,,of ,,the ,,european ,,war1 ,,vol4 #a1 ,,january #i1 #aiae999999 file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #afgjb-;h4htm or #afgjb-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#a_/ f_/g_/j_/afgjb_/afgjb-;h_/#afgjb-;h4htm7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#a_/ f_/g_/j_/afgjb_/afgjb-;h4zip7 ,the ,new ,york ,times ,,current ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,european ,,war ,,january #i1 #aiae4 ,what ,americans ,say to ,europe ,illustration3 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot 7,photo 7c7 by ,paul ,thompson47 ,see ,page #dgc ,illustration3 ,,james ,m4 ,,beck ,see ,page #dac ,in the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization ,argued by ,james ,m4 ,beck4 ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times submitted the evidence contained in the official ,white ,paper of ,great ,britain1 the ,orange ,paper of ,russia1 and the ,gray ,paper of ,belgium to ,james ,m4 ,beck1 late ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,united ,states and a leader of the ,new ,york bar1 who has argued many of the most important cases before the ,supreme ,court4 ,on this evidence ,mr4 ,beck has argued in the following article the case of ,dual ,alliance vs4 ,triple ,entente4 ,it has been widely circulated in ,france and ,great ,britain4 ,let us suppose that in this year of dis-,grace1 ,nineteen ,hundred and ,fourteen1 there had existed1 as let us pray will one day exist1 a ,supreme ,court of ,civilization1 before which the sovereign nations could litigate their differences without resort to the iniquitous and less effective appeal to the arbitrament of arms4 ,let us further suppose that each of the contending nations had a sufficient leaven of ,christianity to have its grievances adjudged not by the ethics of the cannon or the rifle1 but by the eternal criterion of justice4 ,what would be the judgment of that august tribunal8 ,any discussion of the ethical merits of this great controversy must start with the assumption that there is an international morality4 ,this fundamental axiom1 upon which the entire basis of civilization necessarily rests1 is challenged by a small class of intellectual perverts4 ,some hold that moral considerations must be subordinated either to military necessity or so-called manifest destiny4 ,this is the ,bernhardi doctrine4 ,others teach that war is a beneficent fatality and that all nations engaged in it are therefore equally justified4 ,on this theory all of the now contending nations are but victims of an irresistible current of events1 and the highest duty of the ,state is to prepare itself for the systematic extermination1 when necessary or expedient1 of its neighbors4 ,notwithstanding the clever platitudes under which both these doctrines are veiled1 all morally sane minds are agreed that this war is a great crime against civilization1 and the only open question is1 which of the two contending groups of powers is morally responsible for that crime8 ,was ,austria justified in declaring war against ,servia8 ,was ,germany justified in declaring war against ,russia and ,france8 ,was ,england justified in declaring war against ,germany8 ,as the last of these questions is the most easily disposed of1 it may be considered first4 ,england's ,justification4 ,england's justification rests upon the solemn ,treaty of #ahci1 whereby ,prussia1 ,france1 ,england1 ,austria1 and ,russia became the guarantors of the perpetual neutrality of ,belgium1 as reaffirmed by ,count ,bismarck1 then ,chancellor of the ,north ,german ,confederation1 on ,july #bb1 #ahgj1 and as even more recently reaffirmed in the striking fact disclosed in the ,belgian ,gray ,book4 ,in the ,spring of #aiac a debate was in progress in the ,budget ,committee of the ,reichstag with reference to the ,military ,budget4 ,in the course of the debate the ,german ,secretary of ,state said3 ,the neutrality of ,belgium is determined by international conventions1 and ,germany is resolved to respect these conventions4 ,to confirm this solemn assurance1 the ,minister of ,war added in the same debate3 ,belgium does not play any part in the justification of the ,german scheme of military reorganization4 ,the scheme is justified by the position of matters in the ,east4 ,germany will not lose sight of the fact that ,belgian neutrality is guaranteed by international treaties4 ,a year later1 on ,july #ca1 #aiad1 ,herr von ,below1 the ,german ,minister at ,brussels1 assured the ,belgian ,department of ,state that he knew of a declaration which the ,german ,chancellor had made in #aiaa1 to the effect that ,germany had no intention of violating our neutrality1 and that he was certain that the sentiments to which expression was given at that time had not changed4 7,see ,belgian ,gray ,book1 ,nos4 #aa and #ab47 ,apart from these treaty stipulations1 which are only declaration of ,belgium's rights as sovereign nations1 ,the ,hague ,conference1 in which forty-four nations 7including ,germany7 participated1 reaffirmed as an axiom of international law the inherent right of a nation to the sanctity of its territory4 ,it seems unnecessary to discuss the wanton disregard of these solemn obligations and protestations1 when the present ,chancellor of the ,german ,empire1 in his speech to the ,reichstag and to the world on ,aug4 #d1 #aiad1 frankly admitted that the action of the ,german military machine in invading ,belgium was a wrong4 ,he said3 ,we are now in a state of necessity1 and necessity knows no law4 ,our troops have occupied ,luxemburg and perhaps are already on ,belgian soil4 ,gentlemen1 that is contrary to the dictates of international law4 ,it is true that the ,french ,government has declared at ,brussels that ,france is willing to respect the neutrality of ,belgium1 so long as her opponent respects it4 ,we knew1 however1 that ,france stood ready for invasion4 ,france could wait1 but we could not wait4 ,a ,french movement upon our flank upon the lower ,rhine might have been disastrous4 ,so we were compelled to override the just protest of the ,luxemburg and ,belgian ,governments4 ,the wrong--,i speak openly--that we are committing we will endeavor to make good as soon as our military goal has been reached4 ,anybody who is threatened as we are threatened1 and is fighting for his highest possessions1 can only have one thought--how he is to hack his way through4 ,this defense is not even a plea of confession and avoidance4 ,it is a plea of ,guilty at the bar of the world4 ,it has one merit1 that it does not add to the crime the aggravation of hypocrisy4 ,it virtually rests the case of ,germany upon the gospel of ,treitschke and ,bernhardi1 that each nation is justified in exerting its physical power to the utmost in defense of its selfish interests and without any regard to considerations of conventional morality4 ,might as between nations is the sole criterion of right4 ,there is no novelty in this gospel4 ,its only surprising feature is its revival in the twentieth century4 ,it was taught far more effectively by ,machiavelli in his treatise1 ,the ,prince1 wherein he glorified the policy of ,cesare ,borgia in trampling the weaker ,states of ,italy under foot by ruthless terrorism1 unbridled ferocity1 and the basest deception4 ,indeed1 the wanton destruction of ,belgium is simply ,borgiaism amplified ten-thousandfold by the mechanical resources of modern war4 ,this ,answer ,cannot ,satisfy4 ,unless our boasted civilization is the thinnest veneering of barbarism2 unless the law of the world is in fact only the ethics of the rifle and the conscience of the cannon2 unless mankind after uncounted centuries has made no real advance in political morality beyond that of the cave dweller1 then this answer of ,germany cannot satisfy the decent respect to the opinions of mankind4 ,germany's contention that a treaty of peace is a scrap of paper1 to be disregarded at will when required by the selfish interests of one contracting party1 is the negation of all that civilization stands for4 ,belgium has been crucified in the face of the world4 ,its innocence of any offense1 until it was attacked1 is too clear for argument4 ,its voluntary immolation to preserve its solemn guarantee of neutrality will plead like angels1 trumpet-tongued1 against the deep damnation of its taking off4 ,on that issue the ,supreme ,court could have no ground for doubt or hesitation4 ,its judgment would be speedy and inexorable4 ,the remaining two issues1 above referred to1 are not so simple4 ,primarily and perhaps exclusively1 the ethical question turns upon the issues raised by the communications which passed between the various ,chancelleries of ,europe in the last week of ,july1 for it is the amazing feature of this greatest of all wars that it was precipitated by diplomats and rulers1 and1 assuming that all these statesmen sincerely desired a peaceful solution of the questions raised by the ,austrian ultimatum1 7which is by no means clear17 it was the result of ineffective diplomacy and clumsy diplomacy at that4 ,i quite appreciate the distinction between the immediate causes of a war and the anterior and more fundamental causes2 nevertheless1 with the world in a state of ,summer peace on ,july #bc1 #aiad1 an issue1 gravely affecting the integrity of nations and the balance of power in ,europe1 is suddenly precipitated by the ,austrian ultimatum1 and thereafter and for the space of about a week a series of diplomatic communications passed between the ,chancelleries of ,europe1 designed on their face to prevent a war and yet so ineffective that the war is precipitated and the fearful ,rubicon crossed before the world knew1 except imperfectly1 the nature of the differences between the ,governments involved4 ,the ethical aspects of this great conflict must largely depend upon the record that has been made up by the official communications which can1 therefore1 be treated as documentary evidence in a litigated case4 ,a substantial part of that record is already before the court of public opinion in the ,british and ,german ,white ,papers1 the ,russian ,orange ,paper1 and the ,belgian ,gray ,paper1 and the purpose of this article is to discuss what judgment an impartial and dispassionate court would render upon the issues thus raised and the evidence thus submitted4 ,primarily such a court would be deeply impressed not only by what the record as thus made up discloses1 but also by the significant omissions of documents known to be in existence4 ,the official defense of ,england and ,russia does not apparently show any failure on the part of either to submit all of the documents in their possession1 but the ,german ,white ,paper on its face discloses the suppression of documents of vital importance1 while ,austria has as yet failed to submit any of the documentary evidence in its possession4 ,we know from the ,german ,white ,paper--even if we did not conclude as a matter of irresistible inference--that many important communications passed in this crisis between ,germany and ,austria1 and it is probable that some communications must also have passed between those two countries and ,italy4 ,italy1 despite its embarrassing position1 owes to the world the duty of a full disclosure4 ,what such disclosure would probably show is indicated by her deliberate conclusion that her allies had commenced an aggressive war1 which released her from any obligation under the ,triple ,alliance4 ,the fact that communications passed between ,berlin and ,vienna1 the text of which has never been disclosed1 is not a matter of conjecture4 ,germany admits and asserts as part of her defense that she faithfully exercised her mediatory influence with ,austria1 but not only is such mediatory influence not disclosed by any practical results of such mediation1 but the text of these vital communications is still kept in the secret archives of ,berlin and ,vienna4 ,thus in the official apology for ,germany it is stated that1 in spite of the refusal of ,austria to accept the proposition of ,sir ,edward ,grey to treat the ,servian reply as a basis for further conversations1 we ,germany continued our mediatory efforts to the utmost and advised ,vienna to make any possible compromise consistent with the dignity of the ,monarchy4 ,german ,white ,paper4 ,this would be more convincing if the ,german ,foreign ,office in giving other diplomatic documents had only added the text of the advice which it thus gave ,vienna4 ,the same significant