=-"EUROPE" ?

By

COUNT K. VON D'ORCKHEIM.MONTMARTIN

In llaue day" oj _ruing "Groum_," _ Mw CNW G JapIIIfMC fWDl""and a German ph~ 10 write aboul 1M "..,.I~ 01 EaM "'M ....Etu'0p8. ProJ- Bora'" UlI(Jy wa.t publi.tW ill our laM ...... B_ ft""""Counl DiArckMim'" conlribWion.

Etu'0p8'" JXUl trnt1tlu one to tIa.t query tDMtIltJr, in Nw 01 t1Do I1lowcJnd rear"oJ con.ttant tDarJare, .nACo\ a tJaing a.t "Etu'0p8" f'fJCIllll ezW. Count DiArcldwi'" gNuG t.hougltlJul an.tlHr to tJa", quution.

NelDll di.tpaldlu Jrom Europe indicaU almost """"" day tJaal tMre '" a grow.ing Pan-Europ«J" luling, pontcularly in t.he younger llfIn.eration. Th'" '" one 011M mon encou.raging Jeaturu oJ our IOOr·lom age. Here arc a Jew ilmM _ happeruKlto notiu during tIa.t laM Jew weeb: a Youth Oongreu wiJh repruenlativu oJ JourtunEu,~an "ahone, a ",U.t'icol compelilion oj "oloim Jrom all ol/er b'u,~. an uhibi.lion oj painling and Mmlplure bsI young European anim, tJae utablilthing oj anorganiz.alion Jor t.he colledion and ezdlange oj European Jolk mtuic, tIa.t muting oj1M EUf'Op«Jn Author.' ANOCiaIion tDiIIt repruentaIi_ Jrom JiJteen nation.t, and acongru. oj .ttvlknt-.tOldw"Jrom all nalione~ing in 1M IOOr agai"", tIa.t USSR.

During t1Ie Oreal War, COIUlI~'" _ an ojJlcer in tIa.t BamricJn King'"Guam. and Jougltl ill Franc4, Belgium, Serbia, Rumania. tmd norlAem Italr. Tit",conmlut«l h'" jl,• .ttud1l oj Europ«Jn~. B. mad4 h'" Jir. intimale oc·quaimanu with Europe'" enemy, Bol.t~, -tiiMfi he _ puI in pri.ton bsI eMGerman retIOlutionary government Jor jlgltlifll{/ agaitvl 1M o-n Red.t. Lour onhe 8tudi«l pltilollophll and t1Ie~ 01 nation.t; lor IN bcUeved in eM renewaloJ mankind fro'" the "Pi';', and in t1Ie n«:Uft.t1l 0/ all nation.t co-operating on 1Mba4i8 oj tI~ mutual knowledge oj caM oUww'" nallonal ~ic.t. He kca"'"proJU8or oj phimophy al tIa.t Pedagogic AOOlUmY in Brulau and al t1Ie Univer.tityoj Kiel. and 'ra~1«l a ureal deal in Italy and we.tUm Etu'0p8. In 1938 M mad.'"" jir'" ,,;m to Japan and retunwld IMre ill 1940. B. '" fIOlD litling in Toltyo.

Tit", anicle '" accompaniM bsI a number oj pho4ograPM oj ouut<mdinge=mplu 0/ EUf'Op«Jn culture.-K.M.

W HAT is Europe? A unity? Amultiplicity 1 Perhaps both atonce? Perhaps neither of them?

As a rule, when such questions are raised,the economic point of view is put forwardin the search for a reply. Thus for mostpeople the New Order of Europe meansa systematic planning of the economicsof all Europe. Europe is a natural unitof economy-that is the idea. Or peoplespeak of the unity of Europe in the senseof her common destiny. Or Europe isconsidered a natural unity because she isfighting today against common foes.

UNlTY OR MULTIPLICITY1..But can economic possibilities alone

form the basis for an enduring unity?

