What is the temper of the German people as a
whole it is difficult to say, but we should imagine that the vast majority are as anxious to avoid war as the leaders of the Social Democratic party obviously are. Unfortunately, however, the question is not what the German people want, but whether certain masters of so-called statecraft who dominate the class which dominates Germany have or have not come to the conclusion that the moment has arrived when it is to the interest of Germany to "strike once and strike no more," and so be rid of rhat they regard as the menace on the Western frontier. Ever since the close of the Franco-German War German statesmen and military chiefs have been. haunted by the notion that Germany would not be safe if France.rose once more to a position of power, and on several occasions war has nearly been brought about by this feeling among the ruling class in Germany. It nearly precipitated war in 1875, and both before and since the menace
of a war while France was still not too strong to be destroyed has overhung Europe. It was, indeed, only the Russian Alliance which finally persuaded Germany that this policy had ceased to be practical. With the political eclipse of Russia, however, it has again been revived, and aggravated by the feeling : "Russia may revive in a few years, and may be as powerful as ever ; let us, then, seize an opportunity that may never occur again."
