Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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who will go anywhere, and do anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <strong>the</strong>y are told. Drill<br />
him for <strong>the</strong> work and send him out to Africa or Asia under<br />
charge of somebody <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> uniform, and he is bound to make an<br />
excellent col<strong>on</strong>ist, fac<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g difficulties as he would face <strong>the</strong> devil<br />
himself, if ordered. But it is not easy to c<strong>on</strong>ceive of him as a<br />
pi<strong>on</strong>eer. Left to run himself, <strong>on</strong>e feels he would so<strong>on</strong> fade away<br />
and die, not from any lack of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>telligence, but from sheer want<br />
of presumpti<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The German has so l<strong>on</strong>g been <strong>the</strong> soldier of Europe, that<br />
<strong>the</strong> military <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ct has entered <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to his blood. The military<br />
virtues he possesses <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> abundance; but he also suffers from <strong>the</strong><br />
drawbacks of <strong>the</strong> military tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It was told me of a German<br />
servant, lately released from <strong>the</strong> barracks, that he was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structed<br />
by his master to deliver a letter to a certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> house, and<br />
to wait <strong>the</strong>re for <strong>the</strong> answer. The hours passed by, and <strong>the</strong> man<br />
did not return. His master, anxious and surprised, followed. He<br />
found <strong>the</strong> man where he had been sent, <strong>the</strong> answer <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his hand.<br />
He was wait<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for fur<strong>the</strong>r orders. The story sounds exaggerated,<br />
but pers<strong>on</strong>ally I can credit it.<br />
The curious th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is that <strong>the</strong> same man, who as an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividual<br />
is as helpless as a child, becomes, <strong>the</strong> moment he puts<br />
<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> uniform, an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>telligent be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, capable of resp<strong>on</strong>sibility<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itiative. The German can rule o<strong>the</strong>rs, and be ruled by<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs, but he cannot rule himself. The cure would appear<br />
to be to tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> every German for an officer, and <strong>the</strong>n put him<br />
under himself. It is certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> he would order himself about with<br />
discreti<strong>on</strong> and judgment, and see to it that he himself obeyed<br />
himself with smartness and precisi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
For <strong>the</strong> directi<strong>on</strong> of German character <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong>se channels,<br />
<strong>the</strong> schools, of course, are chiefly resp<strong>on</strong>sible. Their everlast<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
teach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is duty. It is a f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e ideal for any people; but before<br />
buckl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to it, <strong>on</strong>e would wish to have a clear understand<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as<br />
to what this “duty” is. The German idea of it would appear to<br />
be: “bl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d obedience to everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> butt<strong>on</strong>s.” It is <strong>the</strong> anti<strong>the</strong>sis<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Anglo-Sax<strong>on</strong> scheme; but as both <strong>the</strong> Anglo-Sax<strong>on</strong><br />
and <strong>the</strong> Teut<strong>on</strong> are prosper<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <strong>the</strong>re must be good <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> both