And does not a unity for the fighting ofa common foe mean simply a unity forone purpose only, a unity which willdisintegrate when the foe h8.8 been de­feated 1 These questions are enough toshow that the right to speak of Europe8.8 a unity can, if at all, only be derivedfrom a spiritual basis.

Seen from the Orient, Europe appearsvery largely 8.8 a spiritual unity. Ofcourse, a distinction is made today be­tween the political spirit of the statesgrouped around the Axis and that oftheir opponents. But this should notobscure the fact that the peoples of theOrient still regard Europe in a lightwhich makes all European peoples appearcomparatively uniform. To the Orient,

THE XXth OENTURY122

they all seem to possess the "Western"spirit, the spirit of 8cience, technical prog-

. rese, and organization, as well as the spiritof individualistic materialism. This,according to Oriental ideas, is the spiritof Man in Europe. And although Asiaticsdo their best to realize that individualismand materialism have been successfullycombated within the sphere of National­Socialism and Fascism, they still find ithard to abandon their original conceptionof the European spirit, identified as it hasbeen with the "Western" spirit.

MUTUAL MISOONOEPTIONS

Of course, the European does not ac­knowledge this Oriental idea of Europe,just as the nations of the East do notacknowledge the generalizing conceptionwhich the average European has of theAsiatic world. In this conception, the''East'' is equivalent to world-negation,emotional vagueness of thought, inabilityto act, and identification of Man withNature to a degree which makes it dif­fioult for him to assert himself trnly asMan and make Nature his servant.

In reply to this, China, for instance,can with justification point to the world­affirming spirit of her Confucian moralcode, just as Japan can point to the suc­cesses of her energy and power of organi­zation, without which her present vic­tories would never have been possible.The various nations of the East are con­scious of their differences in race, standardof living, cultural level, historical achieve­ment, indeed even in spiritual value, andthey have no desire to be considered ahomogeneous m&88. And yet, when Asiat­ics are among themselves and looktoward Europe, they feel they have some­thing in common, something they areproud of, something which gives themthe sense of being closer to the meaningof life than the European. And thenations of Asia feel, not without justi­fication, that this something which theyhave in common, this something ~ey

are proud of, is generally not understoodat all by the European.

•In just the same way, however, Euro-

peans vehemently contest the Orient's

generalizing conception of Europe. Theysee in it a caricature of their characterand spirit, a distortion of their idea oflife through the one-sided emphasis ontheir technical abilities and materialachievements, while their manifold cul­tural powers are completely ignored.The peoples of Europe are conscious ofdeep-rooted differences among themselves:eastern Europe as opposed to westernEurope, northern Teutons as opposed tosouthern Latins. Every true Europeanconsiders these differences as the basisof Europe's cultural wealth, whioh ismore important than all science andengineering. And yet, when European.sare among themselves, they, too, feelthat they have something in common inwhich they differ from Asiatics, somethingthey are proud of, something which, 88

they believe, renders them closer to themeaning of life and the tasks of mankindon earth than the people of the Orient.

WHAT IS EUROPE?

\\ hat is it that is common to aUEurope in the spiritual sense? On whatis based the hope of finding a firm spiritualfoundation for a new Europe1 Mightthere be an intention to Germa.nize onepart and ltalianize the remainder' Cer­tainly not. Might perhaps engineering,science, and power of organization-thatis, those very things whioh make Europeappear as a unity in Oriental eyes-formthe unifying links? Certainly not. Wellthen, what is "Europe"1 This is a1eothe question Adolf Hitler asked in aspeech at the end of last year and whiohhe answered as follows:

"There is no geographical definition ofour continent but only a racial andcultural ono. The border of this oon­tinent is not the Ural but that line whichseparates the Western conception of lifefrom that of the East."

We shall try to outline the main oharac­teristics of this conception of life.

