by the German; it explains why international law was not considered
binding when Belgium stood in the path of Germany's march toward Paris.

"International law never has bound the German; it never will bind him
until he changes his national psychology.

"Ihering, one of Germany's greatest theoretical jurists and a scholar in
the matter of Roman law, declared, 'Right is the child of might.' He did
not say exactly that right is might, but he defined it as 'the child of
might.'

"That may be taken as the German keynote, for this man is of such great
influence in Germany that his utterances must have an enormous effect.

"Treitschke, the historian, in his teaching in Berlin, naturally drew
some of his inspiration from these two men. For him the State need
consider no law save that which will promote its own expansion.

"Moral law, he holds, need not and must not stand in the way of the
prosperity and growth of States, as it frequently must obstruct the
prosperity and growth of individuals.

"Under this theory the State has two functions--these are, inside the
country, to make law; outside the country, to make war. Germany denies
the right of an extraneous law to decide upon the details of right and
wrong within a country, and that is why Germany defies and even denies
international law.

"If it happens that a treaty which the State has entered into later
proves to be obstructive to some expansion which is thought to be a
necessity of the State's destiny, that treaty may be disregarded with
the full approval of Germany's national morality, although similar
conduct on the part of an individual in Germany would be considered
highly reprehensible.

"The State may bind itself to secure advantage, but, also, it may unbind
itself to secure advantage, and this without consultation with, or the
approval of, the other party or parties to the contract.

"This theory becomes confusing to the student reared in other nations
under different educational influences. It indicates beyond
contradiction that Germany feels no sense of duty toward other nations,
but only an obligation to further her own interests.

"Germany has immense patriotism but no humanitarianism. Her only duty is
to herself. Her national egotism can be characterized by no other word
than selfishness.

"It is a curious phenomenon that at a time when humanitarianism in its
broadest sense has become the keynote of all other of the great nations
it has not beco