Page:Democratic Ideals and Reality (1919).djvu/191

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THE RIVALRY OF EMPIRES
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consistency. We were opposed to the half-German Russian Czardom because Russia was the dominating, threatening force both in East Europe and the Heartland for half a century. We were opposed to the wholly German Kaiserdom, because Germany took the lead in East Europe from the Czardom, and would then have crushed the revolting Slavs, and dominated East Europe and the Heartland. German Kultur, and all that it means in the way of organisation, would have made that German domination a chastisement of scorpions as compared with the whips of Russia.

Thus far we have been thinking of the rivalry of Empires from the point of view of strategical opportunities, and we have come to the conclusion that the World-Island and the Heartland are the final Geographical Realities in regard to sea-power and land-power, and that East Europe is essentially a part of the Heartland. But there remains to be considered the Economic Reality of man-power. We have seen that the question of base, not only secure but also productive, is vital to sea-power; the productive base is needed for the support of men not only for the manning