which I shall not attempt to elucidate, much of the
literary youth of the nation has remained at home,
and continues to publish books. Even those who
are at the front contrive to send articles and poems
to the Reviews (for the passion for writing dies
hard in Germany).

It seems to me to be of importance to ascertain
what spiritual currents are influencing the young
intellectuals of Germany. ¹

It has been pointed out that in all countries the
extremest views have been expressed by writers
who have already passed el mezzo del cammino.
We shall attempt to find the reason for this at
some later date. At present we are content again
to verify this fact in the case of German writers.
Almost all the celebrated and acknowledged poets,
all those who were rich in years and in honor, were
swept off their feet at the beginning of the war.
And this fact is all the more curious because some
of them had been up to that time the apostles of
peace, of pity, and of humanitarianism. Dehmel,
the enemy of war, the friend of all men, who said

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