The whole German world of letters is today filled with deep indignation and strong moral resentment at the present behavior of England.  Both of us, for many years bound to England by numerous scientific and personal ties, believe ourselves prepared to give open expression to this inward revulsion.  In close co-operation with like-minded English investigators we have zealously exerted ourselves to bring the two great peoples closer together in spirit and to promote a mutual understanding.  A fruitful reciprocal interchange of English and German culture seemed to us worth while, indeed necessary, for the spiritual advance of mankind, which today confronts such great problems.  Gratefully we recall in this connection the friendly reception which our efforts received in England.  So great and noble were the traits of English character which revealed themselves to us that we were permitted to hope that in their sure growth they would come to be superior to the pitfalls and seamy sides of this character.  And now they have proved inferior, inferior to the old evil of a brutal national egotism which recognizes no rights on the part of others, which, unconcerned about morality or unmorality, pursues only its own advantage.

History furnishes in abundance examples of such an unscrupulous egotism; we need recall here only the destruction of the Danish fleet (1807) and the theft of the Dutch colonies in the Napoleonic wars.  But what is taking place today is the worst of all; it will be forever pointed at in the annals of world history as England’s indelible shame.  England fights in behalf of a Slavic, half-Asiatic power against Germanism; she fights on the side not only of barbarism but also of moral injustice, 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.