215
Treachery to Germanism 218
Sir Edward Grey and his Colleagues 220
Britain's Great Illusion 223
Comic Relief 228
France 233
Belgium 235

Index of Books and Pamphlets from which quotations are made 243

Index of Authors 255

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with classic precedent, this anthology ought to have
consisted of "1,001 Gems of German Thought," I have been content with
half that number, not--heaven knows!--for any lack of material, but
simply for lack of time and energy to make the ingathering. After all,
enough is as good as a feast, and I think that the evidence as to the
dominant characteristics of German mentality is tolerably complete as
it stands.

Though I hope it is fairly representative, the collection does not
pretend to be systematic. I have cast no sweeping drag-net, but have
simply dipped almost at random into the wide ocean of German thought.
Some of my most precious "finds" I have come upon by pure chance; and
by pure chance, too, I have no doubt missed many others. Some books
that I should have liked to examine have not been accessible to me;
and there must be many of which I have never heard. On the other hand,
the list of books from which my gems have been selected by no means
indicates the extent of my reading--or skimming. I have gone through
many books and pamphlets which furnished no quotable extracts, but
none that diverged in tone from the rest, or marred the majestic
unison of German self-laudation and contempt for the rest of the
world. I have read of (but not seen) a book by one F.W. Foerster which
is said to contain a protest against theoretic war-worship, and even a
mild defence of England. How very mild it is we may judge from this
sentence: "England has given us not only men like Lord Grey,
scoundrels and hypocrites, who have this war upon their conscience; it
has also given us the Salvation Army," etc., etc.

One voice the reader may be surprised to miss from the great
chorus--the voice of William the Second. He is unrepresented--save in
one passing remark (No. 136)--for two reasons. In the first place,
his most striking utte