which has certainly not been German, except in relation to
music, and after all that is the best part of Germany. Many young
people have taken their ideas largely from Russia; more from the
United States and Great Britain. But Germany will always make her
appeal on account of her reputation with us for system, order,
industry, depth of knowledge, persistence and nationalism."

On the family system, the study of which was more than once urged upon
me in connection with the rural problem, this statement was made to me
by an agricultural expert: "I will tell you the story of an official
whose salary was that of a Governor. His father was a farmer. The
farmer borrowed money to educate his son. When the son became an
official he paid the money back, but on the small salaries he received
this repayment was a strain. Then two brothers came to his house
frequently for money, and when they received it spent it in ridiculous
ways. This begging has gone on for nine years. My friend has to live
not like an Excellency but like a _guncho_. He cannot treat his wife
and children fairly. But of the money he gives to his brothers he
says, 'It is my family expense.'"

I also heard this story: "A married B. B died without having any
children. A next married B's sister, C. Then, because of the necessity
of having a male heir for the maintenance of his family, and because
he thought it was unlikely that his wife C would have children as her
dead sister B had had none, he adopted his wife's younger brother, D.
But the wife C did have children. Consequently, not only is A's wife
his sister-in-law and his eldest 'son' his wife's brother, but his
children are his eldest 'son's' nephews. The eldest of these children,
E, is legally the younger son. He says, 'I am glad that instead of an
uncle I have an elder brother. I am much attached to him and he is
attached to me. I am not sorry to be younger instead of elder brother,
for when my father dies my adopted brother will become head of the
family and he must then bring up his younger brothers and sisters,
manage the family fortunes, bear the family troubles and keep all the
cousins and uncles in good humour by inviting them occasionally and at
other times by visiting them and giving them presents.'[225]

"It is obvious that our family system, for speaking in criticism of
which officials have been dismissed from their posts, puts too much
stress on the family and too little on the individual. The f