If any reader is still unclear about the distinction between culture and Kultur, let him examine his most-gifted friends as to their sympathies in the present war, choosing, of course, persons who have no racial reasons for taking sides.  Almost without exception he will find they fall into two sharply defined classes.  The mental characteristics of his pro-German friends will pretty certainly illustrate Kultur quite concretely, while he may read the meaning of culture in his more-gifted friends who favor the Allies.

FRANK JEWETT MATHER, Jr.

Princeton, Nov. 6, 1914.

The Trespass in Belgium

By John Grier Hibben.

To the Editor of The New York Times:

Some time ago I received with many others an appeal “To the Civilized World!” from certain distinguished representatives of German science and art.  I at once wrote to Prof.  Eucken, whom I know, and who is one of the signers of this document.  I wished to draw his attention particularly to the second statement of this appeal, which is as follows: 

It is not true that we trespassed in neutral Belgium.  It has been proved that France and England had resolved on such a trespass, and it has likewise been proved that Belgium had agreed to their doing so,

and I stated to him that “It is naturally to be expected of a group of scholars that where reference is made to proof, some citation should be given both of the sources of the proof and of its nature.  I am sure you will agree with me that it is of the very essence of scholarly method in the treatment of any subject whatsoever that one should cite his authority as regards every important and significant statement that is made.  No one of the distinguished group of scholars signing their names to this letter would think of writing an article in his own specialty and not add in the text or in a footnote the complete list of authorities for his several assertions.

“In your appeal, however, the most important statement by far which you make, and the one bearing most intimately upon the honor and integrity of your nation, is left without even the attempt to support it, save the bare assertion by you and your colleagues.  In the interests of a fair understanding of Germany’s position, I feel that it is incumbent upon you to give us who are under such a deep debt of gratitude to German scholarship in our own lives the opportunity of a full knowledge of all the facts which definitely bear upon this present situation.”

At the time of writing Prof.  Eucken, I also wrote to a friend of mine, Dr. A.E.  Shipley, the Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, England, asking him if he could get for me some authoritative statement from the British Foreign Office concerning the assertion that “it has been proved that France and England had resolved on such a trespass, and it has likewise been proved that Belgium had agreed to their doing so.”  I have just received a letter from Mr. Shipley, stating that Lord Haldane had prepared a statement in answer to this question.  Thinking that your readers would be interested in seeing this, I am sending it to you.  Faithfully yours,