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GOETHE'S FAU.-iT.
In a recent address that accom
plished and charming lecturer, Sir.
Linn (Commonwealth Auditor) points
ed out that the distinguishing char
acteristic of Goethe*s Faust is that
he could never keep the pact with
the devil because tbe spiritual qual
ity was dominant. After trying
nleasure and nower. Goethe's Faust
came back to tEe simple but sub
lime truth that happiness resides only
in service to fellow creatures which
is service to God. Modern Germany
is not Goethe's Germany, otherwise
it would not have inverted Goethe's
teaching and left to the Allies the
duty of vindicating it. From a work
published by Long— The Secret Life
of the Court of Berlin — it seems all
too clear that the Kaiser is tainted
with the madness of his cousins of
Bavaria and that the nation has been
infected with his egomania. The dif
fusion of boundless conceit is not
altogether surprising when it is re
membered that the Kaiser has sur
rounded himself with obsequious flat
tering Ministers and has poisoned
the springs of public education and
public opinion. Not only has the
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talent has been suborned to supply
an intellectual basis for a selfishness
and cruelty revolting to the sane
man. Thus the modern Faust of Ger
many has become doomed, as was
Marlowe's Faust to deliver his soul
to Mephistophiles, and has not dis
covered the way of happiness in the
sacrifice of service. There are sig-ns
that this truth is coming home to
the exploited and eclipsed Teutons,
for the German Colonial Secretary,
after his futile visit to the United
States, has admitted that the Ger
man method of self-commendation
did not find favor with the world and
that it would be necessary for Ger
mans in future to speak with modesty
and discretion. Unfortunately it
will require much more blood spilling
to bring the Prussian caste to a
rational frame. The feelers put
forth in the United States after peace
based on mighty pretentions to Po
land, colony-restoration, and master
ship of the sea indicate that the
change of mind forecasted by the Ger
man Colonial Secretary, is hardly
begun. It is not inappropriate that
it. should first take place in the
Colonial Secretary who having now
no colonies to administer, has leisure
to see things in their just perspec
tive. What a pity so educated a
people as the Germans are, should
require so much teaching to
understand what to the world gener
ally is a platitude, that there can be
no lordship without service, and that
civilised nations object to German
domination because it is a Kultur of
all take and no give. Goethe's Faust
is for a new Germany yet to be.
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