot of Christian ethics and within sight
of gentle men and women should all be content with the religion-of-valor
plan. Accordingly, the finer German spirits have invented a supplement
to that Stone Age religion. They have set up for worship a mystical
conception of the State as a majestic and beneficent entity which
embraces all the noble activities of the nation and guides it to its
best achievements. To this ideal State every German owes duty,
obedience, and complete devotion. The trouble with this supplement to
the rel