omission will be found when the same official defense states that on ,july #bi the ,german ,government advised ,austria to begin the conversations with ,mr4 ,sazonof4 ,but here again the text is not found among the documents which the ,german ,foreign ,office has given to the world4 ,the communications1 which passed between that office and its ,ambassadors in ,st4 ,petersburg1 ,paris1 and ,london1 are given in extenso1 but among the twenty-seven communications appended to the ,german official defense it is most significant that not a single communication is given of the many which passed from ,berlin to ,vienna and only two that passed from ,vienna to ,berlin4 ,this cannot be an accident4 ,germany has seen fit to throw the veil of secrecy over the text of its communications to ,vienna1 although professing to give the purport of a few of them4 ,until ,germany is willing to put the most important documents in its possession in evidence1 it must not be surprised that the world1 remembering ,bismarck's garbling of the ,ems dispatch1 which precipitated the ,franco-,prussian war1 will be incredulous as to the sincerity of ,germany's mediatory efforts4 ,austria's ,case ,against ,servia4 ,to discuss the justice of ,austria's grievances against ,servia would take us outside the documentary record and into the realm of disputed facts and would expand this discussion far beyond reasonable length4 ,let us therefore suppose arguendo that our imaginary court would commence its consideration with the assumption that ,austria had a just grievance against ,servia1 and that the murder of the ,archduke on ,june #bh1 #aiad1 while in fact committed by ,austrian citizens of ,servian sympathies on ,austrian soil1 had its inspiration and encouragement in the political activities either of the ,servian ,government or of political organizations of that country4 ,the question for decision would then be not whether ,austria had a just grievance against ,servia1 but whether having regard to the obligations which ,austria1 as well as every other country1 owes to civilization1 she proceeded in the right manner to redress her grievance4 ,on ,june #bh1 #aiad1 the ,austrian ,crown ,prince was murdered at ,serajevo4 ,for nearly a month there was no action by ,austria1 and no public statement whatever of its intentions4 ,the world profoundly sympathized with ,austria in its new trouble1 and especially with its aged monarch1 who1 like ,king ,lear1 was as full of grief as years and wretched in both4 ,the ,servian ,government had formerly disclaimed any complicity with the assassination and had pledged itself to punish any ,servian citizen implicated therein4 ,from time to time1 from ,june #bh to ,july #bc1 there came semi-inspired intimations from ,vienna that that country intended to act with great self-restraint and in the most pacific manner4 ,in his speech to the ,french ,chamber of ,deputies1 ,viviani says that ,europe had in the interval preceding ,july #bc express assurances from ,austria that its course would be moderate and conciliatory4 ,never was it even hinted that ,germany and ,austria were about to apply in a time of profound peace a match to the powder magazine of ,europe4 ,this is strikingly shown by the first letter in the ,english ,white ,paper from ,sir ,edward ,grey to ,sir ,h4 ,rumbold1 dated ,july #bj1 #aiad4 ,it is one of the most significant documents in the entire correspondence4 ,at the time this letter was written it is altogether probable that ,austria's arrogant and most unreasonable ultimatum had already been framed and approved in ,vienna1 and possibly in ,berlin1 and yet ,sir ,edward ,grey1 the ,foreign ,minister of a great and friendly country1 had so little knowledge of ,austria's policy that he asked the ,german ,ambassador today 7,july #bj7 if he had any news of what was going on in ,vienna with regard to ,servia4 ,the ,german ,ambassador replied that he had not1 but ,austria was certainly going to take some step4 ,sir ,edward ,grey adds that he told the ,german ,ambassador that he had learned that ,count ,berchtold1 the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister1 in speaking to the ,italian ,ambassador in ,vienna1 had deprecated the suggestion that the situation was grave1 but had said that it should be cleared up4 ,the ,german ,minister then replied that it would be desirable if ,russia could act as a mediator with regard to ,servia1 so that the first suggestion of ,russia playing the part of the peacemaker came from the ,german ,ambassador in ,london4 ,sir ,edward ,grey then adds that he told the ,german ,ambassador that he assumed that the ,austrian ,government would not do anything until they had first disclosed to the public their case against ,servia1 founded presumably upon what they had discovered at the trial1 and the ,german ,ambassador assented to this assumption4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #a4 ,either the ,german ,ambassador was then deceiving ,sir ,edward ,grey1 on the theory that the true function of an ,ambassador is to lie for his country1 or the thunderbolt was being launched with such secrecy that even the ,german ,ambassador in ,england did not know what was then in progress4 ,the ,british ,ambassador at ,vienna reports to ,sir ,edward ,grey3 ,the delivery at ,belgrade on the #bc;d ,july of the note to ,servia was preceded by a period of absolute silence at the ,ballplatz4 ,he proceeds to say that with the exception of the ,german ,ambassador at ,vienna--note the significance of the exception--not a single member of the ,diplomatic ,corps knew anything of the ,austrian ultimatum and that the ,french ,ambassador when he visited the ,austrian ,foreign ,office on ,july #bc was not only kept in ignorance that the ultimatum had actually been issued1 but was given the impression that its tone was moderate4 ,even the ,italian ,ambassador was not taken into ,count ,berchtold's confidence4 ,dispatch from ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen to ,sir ,edward ,grey1 dated ,sept4 #a1 #aiad4 ,no better proof of this sense of security need be adduced than that the ,french ,president and her ,foreign ,minister were thousands of miles from ,paris1 and the ,russian ,minister had1 after the funeral of the ,austrian ,archduke1 left ,vienna for his annual holiday4 ,the interesting and important question here suggests itself whether ,germany had knowledge of and approved in advance the ,austrian ultimatum4 ,if it did1 it was guilty of duplicity1 for the ,german ,ambassador at ,st4 ,petersburg gave to the ,russian ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs an express assurance that the ,german ,government had no knowledge of the text of the ,austrian note before it was handed in and has not exercised any influence on its contents4 ,it is a mistake to attribute to ,germany a threatening attitude4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #ah4 ,this statement is inherently improbable4 ,austria was the weaker of the two allies and it was ,germany's sabre that it was rattling in the face of ,europe4 ,obviously ,austria could not have proceeded to extreme measures1 which it was recognized from the first would antagonize ,russia1 unless it had the support of ,germany1 and there is a probability1 amounting to a moral certainty1 that it would not have committed itself and ,germany to the possibility of a ,european war without first consulting ,germany4 ,moreover1 we have the testimony of ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen1 the ,english ,ambassador in ,vienna1 who advised ,sir ,edward ,grey that he had private information that the ,german ,ambassador 7at ,vienna7 knew the text of the ,austrian ultimatum to ,servia before it was dispatched and telegraphed it to the ,german ,emperor1 and that the ,german ,ambassador himself indorses every line of it4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ie4 ,as he does not disclose the source of his private information1 this testimony would not by itself be convincing1 but when we examine ,germany's official defense in the ,german ,white ,paper1 we find that the ,german ,foreign ,office admits that it was consulted by ,austria previous to the ultimatum and not only approved of ,austria's course but literally gave her a carte blanche to proceed4 ,this point seems so important in determining the sincerity of ,germany's attitude and pacific protestations that we quote in extenso4 ,after referring to the previous friction between ,austria and ,servia1 the ,german ,white ,paper says3 ,in view of these circumstances1 ,austria had to admit that it would not be consistent either with the dignity or self-preservation of the monarchy to look on longer at the operations on the other side of the border without taking action4 ,the ,austro-,hungarian ,government advised us of this view of the situation and asked our opinion in the matter4 ,we were able to assure our ally most heartily of our agreement with her view of the situation and to assure her that any action that she might consider it necessary to take in order to put an end to the movement in ,servia directed against the existence of the ,austro-,hungarian ,monarchy would receive our approval4 ,we were fully aware in this connection that warlike moves on the part of ,austria-,hungary against ,servia would bring ,russia into the question and might draw us into a war in accordance with our duties as an ally4 ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen's credible testimony is further confirmed by the fact that the ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin1 in his letter of ,july #bb to ,sir ,edward ,grey1 states that on the preceding night 7,july #ba7 he had met the ,german ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs1 and an allusion was made to a possible action by ,austria4 ,his ,excellency was evidently of opinion that this step on ,austria's part would have been made ere this4 ,he insisted that the question at issue was one for settlement between ,servia and ,austria alone1 and that there should be no interference from outside in the discussions between those two countries4 ,he adds that while he had regarded it as inadvisable that his country should approach ,austria-,hungary in the matter1 he had on several occasions in conversation with the ,servian ,minister emphasized the extreme importance that ,austro-,servian relations should be put on a proper footing4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #b4 ,here we have the first statement of ,germany's position in the matter1 a position which subsequent events showed to be entirely untenable1 but to which ,germany tenaciously adhered to the very end1 and which did much to precipitate the war4 ,forgetful of the solidarity of ,european civilization and the fact that by policy and diplomatic intercourse continuing through many centuries a ,united ,european ,state exists1 even though its organization be as yet inchoate1 he took the ground that ,austria should be permitted to proceed to aggressive measures against ,servia without interference from any other power1 even though1 as was inevitable1 the humiliation of ,servia would destroy the status of the ,balkan ,states and even threaten the ,european balance of power4 ,no space need be taken in convincing any reasonable man that this ,austrian ultimatum to ,servia was brutal in its tone and unreasonable in its demands4 ,it would be difficult to find in history a more offensive document1 and its iniquity was enhanced by the short shriving time which it gave either ,servia or ,europe4 ,servia had forty-eight hours to answer whether it would compromise its sovereignty1 and virtually admit its complicity in a crime which it had steadily disavowed4 ,as the full text of the ultimatum first reached the ,foreign ,chancelleries nearly twenty-four hours after its service upon ,servia1 the other ,european nations had barely a day to consider what could be done to preserve the peace of ,europe before that peace was fatally compromised4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #e2 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #c4 ,further confirmation that the ,german ,foreign ,office did have advance knowledge of at least the substance of the ultimatum is shown by the fact that on the same day the ultimatum was issued the ,chancellor of the ,german ,empire instructed the ,german ,ambassadors in ,paris1 ,london1 and ,st4 ,petersburg to advise the ,english1 ,french1 and ,russian ,governments that the acts as well as the demands of the ,austro-,hungarian ,government cannot but be looked upon as justified4 ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #a;,b4 ,how could ,germany thus indorse the demands if it did not know the substance of the ultimatum8 ,the hour when these instructions were sent is not given1 so that it does not follow that these significant instructions were necessarily prior to the service of the ultimatum at ,belgrade at #f ,p4,m4 ,nevertheless1 as the ultimatum did not reach the other capitals of ,europe until the following day1 as the diplomatic correspondence clearly shows1 it seems improbable that the ,german ,foreign ,office would have issued this very carefully prepared and formal warning to the other powers on ,july the #bc;d unless it had not only knowledge of ,austria's intention to serve the ultimatum but also at least of the substance thereof4 ,while it may be that ,germany1 while indorsing in blank the policy of ,austria1 purposely refrained from examining the text of the communication1 so that it could thereafter claim that it was not responsible for ,austria's action--a policy which would not lessen the discreditable character of the whole business--yet the more reasonable assumption is that the simultaneous issuance of ,austria's ultimatum at ,belgrade and ,germany's warning to the powers were the result of a concerted action and had a common purpose4 ,no court or jury1 reasoning along the ordinary inferences of human life1 would question this conclusion for a moment4 ,the communication for the ,german ,foreign ,office last referred to anticipates that ,servia will refuse to comply with these demands--why1 if they were justified8--and ,germany suggests to ,france1 ,england1 and ,russia that if1 as a result of such non-compliance1 ,austria has recourse to military measures1 that the choice of means must be left to it4 ,the ,german ,ambassadors in the three capitals were instructed to lay particular stress on the view that the above question is one the settlement of which devolves solely upon ,austria-,hungary and ,servia1 and one which the powers should earnestly strive to confine to the two countries concerned1 and he added that ,germany strongly desired that the dispute be localized1 since any intervention of another power1 on account of the various alliance obligations1 would bring consequences impossible to measure4 ,this is one of the most significant documents in the whole correspondence4 ,if ,germany were as ignorant as her ,ambassador at ,london affected to be of the ,austrian policy and ultimatum1 and if ,germany was not then instigating and supporting ,austria in its perilous course1 why should the ,german ,chancellor have served this threatening notice upon ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia1 that ,austria must be left free to make war upon ,servia1 and that any attempt to intervene in behalf of the weaker nation would bring consequences impossible to measure8 ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #a;,b4 ,a few days later the ,imperial ,chancellor sent to the ,confederated ,governments of ,germany a confidential communication in which he recognized the possibility that ,russia might feel it a duty to take the part of ,servia in her dispute with ,austria-,hungary4 ,why1 again1 if ,austria's case was so clearly justified8 ,the ,imperial ,chancellor added that if ,russia feels constrained to take sides with ,servia in this conflict1 she certainly has a right to do it1 but added that if ,russia did this it would in effect challenge the integrity of the ,austro-,hungarian ,monarchy1 and that ,russia would therefore alone-- bear the responsibility if a ,european war arises from the ,austro-,servian question1 which all the rest of the great ,european powers wish to localize4 ,in this significant confidential communication the ,german ,chancellor declares the strong interest which ,germany had in the punishment of ,servia by ,austria4 ,he says our closest interests therefore summon us to the side of ,austria-,hungary1 and he adds that if contrary to hope1 the trouble should spread1 owing to the intervention of ,russia1 then1 true to our duty as an ally1 we should have to support the neighboring monarchy with the entire might of the ,german ,empire4 ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #b4 ,in reaching its conclusion our imaginary court would pay little attention to mere professions of a desire for peace4 ,a nation1 like an individual1 can covertly stab the peace of another while saying1 ,art thou in health1 my brother8 and even the peace of civilization can be betrayed by a ,judas kiss4 ,professions of peace belong to the cant of diplomacy and have always characterized the most bellicose of nations4 ,no war in modern times has been begun without the aggressor pretending that his nation wished nothing but peace and invoking ,divine aid for its murderous policy4 ,to paraphrase the words of ,lady ,teazle on a noted occasion when ,sir ,joseph ,surface talked much of honor1 it might be as well in such instances to leave the name of ,god out of the question4 ,let us1 then1 analyze the record as already made up2 and for the sake of clearness the events which preceded the war will be considered chronologically4 ,immediately upon the receipt of the ultimatum in ,st4 ,petersburg on ,july #bd1 the ,russian ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 in a formal communication to ,austria-,hungary1 suggested that the abrupt time limit leaves to the powers a delay entirely insufficient to undertake any useful steps whatever for the straightening out of the complications that have arisen1 and added3 ,to prevent the incalculable consequences1 equally disastrous for all the powers1 which can follow the method of action of the ,austro-,hungarian ,government1 it seems indispensable to us that1 above all1 the delay given to ,servia to reply should be extended4 ,sazonof further suggested that time should be given for the powers to examine the results of the inquiry that the ,austro-,hungarian ,government had made in the matter of the ,serajevo assassination1 and stated that if the powers were convinced of the well-groundedness of certain of the ,austrian demands they would find themselves in a position to send to the ,servian ,government consequential advice4 ,he justly observes that a refusal to extend the terms of the ultimatum 444 would be in contradiction with the very bases of international relations4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #d4 ,could any court question the justice of this contention8 ,the peace of the world was at stake4 ,time only was asked to see what could be done to preserve that peace and satisfy ,austria's grievances to the uttermost farthing4 ,concurrently with ,sazonof's plea for a little time to preserve the peace of the world1 ,sir ,edward ,grey had seen the ,german ,ambassador on ,july #bd and had suggested to him that the only method of preventing the catastrophe was that the four powers1 ,germany1 ,france1 ,italy1 and ourselves1 7,england17 should work together simultaneously at ,vienna and ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #aa4 ,germany had only to intimate to ,austria that a decent respect to the opinions of mankind1 as well as common courtesy to great and friendly nations1 required that sufficient time be given not only to ,servia1 but to the other nations1 to concert for the common good1 especially as the period was one of ,summer dullness and many of the leading rulers and statesmen were absent from their respective capitals4 ,under these circumstances was it not natural that ,russia should announce on ,july #bd that any action taken by ,austria to humiliate ,servia would not leave ,russia indifferent1 and that on the same day the ,russian ,charg d',affaires at ,vienna suggested to the ,austrian ,foreign ,office that the ,austrian note was drawn up in a form rendering it impossible of acceptance as it stood1 and that it was both unusual and peremptory in its terms8 ,to which the only reply of the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister was that their representative in ,servia was under instructions to leave ,belgrade unless ,austrian demands were accepted in their integrity by #d ,p4,m4 tomorrow4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #g4 ,austria's only concession then or subsequently to the cause of peace was the assurance that ,austria would not after its conquest of ,servia demand any territory4 ,the action of ,germany on this day1 ,july #bd1 is most significant4 ,its ,ambassador in ,england communicated a note to ,sir ,edward ,grey in which it justified ,austro-,hungarian grievances and ultimatum by saying that under these circumstances the course of procedure and demands of the ,austro-,hungarian ,government can only be regarded as equitable and moderate4 ,the note added3 ,the ,imperial ,government ,germany want to emphasize their opinion that in the present case there is only question of a matter to be settled exclusively between ,austria-,hungary and ,servia1 and that the great powers ought seriously to endeavor to reserve it to those two immediately concerned4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #i4 ,on ,july #be1 probably to the great surprise of both ,germany and ,austria1 which had definitely calculated upon ,servians non-compliance with the ultimatum1 the latter country1 under the conciliatory advice of ,russia and ,england1 made a reply in which1 at some sacrifice of its self-respect as a sovereign ,state1 it substantially accepted all but one of the demands of ,austria1 and as to that it did not1 in terms1 refuse it1 but expressed its willingness to refer it either to arbitration or to a conference of the powers4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ci4 ,no court would question for a moment the conclusion that the reply was a substantial acquiescence in the extreme ,austrian demands1 nor indeed did either ,germany or ,austria seriously contend that it was not4 ,they contented themselves with impeaching the sincerity of the assurances1 calling the concessions shams1 and of this it is enough to say that if ,germany and ,austria had accepted ,servians reply as sufficient1 and ,servia had subsequently failed to fulfill its promises thus made in the utmost good faith1 there would have been little sympathy for ,servia1 and no general war4 ,indeed1 both ,russia and ,england pledged their influence to compel ,servia1 if necessary1 to meet fully any reasonable demand of ,austria4 ,the outstanding question1 which ,servia agreed to arbitrate or leave to the powers1 was the participation of ,austrian officials in the ,servian courts4 ,this did not present a difficult problem4 ,austria's professed desire for an impartial investigation could have been easily attained by having the neutral powers appoint a commission of jurists to make such investigation4 ,on ,july #bd ,sir ,edward ,grey also had asked the ,german ,ambassador to use his good influences at ,vienna to secure an extension of time4 ,to this most reasonable request the answer and action of the ,german ,government was disingenuous in the extreme4 ,they agreed to pass on the suggestion1 but the ,german ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs added that as the ,austrian ,prime ,minister was away from ,vienna there would be delay and difficulty in getting the time limit extended1 and he admitted quite freely that the ,austro-,hungarian ,government wished to give the ,servians a lesson and that they meant to take military action4 ,he also admitted that the ,servian ,government could not swallow certain of the ,austro-,hungarian demands4 ,he added that ,germany did not want a general war and he would do all in his power to prevent such a calamity4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,nos4 #aa and #ah4 ,immediately on the issuance of the ultimatum the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister1 ,count ,berchtold1 had most inopportunely taken himself to ,ischl1 where he remained until after the expiration of the time limit4 ,access to him proved difficult1 and the ,russian ,charg at ,vienna1 having lodged a pacific protest with the ,acting ,foreign ,minister in order to take no chances1 telegraphed it to ,berchtold at ,ischl4 ,nevertheless1 ,berchtold's apparently designed absence from the capital was ,germany's excuse for its failure to get the time limit extended4 ,if ,germany made any communication to ,austria in the interests of peace the text has yet to be disclosed to the world4 ,a word from ,berlin to ,vienna would have given the additional time which1 with sincerely pacific intentions1 might have resulted in the preservation of peace4 ,germany1 so far as the record discloses1 never spoke that word4 ,contrast this attitude with that of ,russia1 whose ,foreign ,minister on the morning of ,july #be offered to stand aside and leave the question in the hands of ,england1 ,france1 ,germany1 and ,italy4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ag4 ,as ,russia was the member of the ,triple ,entente most interested in the fate of ,servia1 what proposal could have been more conciliatory or magnanimous8 ,on ,july #be ,sir ,edward ,grey proposed that the four powers 7including ,germany7 should unite in asking the ,austrian and ,russian ,governments not to cross the frontier and to give time for the four powers1 acting at ,vienna and ,st4 ,petersburg1 to try and arrange matters4 ,if ,germany will adopt this view ,i feel strongly that ,france and ourselves should act upon it4 ,italy would no doubt gladly co-operate4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,nos4 #bd and #be4 ,to this reasonable request the ,imperial ,german ,chancellor replied3 ,first and last1 we take the ground that this question must be localized by the abstention of all the powers from intervention in it1 but added that ,germany would1 if an ,austro-,russian dispute arose1 co-operate with the other great powers in mediation between ,russia and ,austria4 ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #ac4 ,this distinction is very hard to grasp4 ,it attempts to measure the difference between tweedledum and tweedledee4 ,russia's difference with ,austria was over the attempt of the latter to crush ,servia4 ,germany would not interfere in the latter1 but would as an abstract proposition mediate between ,russia and ,austria4 ,for all practical purposes the two things were indistinguishable4 ,how she co-operated we shall presently see4 ,all that ,germany did on ,july #be1 so far as the record discloses1 was to pass on ,england's and ,russia's requests for more time1 but subsequent events indicate that it was passed on without any indorsement1 for is it credible that ,austria would have ignored its ally's request for more time if it had ever been made8 ,the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister1 having launched the ultimatum1 absented himself from the capital1 but the ,russian ,minister at ,vienna1 as already stated1 succeeded in submitting this most reasonable request verbally to the ,acting ,foreign ,minister1 who simply said that he would submit it to ,count ,berchtold1 but that he could predict with assurance a categorical refusal4 ,later on that day 7,july #be7 ,russia was definitely advised that no time extension would be granted4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,nos4 #aa and #ab4 ,was ever the peace of the world shattered upon so slight a pretext8 ,a little time1 a few days1 even a few hours1 might have sufficed to preserve the world from present horrors1 but no time could be granted4 ,a colossal snap judgment was to be taken by these pettifogging diplomats4 ,a timely word from the ,german ,chancellor would have saved the flower of the youth of ,germany and ,austria from perishing4 ,it would be difficult to find in recorded history a greater discourtesy to a friendly power1 for ,austria was not at war with ,russia4 ,defeated in their effort to get an extension of time1 ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia made further attempts to preserve peace by temporarily arresting military proceedings until efforts toward conciliation could be made4 ,sir ,edward ,grey proposed to ,germany1 ,france1 ,russia1 and ,italy that they should unite in asking ,austria and ,servia not to cross the frontier until we had had time to try and arrange matters between them1 but the ,german ,ambassador read ,sir ,edward ,grey a telegram that he had received from the ,german ,foreign ,office that once she ,austria had launched that note the ultimatum ,austria could not draw back4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #be4 ,as we have seen1 ,germany never1 so far as the record discloses1 sought in any way to influence ,austria to make this or any concession4 ,its attitude was shown by the declaration of its ,ambassador at ,paris to the ,french ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 which1 while disclaiming that ,germany had countenanced the ,austrian ultimatum1 yet added that ,germany approved its point of view1 and that certainly the arrow1 once sent1 ,germany could not allow herself to be guided except by her duty to her ally4 ,this seemed to be the fatal fallacy of ,germany1 that its duties to civilization were so slight that it should support its ally1 ,austria1 whether the latter were right or wrong4 ,such was its policy1 and it carried it out with fatal consistency4 ,to support its ally in actual war may be defensible1 but to support it in times of peace in an iniquitous demand and a policy of gross discourtesy offends every sense of international morality4 ,on the following day ,russia proposed to ,austria that they should enter into an exchange of private views1 with the object of an alteration in common of some clauses of the ,austrian note of ,july #bc4 ,to this ,austria never even replied4 ,the ,russian ,minister communicated this suggestion to the ,german ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs and expressed the hope that he would find it possible to advise ,vienna to meet our proposal1 but this did not accord with ,german policy1 for on that day the ,german ,ambassador in ,paris called upon the ,french ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 and in reply to a similar suggestion that ,germany should suggest to ,vienna to meet ,servia in the same conciliatory spirit which ,servia had shown1 the ,ambassador answered that that was not possible in view of the resolution taken not to interfere in the ,austro-,servian conflict4 ,on the same day ,england asked ,france1 ,italy1 and ,germany to meet in ,london for an immediate conference to preserve the peace of ,europe1 and to this fruitful suggestion1 which might have saved the peace of ,europe1 the ,german ,chancellor replied with the pitiful quibble that it is impossible to bring our ally before a ,european court in its difference with ,servia1 although it affected to accept in principle the policy of mediation4 ,germany's acceptance in principle of a policy which she in practice thwarted suggests the law-abiding tendencies of that ,maine statesman who was for the ,maine prohibition liquor law1 but against its enforcement4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #df4 ,germany's refusal to have ,servia's case submitted to the powers even for their consideration is the more striking when it is recalled that the ,german ,ambassador at ,london quoted to ,sir ,edward ,grey the ,german ,secretary of ,state as saying that there were some things in the ,austrian note that ,servia could hardly be expected to accept1 thus recognizing that ,austria's ultimatum was1 at least in part1 unjust4 ,sir ,edward ,grey then called the ,german ,ambassador's attention to the fact that if ,austria refused the conciliatory reply of ,servia and marched into that country it meant that she was determined to crush ,servia at all costs1 being reckless of the consequences that might be involved4 ,he added that the ,servian reply should at least be treated as a basis for discussion and pause1 and asked that the ,german ,government should urge this at ,vienna1 but the ,german ,secretary of ,state on ,july #bg replied that such a conference was not practicable1 and that it would practically amount to a court of arbitration1 and could not1 in his opinion1 be called together except at the request of ,austria and ,russia4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,nos4 #dc and #df4 ,that this was a mere evasion is perfectly plain4 ,germany already knew that ,austria would not ask for such a conference1 for ,austria had already refused ,russia's request for an extension of time and had actually commenced its military operations4 ,germany's attitude is best indicated by the letter of the ,russian ,minister in ,germany to the ,russian ,foreign ,office in which he states that on ,july #bg he called at the ,german ,foreign ,office and asked it to urge upon ,vienna in a more pressing fashion to take up this line of conciliation4 ,jagow replied that he could not advise ,austria to yield4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #ch4 ,why not8 ,russia had advised ,servia to yield1 and ,servia had conceded nearly every claim4 ,why could not the ,german ,foreign ,office advise ,vienna to meet conciliation by conciliation1 if its desire for peace were sincere8 ,all that ,russia and ,england desired was that a little time and consideration should be given1 without prejudice to the rights or claims of ,austria1 before the peace of the world was hopelessly shattered4 ,before this interview took place the ,french ,ambassador had called at the ,german ,foreign ,office on a similar errand and urged the ,english suggestion that action should at once be taken by ,england1 ,germany1 ,russia1 and ,france at ,st4 ,petersburg and ,vienna1 to the effect that ,austria and ,servia should abstain from any act which might aggravate the situation at the present hour4 ,by this was meant that there should be1 pending further parleys1 no invasion of ,servia by ,austria and none of ,austria by ,russia4 ,to this the ,german ,foreign ,minister opposed a categorical refusal4 ,on the same day the ,russian ,ambassador at ,vienna had a long and earnest conversation with the ,austrian ,under ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs4 ,he expressed the earnest hope that something would be done before ,servia was actually invaded4 ,baron ,machio replied that this would now be difficult1 as a skirmish had already taken place on the ,danube1 in which the ,servians had been aggressors4 ,the ,russian ,ambassador then said that his country would do all it could to keep the ,servians quiet1 and even to fall back before an ,austrian advance in order to gain time4 ,he urged that the ,austrian ,ambassador at ,st4 ,petersburg should be furnished with full powers to continue discussions with the ,russian ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs1 who was very willing to advise ,servia to yield all that could be fairly asked of her as an independent power4 ,the only reply to this reasonable suggestion was that it would be submitted to the ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ef4 ,on the same day the ,german ,ambassador at ,paris called upon the ,french ,foreign ,office and strongly insisted on the exclusion of all possibility of mediation or of conference1 and yet contemporaneously the ,imperial ,german ,chancellor was advising ,london that he had started the efforts toward mediation in ,vienna1 immediately in the way desired by ,sir ,edward ,grey1 and had further communicated to the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister the wish of the ,russian ,foreign ,minister for a direct talk in ,vienna4 ,what hypocrisy6 ,in the formal ,german defense1 the official apologist for that country1 after stating his conviction that an act of mediation could not take into consideration the ,austro-,servian conflict1 which was purely an ,austro-,hungarian affair1 claimed that ,germany had transmitted ,sir ,edward ,grey's further suggestion to ,vienna1 in which ,austria-,hungary was urged either to agree to accept the ,servian answer as sufficient or to look upon it as a basis for further conversations2 but the ,austro-,hungarian ,government--playing the rle of the wicked partner of the combination--in full appreciation of our mediatory activity1 7so says the ,german ,white ,paper with sardonic humor17 replied to this proposition that1 coming as it did after the opening of hostilities1 it was too late4 ,does any reasonable man question for a moment that1 if ,germany had done something more than merely transmit these wise and pacific suggestions1 ,austria would have complied with the suggestions of its powerful ally or that ,austria would have suspended its military operations if ,germany had given any intimation of such a wish8 ,on the following day1 ,july #bh1 the door was further closed on any possibility of compromise when the ,austrian ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs said1 quietly but firmly1 that no discussion could be accepted on the basis of the ,servian note2 that war would be declared today1 and that the well-known pacific character of the ,emperor1 as well as1 he might add1 his own1 might be accepted as a guarantee that the war was both just and inevitable2 that this was a matter that must be settled directly between the two parties immediately concerned4 ,to this arrogant and unreasonable contention that ,europe must accept the guarantee of the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister as to the righteousness of ,austria's quarrel the ,british ,ambassador suggested the larger aspect of the question1 namely1 the peace of ,europe1 and to this larger aspect1 which should have given any reasonable official some ground for pause1 the ,austrian ,foreign ,minister replied that he had it also in mind1 but thought that ,russia ought not to oppose operations like those impending1 which did not aim at territorial aggrandizement1 and which could no longer be postponed4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #fb4 ,the private conversations between ,russia and ,austria having thus failed1 ,russia returned to the proposition of a ,european conference to preserve its peace4 ,its ,ambassador in ,vienna on ,july #bh had a conference with ,berchtold and pointed to the dangers to the peace of ,europe and the desirability of good relations between ,austria-,hungary and ,russia4 ,to this ,count ,berchtold replied that he understood perfectly well the seriousness of the situation and the advantages of a frank explanation with the ,cabinet at ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,he told me that1 on the other hand1 the ,austro-,hungarian ,government1 which had only reluctantly decided upon the energetic measures which it had taken against ,servia1 could now neither withdraw nor enter upon any discussion of the terms of the ,austro-,hungarian note4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #de4 ,on the same day1 ,july #bh1 the ,german ,imperial ,chancellor sent for the ,english ,ambassador and excused his failure to accept the proposal of conference of the neutral powers1 on the ground that he did not think it would be effective1 because such a conference would in his opinion have the appearance of an ',areopagus' consisting of two powers of each group sitting in judgment upon the two remaining powers4 ,after engaging in this pitiful and insincere quibble1 and when reminded of ,servia's conciliatory reply1 amounting to a virtual surrender1 his ,excellency said that he did not wish to discuss the ,servian note1 but that ,austria's standpoint1 and in this he agreed1 was that her quarrel with ,servia was a purely ,austrian concern1 with which ,russia had nothing to do4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ga4 ,at this point the rules of the countries intervened in the dispute4 ,the ,kaiser1 having returned from ,norway1 telegraphed the ,czar1 under date of ,july #bh1 that he was exerting all my influence to endeavor to make ,austria-,hungary come to an open and satisfying understanding with ,russia1 and invoked the ,czar's aid4 ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #bj4 ,if the ,kaiser were sincere1 and he may have been1 his attitude was not that of his ,foreign ,office4 ,upon the face of the record we have only his own assurance that he was doing everything to preserve peace1 but the steps that he took or the communications he made to influence ,austria are not found in the formal defense which the ,german ,government has given to the world4 ,the ,kaiser can only convince the world of his innocence of the crime of his ,potsdam camarilla by giving the world the text of any advice he gave the ,austrian officials4 ,he has produced his telegrams to the ,czar4 ,where are those he presumably sent to ,francis ,joseph or ,count ,berchtold8 ,where are the instructions he gave his own ,ambassadors or ,foreign ,minister8 ,it is significant that on the same day ,sazonof telegraphed to ,count ,benckendorff3 ,my conversations with the ,german ,ambassador confirm my impression that ,germany is rather favorable to the uncompromising attitude adopted by ,austria1 and he adds1 and history will vindicate him in the conclusion1 that the ,berlin ,cabinet1 which might have been able to arrest the whole development of this crisis1 seems to exercise no action on its ally4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #dc4 ,on ,july #bi ,sir ,edward ,goschen telegraphed ,sir ,edward ,grey that he had that night seen the ,german ,chancellor1 who had just returned from ,potsdam1 where he had presumably seen the ,kaiser4 ,the ,german ,chancellor then showed clearly how the wind was blowing in making the suggestion to ,sir ,edward ,goschen that if ,england would remain neutral1 ,germany would agree to guarantee that she would not take any ,french territory4 ,when asked about the ,french colonies1 no assurance was given4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #he4 ,later in the day the ,german ,chancellor again saw the ,english ,ambassador1 and expressed regret that events had marched too rapidly1 and that it was therefore too late to act upon your ,sir ,edward ,grey's suggestion that the ,servian reply might form the basis of discussion4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ge4 ,on the same day the ,ambassador for ,germany at ,st4 ,petersburg called upon ,sazonof and expressed himself in favor of further explanations between ,vienna and ,st4 ,petersburg1 to which ,sazonof assented4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #di4 ,on the same day ,sir ,edward ,grey asked the ,german ,government to suggest any form of procedure under which the idea of mediation between ,austria and ,russia1 already accepted by the ,german ,government in principle1 could be applied4 ,to which the ,german ,foreign ,office replied that it could not act for fear that if they made to their ally any suggestion that looked like pressure it might cause them ,austria to precipitate matter and present a fait accompli4 ,see letter of ,sir ,edward ,goschen to ,sir ,edward ,grey1 ,july #bi--;,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #gj4 ,this was the last and worst of the quibbles put forth to gain time while ,austria was making progress toward ,belgrade4 ,it assumes that ,austria might not only fail to respect the wish in a matter of common concern of its more powerful ally1 but that it might act in disregard of ,germany's wish4 ,this strains human credulity to the breaking point4 ,did the ,german ,secretary of ,state keep a straight face when he uttered this sardonic pleasantry8 ,it may be the duty of a diplomat to lie on occasion1 but is it ever necessary to utter such a stupid falsehood8 ,the ,german ,secretary of ,state sardonically added in the same conversation that he was not sure that the effort for peace had not hastened the declaration of war1 as though the declaration of war against ,servia had not been planned and expected from the first4 ,as a final effort to meet quibbles1 the ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin then suggested that after ,austria had satisfied her military prestige1 the moment might then be favorable for four disinterested powers to discuss the situation and come forward with suggestions for preventing graver complications4 ,to this proposal the ,german ,secretary of ,state seemingly acquiesced1 but1 as usual1 nothing whatever was done4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #gf4 ,it is true that on ,july #bi ,sir ,edward ,grey was assured by the ,german ,ambassador that the ,german ,foreign ,office was endeavoring to make ,vienna explain in a satisfactory form at ,st4 ,petersburg the scope and extension of ,austrian proceedings in ,servia1 but again the communications which the ,german ,foreign ,office sent to ,vienna on this point have never yet been disclosed to the world4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #hd4 ,in this same conference ,sir ,edward ,grey urged that the ,german ,government should suggest any method by which the influence of the four powers could be used together to prevent war between ,austria and ,russia4 ,france agreed1 ,italy agreed4 ,the whole idea of mediation or mediating influence was ready to be put into operation by any method that ,germany could suggest if mine were not acceptable4 ,in fact1 mediation was ready to come into operation by any method that ,germany thought possible1 if only ,germany would 'press the button' in the interests of peace4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #hd4 ,the difficulty was1 however1 that ,germany never pressed the button1 although obviously it would have been easy for her to do so1 as the stronger and more influential member of the ,double ,alliance4 ,on the same day the ,austrian ,government left a memorandum with ,sir ,edward ,grey to the effect that ,count ,mensdorff said that the war with ,servia must proceed4 ,on the night of ,july #bi the ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin was informed that the ,german ,foreign ,office had not had time to send an answer yet to the proposal that ,germany suggest the form of mediation1 but that the question had been referred to the ,austro-,hungarian ,government with a request as to what would satisfy them4 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #ajg4 ,on the following day the ,german ,ambassador informed ,sir ,edward ,grey that the ,german ,government would endeavor to influence ,austria1 after taking ,belgrade and ,servian territory in the region of the frontier1 to promise not to advance further1 while the powers endeavored to arrange that ,servia should give satisfaction sufficient to pacify ,austria1 but if ,germany ever exercised any such pressure upon ,vienna1 no evidence of it has ever been given to the world4 ,certainly it was not very effective1 and for the reasons mentioned it is impossible to conclude that the advice of ,germany1 if in good faith1 would not have been followed by its weaker ally4 ,from all that appears in the record1 ,austria made no reply to this most conciliatory suggestion of ,england1 but1 in the meantime1 the irrepressible ,kaiser made the crisis more acute by cabling to the ,czar that the mobilization of ,russia to meet the mobilization of ,austria was affecting his position of mediator1 to which the ,czar made a conciliatory reply1 stating that ,russia's mobilization was only for a defense against ,austria4 ,the ,czar1 to put at rest any anxiety of the ,kaiser as to ,russia's intentions with respect to ,germany1 added3 ,i thank you cordially for your mediation which permits the hope that everything may yet end peaceably4 ,it is technically impossible to discontinue our military preparations which have been made necessary by the ,austrian mobilization4 ,it is far from us to want war4 ,as long as the negotiations between ,austria and ,servia continue1 my troops will undertake no provocative action4 ,i give you my solemn word thereon4 ,i confide with all my faith in the grace of ,god1 and ,i hope for the success of your mediation in ,vienna for the welfare of our countries and the peace of ,europe4 ,what more could ,russia do8 ,if ,austria continued to mobilize1 why not ,russia8 ,on this day1 ,july #cj1 the ,german ,ambassador had two interviews at ,st4 ,petersburg with ,sazonof1 and it was then that ,sazonof drew up the following formula as a basis for peace3 ,if ,austria1 recognizing that her conflict with ,servia has assumed character of question of ,european interest1 declares herself ready to eliminate from her ultimatum the points which violate principle of sovereignty of ,servia1 ,russia engages to stop all military preparations4 ,russian ,orange ,paper1 ,no4 #fj4 ,at this stage ,king ,george telegraphed ,prince ,henry of ,prussia that the ,english ,government was doing its utmost1 suggesting to ,russia and ,france to suspend further military preparations1 if ,austria will consent to be satisfied with the occupation of ,belgrade and neighboring ,servian territory as a hostage for satisfactory settlement of her demands1 other countries meanwhile suspending their war preparation4 ,the ,king adds a hope that the ,kaiser will use his great influence to induce ,austria to accept this proposal1 thus proving that ,germany and ,england are working together to prevent what would be an international catastrophe4 ,second ,german ,white ,paper4 ,this last proposition1 however1 was never accepted or declined1 for the impetuous ,kaiser gave his twelve-hour ultimatum to ,russia to demobilize1 and this was an arrogant demand which no self-respecting power1 much less so great a one as ,russia1 could possibly accept4 ,while this demand was in progress ,sir ,edward ,grey was making his last attempt to preserve peace by asking ,germany to sound ,vienna1 as he would sound ,st4 ,petersburg1 whether it would be possible for the four disinterested powers to offer to ,austria that they would undertake to see that she obtained full satisfaction of her demands on ,servia1 provided they did not embarrass ,servian sovereignty and the integrity of ,servian territory4 ,sir ,edward ,grey went so far as to tell the ,german ,ambassador that if this was not satisfactory1 and if ,germany would make any reasonable proposals to preserve peace and ,russia and ,france rejected it1 that his ,majesty's ,government would have nothing to do with the consequences1 which obviously meant either neutrality or actual intervention in behalf of ,germany and ,austria4 ,on the same day the ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin besought the ,german ,foreign ,office to put pressure on the authorities at ,vienna to do something in the general interest to reassure ,russia and to show themselves disposed to continue discussions on a friendly basis4 ,and ,sir ,edward ,goschen reports that the ,german ,foreign ,minister replied that last night he had begged ,austria to reply to your last proposal1 and that he had received a reply to the effect that the ,austrian ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs would take the wishes of the ,emperor this morning in the matter4 ,again the text of the letter in which ,germany begged ,austria to be conciliatory is not found in the record4 ,the excuse of ,germany that the mobilization of ,russia compelled it to mobilize does not justify the war4 ,mobilization does not necessarily mean aggression1 but simply preparation4 ,if ,russia had the right to mobilize because ,austria mobilized1 ,germany equally had the right to mobilize when ,russia mobilized1 but it does not follow that either of the three nations could justify a war to compel the other parties to demobilize4 ,mobilization is only a preparation against eventualities4 ,it is the right of the sovereign ,state and by no code of ethics a casus belli4 ,the demand of ,germany that ,russia could not arm to defend itself1 when ,austria was preparing for a possible attack on ,russia1 has few1 if any1 parallels in history for bullying effrontery4 ,it treated ,russia as an inferior1 almost a vassal1 ,state4 ,it must be observed that1 while ,germany insisted that ,russia should demobilize1 the ,kaiser offered no reciprocal promise4 ,on his theory ,germany and ,austria were to be left free to complete their preparations1 but ,russia was to tie her own hands and leave herself naked to her enemies4 ,this is shown by the last telegrams which passed between the ,czar and ,kaiser4 ,the ,czar telegraphed3 ,i have received your telegram4 ,i comprehend that you are forced to mobilize1 but ,i should like to have from you the same guaranty which ,i have given you1 viz41 that these measures do not mean war1 and that we shall continue to negotiate for the welfare of our two countries and the universal peace which is so dear to our hearts4 ,with the aid of ,god it must be possible to our long-tried friendship to prevent the shedding of blood4 ,i expect with full confidence your urgent reply4 ,to this the ,kaiser replied3 ,i thank you for your telegram4 ,i have shown yesterday to your ,government the way through which alone war may yet be averted4 ,although ,i asked for a reply by today noon1 no telegram from my ,ambassador has reached me with the reply of your ,government4 ,i therefore have been forced to mobilize my army4 ,an immediate1 clear1 and unmistakable reply of your ,government is the sole way to avoid endless misery4 ,until ,i receive this reply ,i am unable1 to my great grief1 to enter upon the subject of your telegram4 ,i must ask most earnestly that you1 without delay1 order your troops to commit1 under no circumstances1 the slightest violation of our frontiers4 ,this impetuous step of ,germany to compel its great neighbor to desist from military preparations to defend itself came most inopportunely1 for on ,aug4 #a the ,austro-,hungarian ,ambassador for the first time declared to the ,russian ,government its willingness to discuss the terms of the ,austrian ultimatum to ,servia1 and it was then suggested that the form of the ultimatum and the questions arising thereon should be discussed in ,london4 7,dispatch from ,british ,ambassador at ,vienna to ,sir ,edward ,grey1 dated ,sept4 #a1 #aiad47 ,sir ,edward ,grey at once advised the ,english ,ambassador in ,berlin of the fact1 and urged that it was still possible to maintain peace if only a little respite in time can be gained before any great power begins war1 ,english ,white ,paper1 ,no4 #aca4 but the ,kaiser1 having issued the arrogant ultimatum to ,russia to demobilize in twelve hours1 had gone too far for retreat1 and1 spurred on by the arrogant ,potsdam military party1 he let slip the dogs of war4 ,after the fatal ,rubicon had been crossed and the die was cast the ,czar telegraphed ,king ,george3 ,in this solemn hour ,i wish to assure you once more ,i have done all in my power to avert war4 ,such will be the verdict of history4 ,the ,judgment4 ,these are the facts as shown by the record1 and upon them1 in my judgment1 an impartial court would not hesitate to pass the following judgment3 #a--,that ,germany and ,austria in a time of profound peace secretly concerted together to impose their will upon ,europe and upon ,servia in a matter affecting the balance of power in ,europe4 ,whether in so doing they intended to precipitate a ,european war to determine the mastery of ,europe is not satisfactorily established1 although their whole course of conduct suggests this as a possibility4 ,they made war almost inevitable by 7a7 issuing an ultimatum that was grossly unreasonable and disproportionate to any grievance that ,austria had and 7b7 in giving to ,servia1 and ,europe1 insufficient time to consider the rights and obligations of all interested nations4 #b--,that ,germany had at all times the power to compel ,austria to preserve a reasonable and conciliatory course1 but at no time effectively exerted that influence4 ,on the contrary1 she certainly abetted1 and possibly instigated1 ,austria in its unreasonable course4 #c--,that ,england1 ,france1 ,italy1 and ,russia at all times sincerely worked for peace1 and for this purpose not only overlooked the original misconduct of ,austria but made every reasonable concession in the hope of preserving peace4 #d--,that ,austria1 having mobilized its army1 ,russia was reasonably justified in mobilizing its forces4 ,such act of mobilization was the right of any sovereign ,state1 and as long as the ,russian armies did not cross the border or take any aggressive action no other nation had any just right to complain1 each having the same right to make similar preparations4 #e--,that ,germany1 in abruptly declaring war against ,russia for failure to demobilize when the other powers had offered to make any reasonable concession and peace parleys were still in progress1 precipitated the war4 #f--,that ,belgium as a sovereign ,state has as an inherent right the power to determine when and under what conditions an alien can cross her frontiers4 ,this right exists independently of treaties1 but is1 in the case of ,belgium1 reinforced by the ,treaty of #ahci and ,the ,hague ,convention1 whereby the leading ,european nations 7including ,germany7 guarantee its perpetual neutrality4 ,the invasion of ,belgium by ,germany was in violation of these rights1 and ,england only respected its own solemn covenant when1 in defense of that neutrality1 it declared war against ,germany4 ,in ,conclusion4 ,the writer of this article has reached these conclusions with reluctance1 as he has a feeling of deep affection for the ,german people and equal admiration for their ideals and matchless progress4 ,even more he admires the magnificent courage with which the ,german ,nation1 beset on every hand by powerful antagonists1 is now defending its prestige as a nation4 ,the whole-hearted devotion of this great nation to its flag is worthy of the best traditions of the ,teutonic race4 ,nevertheless1 this cannot alter the ethical truth1 which stands apart from any considerations of nationality2 nor can it affect the conclusion that the ,german ,nation has been plunged into this abyss by its scheming statesmen and its self-centred and highly neurotic ,kaiser1 who in the twentieth century sincerely believes that he is the proxy of ,almighty ,god on earth1 and therefore infallible4 ,in visiting its condemnation1 the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization should therefore distinguish between the military caste1 headed by the ,kaiser and the ,crown ,prince1 which precipitated this great calamity1 and the ,german people4 ,the very secrecy of the plot against the peace of the world and the failure to disclose to the ,german people the diplomatic communications hereinbefore quoted1 strongly suggest that this detestable war is not merely a crime against civilization1 but also against the deceived and misled ,german people4 ,they have a vision and are essentially progressive and peace-loving in their national characteristics1 while the ideals of their military caste are those of the ,dark ,ages4 ,one day the ,german people will know the full truth and then there will be a dreadful reckoning for those who have plunged a noble and peace-loving nation into this fathomless chasm of misfortune4 ,though the mills of ,god grind slowly1 ,yet they grind exceeding small1 ,though with patience ,he stands waiting1 ,with exactness grinds ,he all4 ,critics ,dispute ,mr4 ,beck ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,it is regrettable that ,president ,wilson's admirable policy of strict neutrality is not more sincerely and carefully observed by the press and public of this country4 ,we are a cosmopolitan nation4 ,citizens of the five great warring countries and their descendants1 to a very great extent1 constitute our population4 ,partiality of any kind tends to destroy the elemental ties which bind us together1 to disrupt our ,union1 and to make us a house divided against itself4 ,james ,m4 ,beck's article in last ,sunday's ,,times is of the kind which1 serving no good purpose1 helps to loosen1 if not sever1 our most vital domestic ties4 ,while not for an instant doubting ,mr4 ,beck's sincerity1 we must take issue with his inadvertently ill-timed expression of opinion4 ,the article in question is based on the following statement3 ,any discussion of the ethical merits of this great controversy must start with the assumption that there is such a thing as international morality4 ,how does ,mr4 ,beck define international morality8 ,how can he assume that to exist which each of the contending nations by their diverse actions prove to be non-extant8 ,how can he claim that there is an international morality of accepted form when each nation claims that its interpretation must be accepted by the others8 ,mr4 ,beck's allegation that the question ,was ,england justified in declaring war against ,germany8 is more easily disposed of than the questions ,was ,austria justified in declaring war against ,servia8 and ,was ,germany justified in declaring war against ,russia and ,france8 proves two things--first1 that his interest lies primarily in the vindication of ,england2 second1 that he disregards the fundamental causes and recognizes only the precipitating causes of the war4 ,the precipitating cause of the war between ,england and ,germany is verbosely if inadequately covered by his article4 ,we must admit that a treaty was broken by ,germany1 yet we contend that this broken agreement was a pretext for a war fomented and impelled by basic economic causes4 ,at the outset1 let us distinguish between a contract and a treaty4 ,a contract is an agreement between individuals contemplating enforcement by a court of law2 punishment by money damages in the great majority of cases1 by a specific performance in a