For the development of the under­standing between East and West it wasof tragic significance that the Europepresented to the East when the latter

J

"EUROPE"? 1M

first Opened its doors to European in­ftuence was, indeed, to a large extent avictim of its one-sided materialistio devel­opment, and that it came to the Orientmainly in its American form. Anotherdistorting factor wa.s that the Orient itselfhas hitherto mainly been interested inthe rational achievements of the Europeanspirit. Thus the Ea.stem idea of Europeis a resultant of all that which appearsto the East as useful, dangerous, or re­pulsive in Europe.

THE PLAOE OF TBlll INDIVIDUAl.

One of the fundamental errors of theEast in its valuation of the West is thatthe latter must be identified with in­dividualism. Here one might interpose :Can it be denied that the European ideaof culture accords a central position tothe individuall The answer to this is :The true European acknowledges indi­~ualiltl but denies individooli8m: hedenies the ego but strives for per8OfUJlity.European culture ha.s always been andwill remain a culture whioh affirms andencourages the individual personality.

But have not the European Axis coun­tries taken up the fight against iudivid­ualism' Is not their entire strengthfounded on the fact that they have de­stroyed individualism in their own coun­tries and have replaoed the demands ofthe individual by the idea of the whole,of the people and the Statel In all theyears I have spent in the Orient I haverarely met anyone who has known howto solve this apparent contradiotion.Time and again the question is put:Everything in Germany is directed todaytowards the community, yet they alwaysspeak of the personality, of the individual­ity, indeed, of the absolutely decisive roleof the individual. How can the one bereconciled with the otherl The solutionof this apparent contradiction is the firstprerequisite for understanding the trueEuropean.

Over the gateway of the history of theBmopean spirit are inscribed the wordsof the Greek poet Pindar of the fifthCleIltury B.C.: "Become that which thouart!!' The center of our pioture of antiq-

uity is held by the creative individualand its immortal works of art. Socratesbecame the father of European thoughtbecaU8C he felt the very personal voiceof his heart to be a divine voice and,following its call, demanded that the lawsgoverning the conduct of a communityshould harmonize with the voice of thehuman heart.

The greatness of the Roman conceptionof the State is founded upon the fact thatthe citizens of Rome voluntarily 8ubjectedthemselves to the community, and inreturn received from the Sta,te a guaranteeof their personal belongings and theirpersonal freedom.

Christianity, the religion of the 00­cident, has for its central idea the im­mortality of the individual soul. Thisbelief makes Ma.n the centRr of Creation.lifts him up above Nature, Rnd giveeeach individual a feeling of the eternalvalue of his own personality. Lutherbecame an outstanding reformer of Chris­tianity because he re-established the per­80nal contact of the soul with Godagainst the standardizing tendency of theChurch. In him arose that fundamentalbelief of the European soul which is baaedon the feeling of the eternal significanceof the individual soul and the immortalvalue of its uniqueness.

PKBSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

This feeling is also the source of thatirrepressible desire for freedom and in­dependence which is characteristio of theEuropean, of that urge of each individualto stand on his own feet and to lead hislife as much as possible according to hisown desires, to choose his wife and 0c­cupation, even his master and his leader.All this, however, only ha.s mE'.ani.ng whencombined with the determination of theEuropean to assume personal responsibili­ty for what he does.

The European conception of life cul­minates in the idea of personal respon­sibility which nobody can relieve one of,in the conviction that, in the final analy­sis, all life of the human community aswell as all culture is founded on the

III THE XXth CENTURY

responsibility of individuals free to decidefor themselves. This fundamental ideaof the European finda its political fulfill­ment in the "principle of leadership" ofboth National-8ocialiBm and Fascism, aprinciple which builda the life of the Stateand of the people on the decisions ofindividuals who are conscious of theirresponsibility. This attitude found itscommon cultural fulfillment in Goethe,its religious fulfillment in men like St.Francis and Luther, and its economiofulfillment in the enterprises of a Siemensor a Zeiss.

