articles, grow pale over maps, measure angles, quibble over texts or traces
of frontiers." "The Pangerman is a propagandist and a revivalist." "But,"
M. Bourdon adds, "when he shouts we must not think we hear in his tones the
reverberations of the German soul." The organs of the party seemed few and
unimportant. The party itself was spoken of with contempt. "They talk
loud," M. Bourdon was told, "but have no real following; it is only in
France that people attend to them." Nevertheless, M. Bourdon concluded
they were not negligible. For, in the first place, they have power to
evoke the jingoism of the German public--a jingoism which the violent
patriotism of the people, their tradition of victorious force, their
education, their dogma of race, continually keep alive. And, secondly,
the Government, when it thinks it useful, turns to the Pangermans for
assistance, and lets loose their propaganda in the press. Their influence
thus waxes and wanes, as it is favoured, or not, by authority. "Like the
giant Antaeus," a correspondent wrote to M. Bourdon, "Pangermanism loses
its force when it quits the soil of government."

It is interesting to note, however, that the Pangerman propaganda purports
to be based upon fear. If they urge increased armaments, it is with a
view to defence. "I considered it a patriotic duty," wrote General Keim,
"in my quality of president of the German League for Defence, to demand
an increase of effectives such that France should find it out of the
question to dream of a victorious war against us, even with the help of
other nations." "To the awakening of the national sentiment in France
there is only one reply--the increase of the German forces." "I have the
impression," said Count Reventlow, "that a warlike spirit which is new is
developing in France. There is the danger." Thus in Germany, as elsewhere,
even jingoism took the mask of necessary precaution. And so it must be, and
will be everywhere, as long as the European anarchy continues. For what
nation has ever admitted an intention or desire to make aggressive war?