very few4 ,a treaty is an agreement between nations contemplating enforcement by a court of international public opinion2 punishment by money indemnity in the great majority of cases1 by specific performance 7i4e41 force of arms7 in a very few4 ,germany's ,existence ,threatened4 ,germany contends that her breach of treaty obligation is punishable by the payment of money indemnity to the aggrieved party4 ,this she has offered to do in the case of ,belgium1 as she has already done in the case of ,luxemburg4 ,germany's existence was so seriously threatened that her action seems justifiable1 and there remains a sole moral obligation to compensate any neutral country injured by her4 ,the mere fact that ,belgium had made an unfortunate alliance with ,england is deplorable in that ,belgium has suffered terribly2 but this suffering is not attributable to ,germany4 ,when ,japan violated ,chinese neutrality1 ,china protested4 ,though she was entitled to a money indemnity1 there is no valid reason under the sun why the ,united ,states as a guarantor of the integrity of ,china should declare war against ,japan4 ,england's justification1 in so far as there can be any justification for adding to the toll of death1 is the same as that of ,germany1 the preservation of national sovereignty4 ,further3 ,it seems unnecessary to discuss the wanton disregard of these solemn obligations4 ,there can be nothing wanton in a struggle for existence1 and that this ,european war is such a struggle is the only possible explanation of its magnitude1 ferocity1 and vast possible consequences4 ,then1 too1 though deplorable1 treaty obligations are not solemn1 as ,italy has proved to the complete satisfaction of so many4 ,italy's contention that this is an aggressive war on the part of ,germany and ,austria is as untenable as the ,german contention that it is an aggressive war on the part of ,england4 ,for this war was not an aggressive war on the part of any nation1 but an unavoidable war caused by the simultaneous bursting of the long-gathering economic storm clouds4 ,again3 ,the ethical aspects of this great conflict must largely depend upon the record that has been made up by the official communications4 ,this is similar to a contention that the ethical rights in a case in court must depend upon the astuteness of counsel in summing up to the jury4 ,a court would be deeply impressed 444 by the significant omissions of documents known to be in existence4 ,a court of law1 as our former ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,united ,states surely knows1 compels no one to give testimony that tends to incriminate1 and1 furthermore1 does not construe failure to testify on the grounds that it will tend to incriminate against the defendant4 ,in the law the defendant is entitled to every reasonable doubt4 ,it is also conceivable that a reasonable time for the defense to present its case would be granted before passing judgment4 ,passing on3 ,to discuss the justice of ,austria's grievances against ,servia would take us 444 into the realm of disputed facts4 ,this seems a delectable bit of humor4 ,we respectfully submit that ,mr4 ,beck's other assertions might also be considered as in the realm of disputed facts4 ,mr4 ,beck admits that ,austria had a just grievance against ,servia1 though he questions her method of redress4 ,though we conceive that in the unfortunate ,european tangle ,austria relied on ,german support in the event of international conflict1 we submit that reliance on ,russian support was a bigger factor in encouraging little ,servia to defy her big neighbor than the remoter help that ,germany would furnish ,austria in the event of the conflict spreading4 ,austria1 in the exercise of her right to engage in a punitive expedition against ,servia1 guaranteed that she would do nothing to generalize the conflict by her assurances to ,russia and to the world that there would be no annexation of ,servian territory or annihilation of the ,servian ,kingdom4 ,whether these assurances were genuine or not is impossible of determination4 ,we have no right to constitute ourselves arbiters of their sincerity4 ,no ,european ,solidarity4 ,mr4 ,beck speaks of the solidarity of ,european civilization and the fact that by policy and diplomatic intercourse 444 a ,united ,european ,state exists1 even though its organization be as yet inchoate4 ,this solidarity is conspicuous only by its utter non-existence4 ,whatever may have been achieved by policy and diplomatic intercourse has been marred and rendered useless by the lines of demarkation of the spheres of influence of the great powers of ,europe and by the racial and temperamental incongruities of ,europe's population4 ,we read3 ,servia had forty-eight hours to answer2 444 the other ,european nations had barely a day to consider what could be done to preserve the peace of ,europe4 ,why should an ,austro-,servian war compromise the peace of ,europe8 ,was it not because of the tangled web of international diplomacy1 the ,triple ,entente as well as the ,triple ,alliance8 ,referring to a ,german warning in regard to ,austria's demands on ,servia1 the ,german ,foreign ,office anticipates that ,servia 'will refuse to comply with these demands'--why1 if they were justified8 ,we grieve at the shattered ideal of ,mr4 ,beck1 who1 in the face of the international calamity which has befallen the world1 still can believe that all justifiable demands are complied with4 ,again1 quoting ,german ,white ,paper1 ,annex #a;,b1 ,germany desired that the dispute be localized1 since any intervention of another power1 on account of the various alliance obligations1 would bring consequences impossible to measure4 ,the explanation of this statement is not--an aggressor threatens his adversary1 but1 rather1 a prudent man begs opposing factions to keep cool4 ,great space is devoted in the article in question to ,germany's unwillingness to place the ,austro-,servian controversy in the hands of ,france1 ,england1 ,germany1 and ,italy4 ,as ,germany disavows all interest in the controversy1 if she speaks truly1 it was not within her power to dictate to her ally in a matter which she could in nowise control except by force of arms4 ,furthermore1 had she had the power1 how could she be expected to exert pressure on her ally to leave a vital controversy to a court of four1 two of whom were bound by alliances with ,russia1 ,austria's real antagonist1 and a third1 7,italy17 as subsequent events have shown1 ,austria's natural1 geographical1 and hereditary enemy8 ,at best1 had each power held to its treaty obligations1 there would have been a deadlock4 ,further3 ,the ,russian ,minister 444 called at the ,german ,foreign ,office and asked it 'to urge upon ,vienna 444 to take up this line of conciliation4 ,jagow replied that he could not advise ,austria to yield4' ,elsewhere in the article a statement is made that the ,austro-,servian and ,austro-,russian questions for all practical purposes 444 were indistinguishable4 ,this inconsistency of having ,servia in the light of a principal and then again in the light of an agent is the greatest stumbling block to a clear analysis of the precipitating cause of the war4 ,the logical explanation of ,servia's position is that of ,russia's agent4 ,hence ,germany could not be expected to exert the same pressure on an allied principal that ,russia could exert on her agent4 ,it is true that ,germany engaged in many blundering diplomatic quibbles in the final stages of preparation for the war2 but it is also true that ,england quibbled1 though with greater diplomatic finesse2 for instance1 ,sir ,edward ,grey went so far as to tell the ,german ,ambassador that 444 if ,germany would make any reasonable proposals to preserve peace1 and ,russia and ,france rejected it1 that 'his ,majesty's ,government would have nothing to do with the consequences4' ,here it is apparent to every one that the word reasonable begs the questions4 ,slav and ,teuton4 ,the ,german people were encouraged to relish the idea of a war against ,russia once that war became likely1 for sooner or later it seemed inevitable that ,slav and ,teuton would clash1 and ,germany felt confident that at the present time she outmatched her enemy4 ,the ,russians1 too1 were encouraged to desire the ,slav provinces of ,austria1 which racially are a part of the ,russian domain4 ,the ,english people were made to relish this opportunity to strike their great commercial competitor1 especially when they could do so with little likelihood of unfavorable criticisms4 ,finally1 the impressionable ,french people were stirred to thoughts of revenge and recovery of their lost provinces4 ,sympathy with any country in this most disgraceful yet most inevitable of wars brands the sympathizer as a party to the material and lustful purposes of at least one of the combatants4 ,there is no ethical justification of this war from any standpoint4 ,there is no justification of this war from any standpoint4 ,there is only an explanation of the war from an economic standpoint4 ,all these specious arguments on the precipitating causes of the war can be but for the display of brilliant forensic oratory and matchless diction4 ,let us thrust aside in these dark moments of peril and horror all subterfuge4 ,england1 overburdened with taxation1 was on the verge of civil war4 ,russia1 whose masses were overridden roughshod by a bureaucracy weighting down the peasants with onerous national burdens1 expected sooner or later the cataclysmic upheaval with which the ,nihilistic societies have long been threatening its tyrannical ,government4 ,france1 seriously financially embarrassed because of crop impoverishment and bad foreign investments in ,brazil1 ,russia1 and the ,balkans1 was subject to continued internal political upheavals1 with ever-changing ,ministries and a growing ,socialist ,party4 ,austria1 the ramshackle empire1 was in danger of disintegrating from a variety of causes1 not the least of which was the infusibility of its racially different elements4 ,germany1 in a blind race for commercial supremacy1 suffered from industrial overproduction1 thus creating an unhealthy financial condition which fortified the ,socialist ,party to an extent which threatened her imperialistic form of government itself4 ,so these monarchies whose days were numbered1 because of dissatisfaction at the waste and extravagance of a world gone mad with national excesses committed in the name of civilization1 in reality the price of our modernization1 in a final desperate effort to rally their waning fortunes stampeded their awakening masses into a ruinous interracial war in order to stave off the torch and the guillotine4 ,,george ,e4 ,,bernheimer4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #cj1 #aiad4 ,russia to ,blame ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,allow me to submit the following in answer to the article of ,james ,m4 ,beck1 entitled ,case of the ,double ,alliance vs4 the ,triple ,entente1 published in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times of ,oct4 #be1 #aiad3 ,the case of ,russian ,mobilization vs4 ,german ,mediation4 ,q4--,upon whom was the duty to yield8 ,mr4 ,beck has spent considerable time and effort to prove1 at least by inference1 that ,germany must have been informed beforehand of the ,austrian ultimatum to ,servia4 ,personally1 ,i am convinced that the ultimatum in question was sent with the full knowledge and consent of ,germany2 and1 whether this is true or not1 ,i maintain that it was ,austria's duty to inform her ally before taking a step which was likely to endanger the peace of ,europe4 ,the concession of this point takes me immediately to the ultimatum itself and to the question1 ,was the tenor of the ultimatum justified8 ,mr4 ,beck1 in his judgment1 says3 ,the ultimatum is grossly unreasonable and disappropriate to any grievance that ,austria had4 ,perhaps ,mr4 ,beck is right1 but ,i have good reasons to think that the tenor of the ultimatum was fully justified1 in view of ,servia's former conduct4 ,austria was dealing here with a ,government the real spirits of which had come into power by the commission of one of the most dastardly crimes of modern times4 ,a crime which1 at the time of its commission1 sent a shock of horror through the entire civilized world1 to wit1 the outrageous murder of the former ,king and ,queen of ,servia1 outrageous because it was perpetrated by the so-called aristocracy of ,servia4 ,the long-continued