EGO AND PERSONALITY

As I write these lines about the Euro­pean belief in the individual, I can clearlyhear the cry: There you are-when allis said and done, it is the ego which isthe center of life and activity. It is in­dividualism, the oult of the ego, after a11l

Nol The strong emphasis placed onpersonal responsibility in the Europeanidea of man indicates that the affirmationof individuality does not mean the affir­mation or justification of egoism of anykind. Since ancient times, the highvaluation of the individual personalityhas been founded rather on two essentialprerequisites: the negation of the littleego and the bondage of individuality.

Master Eckehart, the German mystioof the thirteenth century, once said:"Thou must destroy thy ego to gain thyself." And Luther, who stood for thereligious right of individuality with rev­olutionary force, designates the "absorp­tion of Man in the struoture of his ego"as the original sin of mankind, and heoalls the ego the devil. What is meantby these seemingly paradoxical worda,every one knows from his own experience,for who is not aware of the fact that thesmall and great vanities and lusts of the'1>eloved I." its hunger for power andItriving for recognition, its desire formaterial pleasures, are contrary to theinnermost roots of his being1 Thesedeep roots in us speak to us as our oon­science and demand from us a sel8essattitude in the community and in theworld as well as loyalty toward that

unique something in us that appeal'll ..our individual character.

Pindar's "Become that whioh thouart," Shakespeare's "To thine own self betrue," Goethe's "Respect thyself," referto just this unique, individual shaping ofthe human and divine in us. And it W88

just this feeling of the uniqueness of hisindividual essence 88 a divine mysterywhich attracted the early European somuch to the Christian doctrine of theimmortality of the individual soul.

However, the idea of loyalty and serv­ice is inseparable from the feeling of theindividual self and the desire for freedomof the European man. This leads us tothe second prerequisite for the Europeanaffirmation of individuality: its bondage.

TBlIl THREE BONDS

Only when one has recognized in whatmultiple sense the individuality is boundin the European conception of the per­sonality can one understa.nd the humanside of the European spirit.

The idea of serving, of vassalage, ofloyalty to one's lord, is the oldest form ofthis bondage. Besides this, in the courseof history three basic forms of Buohbonda have been developed, whose tripleeffect makes up the present-day natureof the true European spirit: the bondbetween Man and God, Man and hishumanity, and Man and the nation. Thefirst bond~ from Christianity. Thesecond is the heritage of Greece and ofthe humanists from the Middle Ages upto Goethe. The third is a combinationof the Roman idea of the bond betweenMan and State and the German idea ofthe bond between the individual and hispeople.

The spiritual unity of the European isdeeply grounded in this conception ofindividuality and its triple bond. Who­ever violates this conoeption goes againstthe true Europe. Wherever the bondwith humanity is disrupted, there beginsthat narrow Chauvinism which sees onlybarbarians beyond the frontiers of itacountry. And wherever the bond with

"EUROPE'" 117

the nation is disrupted. there beginIunrealiatio internationalism.

IIA.K .ARD BIB OOtll'TBY

The belief in the eternal value of in­dividuality is not limited in Europeanthought to the individual man. but findsits natural continuation in the belief inthe eternal value of the individuality of apeople. This idea is common to allEurope. espeoially since Herder gave theworld his wonderful conception of a flightof steps of individualities: from theindividual to the nation, to the world,to the cosmos, everything overshadowedand penetrated by the individuality ofGod, steps in which each individualityfulfills the meaning of its life by servingthe one above it. This idea is now beingdeveloped politically in the conception ofthe New Order of Europe, in the center ofwhich stands the belief in the individual­ity of each people and in the natumlinterdependence of the various nationalforces in the European whole. It is basedon the ideas, on the one hand of the sub­ordination of the individual to his people,and on the other of the inclusion of eachindividual people as a member in thehigher unit which is Europe.

