for it is
indeed not forgotten that Russia began the war because she would permit
no radical reparation for a shameful murder.

It is England whose fault has extended the present war into a world war,
and has thereby endangered our joint culture. And all this for what
reason? Because she was jealous of Germany's greatness, because she
wanted to hinder at any price a further growth of this greatness. For
there cannot be the least doubt on this point that England was
determined in advance to cast as many obstacles as possible in the way
of Germany's great struggle for national existence, and to hinder her as
much as possible in the full development of her powers. She (England)
was watching only for a favorable opportunity when she could break out
suddenly against Germany, and she therefore promptly seized on the
necessary German invasion of Belgium in order that she might cover with
a small cloak of decency her brutal national egotism. Or is there in the
whole wide world any one so simple as to believe that England would have
declared war on France also if the latter had invaded Belgium? In that
event she would have wept hypocritical tears over the unavoidable
violation of international law; but as for the rest she would have
laughed in her sleeve with great satisfaction. This hypocritical
Pharisaism is the most repugnant feature of the whole matter; it
deserves nothing but contempt.

The history of the world shows that such sentiments lead the nations not
upward but downward. For the present, however, we trust firmly in our
just cause, in the superior strength and the unyielding victorious
spirit of the German people. Yet we must at the same time lament deeply
that the boundless egotism we have referred to has disturbed for an
immeasurable period of time the spiritual co-operation of the two
peoples which promised so much good for the development of mankind. But
they wished it so on their side--on England alone falls the monstrous
guilt and the historical responsibility.

RUDOLF EUCKEN.

ERNST HAECKEL.

Jena, Aug. 18, 1914.

A Second Appeal

_To the Universities of America:_

In a time when half of the world falls upon Germany full of hatred and
envy, we Germans derive great benefit from the idea of our being sure of
the friendly feeling of the American universities. If from any quarter
in the world, it must be from them that we expect the right
comprehension of the present situation and present attitu