The greatness of Europe has lain in the width of the stage on which she has played her part, the strength of the foundations on which she has builded, and a natural, human ability no whit greater (if as great) than that of other days and races.  In other words, the deeper reasons for the triumph of European civilization lie quite outside and beyond Europe,—­back in the universal struggles of all mankind.

Why, then, is Europe great?  Because of the foundations which the mighty past have furnished her to build upon:  the iron trade of ancient, black Africa, the religion and empire-building of yellow Asia, the art and science of the “dago” Mediterranean shore, east, south, and west, as well as north.  And where she has builded securely upon this great past and learned from it she has gone forward to greater and more splendid human triumph; but where she has ignored this past and forgotten and sneered at it, she has shown the cloven hoof of poor, crucified humanity,—­she has played, like other empires gone, the world fool!

If, then, European triumphs in culture have been greater, so, too, may her failures have been greater.  How great a failure and a failure in what does the World War betoken?  Was it national jealousy of the sort of the seventeenth century?  But Europe has done more to break down national barriers than any preceding culture.  Was it fear of the balance of power in Europe?  Hardly, save in the half-Asiatic problems of the Balkans.  What, then, does Hauptmann mean when he says:  “Our jealous enemies forged an iron ring about our breasts and we knew our breasts had to expand,—­that we had to split asunder this ring or else we had to cease breathing.  But Germany will not cease to breathe and so it came to pass that the iron ring was forced apart.”

Whither is this expansion?  What is that breath of life, thought to be so indispensable to a great European nation?  Manifestly it is expansion overseas; it is colonial aggrandizement which explains, and alone adequately explains, the World War.  How many of us today fully realize the current theory of colonial expansion, of the relation of Europe which is white, to the world which is black and brown and yellow?  Bluntly put, that theory is this:  It is the duty of white Europe to divide up the darker world and administer it for Europe’s good.

This Europe has largely done.  The European world is using black and brown men for all the uses which men know.  Slowly but surely white culture is evolving the theory that “darkies” are born beasts of burden for white folk.  It were silly to think otherwise, cries the cultured world, with stronger and shriller accord.  The supporting arguments grow and twist themselves in the mouths of merchant, scientist, soldier, traveler, writer, and missionary:  Darker peoples are dark in mind as well as in body; of dark, uncertain, and imperfect descent; of frailer, cheaper stuff; they are cowards in the face of mausers and maxims; they have no feelings, aspirations, and loves; they are fools, illogical idiots,—­“half-devil and half-child.”