This strong sense of individuality wasformerly also one of the reasons for thepolitical weakness of the nations nowunited in the Axis. In these nations.each individuality had forgotten its higherbonds, and the individual demands oflittle principalities and cities hinderedthe unity of the greater nation. Todaythese dangers have been removed, notthrough the exclusion and denial of thecreative powers of the individuality, butthrough their inclusion in the life of thehigher entity. In the same way thepowers of individual enterprise in theeconomio sphere have not been excludedand sacrificed to an all-encompaasingState or an all-oommanding central bu­reaucracy, but included in the economyof the nation.

MAN AND HIS WORK

Beside the belief in the eternal valueof individuality stands. as a general ohar-

acteristio of the European spirit, thebond between Man on the one hand andwork and reality on the other. Indeed.this is not just a bond that exists separate­ly: in it alone can those othe.r bonds berealized in everyday life. To it are duethose achievements which, shaping theearth and maatering reality, have becomethe symbols of European oivilization.

It is true, the fact that Man has beenplaced into relationship with the outerworld is also responsible for that dangerof superficiality and "soullessness" towhioh for a time the European fell victim.The reproach raised against the Europeanof being a creature that has sacrificed hisinner harmony to outer organization, andhis heart to science, although true ofcertain undeniable manifestations of theWestern oharacter, does not apply to hisspirit as such.

TIlE BLUl'T WEST •••

The well-known Japanese art historianTsudzumi has introduced the expressioDof "framelessDess" as the comprehensivecharacteristic of OrieDtal art. And in­deed, whoever has tried to analyze thenature of Asiatic life and creativeness asopposed to the European always runs upagainst this strange trait of "frameless­ness." In contrast to this, the sharplyoutlined form is symbolic of Europe.Whether it is a precise term, an un­equivocal answer, a clearly shaped pieceof work, a system of philosophy, a muaica1composition, a personality or, finally, aDecoDOmiC or political organization, theyall exude the atmosphere of a structureclearly outlined iD space.

This is just what the Oriental feels tobe typically European aDd foreign. Heasks: Why expres8 everything so clear­ly aDd bluntly-is Dot aD indicationeDough1 Why outline everything sosharply-is that not cODtrary to life1 Inreality, is not everything bound up witheverything else through all-penetratinglife1 Why must you always have a clearYes or Nol Does Dot real life alwaysCODtain both in ODe1 Why organize andfix everything down to the last1 Doesthat not contradict ever-flowing life which

121 THE XXth CENTURY

-.','.

nms its course between growth and decay?This European way of sharply outliningeverything may be useful or even neces­sary to certain modem purposes; but as away of life it is without soul. Real lifeknows no limits, that which is limited andcontrasted is only illusion; that which islimitless is truth and life.

• . • AND THE VA.GUE EA.ST

The European, on the other hand­how hard he finds it to become used towhat to him seems so unclear, so vague,uncertain, disorderly, 80 intangible in theEast! He thinks: Everything is in astate of transition, nothing clearly defined,everything only "approximate." Why nota frank No, when Qne thinks No? Whyonly indicate something which can becarried out1 Why only a sketch whereone expects a painting? Why leave somuch in disorder that could with solittle eftort be tidied up? Why make somany things in such a way that theyjust barely hold together, why not makethem to last1 Why only renew somethingwhen it is on the point of collapse andnot at the first signs of wear? Is it noteuential to see and shape reality in clearoutline, to make things so that theyendure in reality, and to perfect them ina manner corresponding to their innerlaws, to their inner nature?

In all these questions a very definitelack of understanding for the other sideis expressed.

European thought and creativenesshave been determined since ancient timesby olear perception. That which antiq­uity has given us in its glorious statues,that which distinguishes our splendidarchitecture, the incompa,rahle creationsof European music-it is always the same,namely, that they embody this basioEuropean power of perceiving the natureof things in clearly defined forms and ofexpressing this in works of art.

This perception is not a superficialemphasis on the outward appearance, asit may~y seem. When the Orientalgazes beyond appearances, he perceivesthe formless origin of all existence, beside

whioh all visible form is only illusion.When the European gazes beyond appear­ances, he perceives the essential shape ofthings beyond all the imperfection of theirreality in a given space and time. Hemeasures the imperfection of each formof existence, not by the formless origin oflife, but by its essence which aspirestoward a very definite shape.

This trait of the European spirit, thisperceiving in clear shapes, has neverbeen properly recognized in the rest ofthe world, for it waS, as it were, obscuredby that counterforce in European thought:the power of analysis. For in additionto the perception of the indivisible essencethere is the urge towards analysis anddifferentiation, with the final aim, how­ever, of placing the parts into relationshipwith each other and combining them againinto a theory, a rational order, a system-a new entity in which everything hasits place. And that which in the field ofthought is the system or theory, is inpractical life the carefully thought outplan or definite organization. The Euro­pean hates disorder.

THE URGE TO CREA.TE

These two basic forms of thought. clearperception and orderly analysis, are com­bined in the European spirit with a third,that is, the power of faithful, unbiased,unemotional observation of Nature, withthe aim of recognizing the laws by whichshe is governed. This power requires acertain detachment from Nature, a feelingof Man's superiority, and the conscious­ness of his inner freedom towards theworkings of natural forces. From itarose the natural scienoes and technicalprogress, the latter due to one more traitof the European, a trait which has broughthim curse and blessing, admiration andcontempt: his dynamic energy.

This dynamic urge of the Europeanthat knows no rest or quiet is contrastedby the tranquillity of life in its naturalrhythm and breathing, the characteristioof the East. Is it not true that theEuropean continues to be active wherethere is no necessity for it, and that theOriental continues to remain idle where

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"EUROPE"? 133

something should long ago have beendone1 In Europe we find restless activ­ity, creating, and forming; in the Orient,action through inaction, passivity, con­templation.

Just as this striving for tranquillity isusually misunderstood by the European,90 European energy is usually seen by theEast only in the light of its soul-destroy­ing exaggerations. The spirit of the true

. European does not seek activity foractivity's sake; rather does this activityspring from obligation towards his workand joy in the mastering of life. Andwherever he does work corresponding tohis nature, he has the feeling of obeyingan inner voice and is conscious of a dutyto complete the work on hand accordingto its inherent laws.

Witll this we have assembled the mostimportant characteristics which allow usto draw a comprehensive picture of theEuropean conception of life. The Euro­pean is full of vitality, he affirms exist­enoe, turns his face towards the world,and is active. And why? His affirma­tion of life and the world is by no meansonly materialistic. Rather does it derivefrom the belief that God is not to beperceived or apprehended only in form­less origin but is manifested in the essenceof things and in the significance of theirproper order and strives to make Himselfapparent in the reality of space and time.

AIDING NATURE

Thus the European sees the originalforms beyond all the imperfection of theirappearances, and he feels an urge, indeed,an obligation to help them in their strivingfor rea.liza.tion in this world. Whereverhe perceives the possibility of order, heimmediately feels the desire actually tobring about this order. All appearancesin the world seem, as it were, to call outto him: "Help me to become that whichI really am!"

It is the meaning of the seed to be­come a flower or a tree. That the floweror tree must die again, does not changethe divine meaning of the seed in thisworld. All around us we see the eternal

struggle of such seeds of God, strivingtowards their realization, against forceshindering their realization. Like everyother creature in Nature, Man and thenations are also involved in this struggle.They all want to and must become what,fundamentally, they are. But this "Be­come that which thou art" does notmean to the European that he shouldannihilate himself in the limitless originof the world. The imperfection of thisworld does not cause him to turn his backupon the world and to express his ma­turity by submerging himself in the originof all things. On the contrary, it giveshim the urge to change the reality of thisworld, as well as he can, to make it con­form to the inner nature of each thing,and in this way to perfect each thing,himself, and his people. This is themeaning of the restless European energy.If one considers the spiritual contest be­tween the European peoples on this basis,it becomes clear that it is the materialisticbetrayal of the true European spiritwhich has brought some Western statesand Bolshevist RU88ia into conflict withthe other peoples of Europe.

Now we have the real basis for a trueunderstanding of the place of technicalprogress in the European conception oflife. To the European a technical ac­complishment is not just a means touseful ends. Its profound meaning israther to make possible the mastering ofthose conditions of time and space underwhich life can develop in all its forms andin accordance with its true nature. Thefact that, in the hands of unrestrainedindividuals, technical progress has in parthad other effects, by no means correspondsto the European spirit. It was the resultof one of its distortions.

EUROPE ANI> THE ORIENT

When Europe emphasizes certain essen­tial traits of her conception of life, sheat the same time emphasizes the differencebetween the European and the Orientalspirit. To many, this difference mayseem an unbridgeable contrast, and theymay doubt whether the much talked ofNew Order of the world and the necessary

I" THE XXtla CENTURY

co-operation for it between East andWest can, in the face of such differences,ever rise above the stage of economicco-operation.

I believe that these differences do notexclude a spiritual contact; on the con­trary, they make it immensely fertile.This all the more so if the existing dif­ferences are not obscured but clearly ac­knowledged and reciprocally respected.We must, however, get rid first of theremains of that narrow idea which seesin all national differences an obstacle tomutual understanding and considers theirdenial the prerequisite for la8ting co­operation.

Above all, however, both East andWest must free themselves from the spellof the distorted picture they have ofeach other. It is a barrier between themto this day. Then only will the Europeanbe reminded by the Oriental's way oflife not to disregard the relationahip be­tween all life and the cosmos. Then onlycan the Oriental power of action throughinaction, of inward maturing, safeguardthe European from losing himself inpurely outward activity.

Correspondingly, the Oriental may,properly understanding the European con­ception of life, see in it that it is Man'slot and task to act in this earthly exist­ence. He will find that there is aform of mastering reality which, farfrom being materialistic, stands inthe selfless service of life andGod.

TBlll TASK OJ' TUB FUTUlUIl

East and West will onlygrasp each other's most pro­found strength when theyalways bear in mind thewhole picture; otherwise eventhe differences lose theirmeaning. Is not the East, forexample, past master atappreciaPng even the smallestthings ofth.i8 world for the very

reason that the Oriental undentanda. them in their symbolic meaning' Arenot the traditional Japanese arta, such ..the tea ceremony and flower arranging,dwarf-tree culture and garden designing,convincing proof of this? How mistakenis any conception of the Japanese naturewhich does not take into account thepower of lightning action which theJapanese draws from his very attitude ofcontemplation which goes beyond life anddeath? And finally, do not tremendousimpulses toward a positive shaping of theworld and of life emanate from Con­fucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism'

Likewise, in order for the Oriental tofind productive understanding of Europeit is necessary, not only that he abandonhis distorting idea of European material­ism, but also that he understand thespirituality peculiar to the European.He must not forget that the creative workin the true European spirit-expressedin the immortal works of European art,as well as in science, engineering, andgovernment-is the dynamic manifesta­tion of a profound perception of the inner­most essence of things.

With regard to the nations leading theNew Order as the most powerful partnersin the East and the West, there is, inaddition to all this, the remarkable factthat, of all the nations of the West, Ger­mll,ny possesses more of those very traitewhich the Oriental least expects tofind in the West, just as Japan,

of all the nations of theEast, possesses more of thosevery traits whioh the Euro-pean least expects to find inthe Orient. Yet one thingremains olear. The nations ofthe East as well as those ofEurope will achieve a per­manent order within themselvesand in their Groura'UmIl mostrapidly if this order grows fromtheir own oonception of life,their own strength, and theirown original style.