agitation carried on by ,servia against ,austria1 at the instigation of ,russia1 which finally culminated in another no less outrageous assassination1 that of the ,archduke ,francis ,ferdinand and his consort1 to my idea fully justified ,austria in making demands which under ordinary circumstances might have been termed unreasonable4 ,the question whether ,austria was justified in going to war against ,servia is a debatable one1 but ,i respectfully refer to the fact that our own country1 the ,united ,states1 was only very recently on the verge of precipitating war with a much weaker nation than ours1 on account of the latter's refusal to salute the ,american flag4 ,neither did we stop on that occasion with the ultimatum1 but we followed it up with dispatching a fleet of warships1 the landing of troops1 and the seizure of ,vera ,cruz4 ,from the time ,austria's ultimatum was sent all the great powers seemed to have professed a great eagerness for the preservation of peace4 ,mr4 ,beck asserts that ,germany was not sincere in its desire for peace and could have avoided the war if it had seriously tried to exert its influence over ,austria4 ,this finding is based on the inference drawn from the fact that ,germany failed to achieve any results4 ,to determine whether ,mr4 ,beck is justified in finding as he does1 it is necessary1 first of all1 to examine the exact status of the powers at the time the ultimatum was sent4 ,we find that ,austria had a just grievance against ,servia1 for which it was seeking redress4 ,an issue was therefore raised between ,austria and ,servia4 ,germany1 although ,austria's ally1 immediately defined its attitude by declaring emphatically that the question at issue was one for settlement between ,servia and ,austria alone4 ,why ,did ,russia ,mobilize8 ,i beg to ask ,mr4 ,beck to answer the following question3 ,by what right--moral1 legal1 or equitable--did ,russia make ,servia's cause its own8 ,did ,russia have any alliance with ,servia8 ,i further ask3 ,what privity existed between ,austria1 ,servia1 and ,russia8 ,suppose ,mr4 ,beck can justify the action of ,russia1 although a rank outsider1 in taking ,servia's part1 how can he possibly justify the positively unreasonable and1 under the circumstances1 most dangerous step of actual mobilization on the part of ,russia8 ,mr4 ,beck has tried to justify the mobilization by quoting the ,russian excuse that ,russia's mobilization was only for a defense against ,austria4 ,on close examination what does this amount to8 ,it resolves itself into a situation somewhat like this3 ,a sends an ultimatum to ,b seeking redress for a wrong committed by ,b upon ,a1 whereupon ,c mobilizes for defense against ,a4 ,i leave it to the average ,american of ordinary intelligence to find a reason for ,c's mobilization for defense against ,a4 ,mr4 ,beck might as well try to justify a mobilization on the part of ,japan if the ,united ,states was preparing to invade ,mexico for the purpose of redressing an insult to the ,american flag4 ,does ,mr4 ,beck realize the seriousness of actual mobilization by ,russia at that critical moment8 ,not one of the other powers dared to take this one step which among nations is regarded as tantamount to a declaration of war4 ,and what did the ,kaiser do at this moment8 ,he did the only thing he could do1 and1 ,i dare say1 the only thing our ,american ,nation could have done under the same circumstances4 ,he wired the ,czar and stated3 ,i am willing to bring my influences to bear upon ,austria1 provided you agree to cease mobilization4 ,was this demand unreasonable8 ,what else could ,germany have done1 ,i ask1 with the ,russian bear standing on the border with the sword already drawn8 ,this moment was the crucial and decisive one in the prologue to this awful world drama4 ,the only question therefore and the all-important one to be submitted to the ,court of ,civilization1 is1 ,whose duty was it to yield8 ,was it ,russia's1 with the sword already drawn against a country which had not attacked it1 not even threatened it1 or was it ,germany's1 with the sword in the sheath8 ,in his conclusion1 ,mr4 ,beck speaks of ,germany as beset on every hand by powerful antagonists4 ,does he really mean to deprive the ,german ,emperor of the right to demand as a condition precedent to mediation on his part the discontinuance of mobilization by ,russia8 ,mr4 ,beck in his judgment under ,paragraph #d says that ,austria1 having mobilized its army1 ,russia was reasonably justified in mobilizing its forces4 ,the use of the qualifying word reasonably seems to indicate that even ,mr4 ,beck is not quite certain that ,russia was in fact justified in mobilizing its forces4 ,is it reasonable1 just1 and fair of ,mr4 ,beck to expect ,germany1 beset on every hand by powerful antagonists1 to permit ,russia to continue mobilizing its #ah1jjj1jjj soldiers and have ,germany believe that ,russia was sincere in its peaceful intentions in the face of actual mobilization8 ,at this moment the ,german ,kaiser made a very reasonable demand upon ,russia to cease mobilization1 and ,i ask every fair-minded ,american1 whether lawyer or layman1 whose duty it was to yield at this moment4 ,the answer to this question will settle the much-disputed point as to the actual cause of the war4 ,in conclusion1 ,i beg to ask ,mr4 ,beck3 ,why expect so much of ,germany and nothing of ,russia1 when ,germany had not merely professed her peaceful intentions1 but actually maintained peace for over forty years1 during which period not a foot of territory had been acquired by her through conquest8 ,this is a fact4 ,coming into a court of law supported by such a reputation1 does ,mr4 ,beck really believe that the decision of the court would have been in favor of ,russia8 ,does ,mr4 ,beck really believe that the decision would have been against ,germany1 whose war lord was begging the ,czar almost on his knees to avoid the awful calamity by the discontinuance of mobilization8 ,picture the ,united ,states about to invade ,mexico to redress an insult to the ,american flag4 ,picture ,england as the ally of the ,united ,states1 and ,japan supporting ,mexico1 without any alliance existing between the two latter countries4 ,to make this example conform to the actual facts under discussion1 we must1 of course1 assume that both ,japan and ,england are situated in the ,north ,american ,continent1 and across the border from the ,united ,states and ,england4 ,japan1 with an army of #ah1jjj1jjj soldiers1 7assumed for the purpose of argument17 mobilizes her army1 professedly for defense against the ,united ,states4 ,could any fair-minded ,american possibly expect ,england to intercede with her ally1 the ,united ,states1 without first demanding the demobilization of ,japan8 ,whose duty was it to yield8 ,the actual fact is that ,germany even then did not declare war against ,russia until ,russian soldiers had actually crossed not the ,austrian but the ,german border4 ,i may add that in writing the above ,i am prompted only by the very natural desire1 viz41 to impress upon the jury composed of the ,american people the one fact which should be given the most careful consideration in order to enable it to arrive at a just verdict in the case submitted1 and this fact is the mobilization of ,russia4 ,,frank ,,seggebruch4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #bi1 #aiad4 ,in ,defense of ,austria ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,referring to your editorial1 ,the ,evidence ,examined1 in your ,sunday edition1 ,i wish to protest emphatically against your assertion that a ,court of ,civilization must inevitably come to the conclusion that ,germany precipitated the war4 ,there are still millions of civilized people who see these things quite differently4 ,mr4 ,beck makes out a case from the viewpoint of the accusing party--of course1 nobody will doubt the legal abilities of ,mr4 ,beck--but before the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization there is also a law3 audiatur et altera pars4 ,mr4 ,beck1 as he presents the case to the court1 has not mentioned very important points which1 for the decision of the ,supreme ,court1 would be most vital ones4 ,at first the breach of ,belgian neutrality1 admitted and regretted by the ,german ,government1 has nothing to do with the question--who precipitated the war8 ,it constituted only an action of the war itself4 ,on the other hand1 you call in your editorial the ,austrian ultimatum a savage one and take it for granted that this ultimatum started the stone rolling and brought finally the general clash in ,europe about4 ,this presumption1 when presented to the court1 will have to be thoroughly proved1 because there are many people1 fair and just1 as you consider yourself1 who are convinced of the ample justification of this ultimatum4 ,it is hardly describable how many criminal acts have been committed by ,servians against the very existence of the ,dual ,monarchy for the last six years1 under the eyes of the ,servian ,government and approved by it1 by intriguing against ,austria's right to cultivate her own territory1 ,bosnia1 spreading secret societies all over the empire1 c4 ,the awful crime1 the assassination of the heir to the throne1 was only the finish of a long chain of like acts4 ,these facts1 which immediately lead up to the ultimatum1 ought to be considered in the first place by judging ,austria's justification for sending this ultimatum to ,servia4 ,a just ,judge in the ,court of ,civilization will1 ,i am convinced1 carefully study the ante-history and in all probability arrive at the conclusion that the ultimatum was amply justified and ,servia fully deserved the severest punishment possible4 ,mr4 ,beck presents to the court the ,russian interference with this intended punishment and forgets to tell the ,judge that ,russia had not the least right to this interference4 ,no foreign power had4 ,therefore1 ,austria was entirely within her right to decline any negotiations with ,russia about this punishment before its completion4 ,nevertheless1 the ,german ,government brought these negotiations about1 and1 while these negotiations proceeded satisfactorily1 ,russia mobilized1 mobilized all along her western frontier against ,austria and ,germany1 notwithstanding the fact that she had promised not to do so and officials in ,petrograd had pledged their words to the contrary4 ,russia knew there could be no such thing as a war with ,austria alone1 as well as ,germany knew that a war with ,russia meant a war with ,france4 ,if the laws of morality rule in the ,court of ,civilization1 they should above all be applied to the conduct of ,servia and ,russia4 ,austria was in a state of self-defense1 when she decided not to bear any longer ,servia's treacherous and murderous attacks against her existence2 this is entirely within the boundaries of the laws of morality4 ,russia1 however1 without the slightest right1 moral or legal1 attacked ,austria from the back by interfering with ,austria's own affairs4 ,therefore ,i wish to point out that a careful student of the papers1 by considering the ante-history of the war1 which1 as you will admit1 is very essential1 may come to a quite different conclusion and ,mr4 ,beck as ,state's attorney will have a hard stand against the counsel of the defendant4 ,,edward ,,pick4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #bg1 #aiad4 ,illustration ,defense of the ,dual ,alliance--,a ,reply ,by ,dr4 ,edmund von ,mach4 ,instructor of ,fine ,arts1 ,harvard1 #ahii-aijc2 ,instructor in ,history of ,art1 ,wellesley ,college1 #ahii-aijb2 ,lecturer in ,history of ,art1 ,bradford ,academy1 ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,author of many books on ,greek and ,roman sculpture and the history of painting4 ,served in the ,german ,army1 #ahhi-ia4 ,hon4 ,james ,m4 ,beck has eloquently argued the case of the ,allies against ,germany and ,austria-,hungary1 and submitted his findings with confident assurance of their acceptance by the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization4 ,carried away by his zeal he has at times used terms not warranted by the evidence1 such as the irrepressible ,kaiser1 stupid falsehood1 duplicity1 and the like1 but since the court can be trusted to disregard such expressions no further attention will be paid to them4 ,to a certain extent this article is not a reply but a continuation of ,mr4 ,beck's argument1 for1 wherever our personal sympathies may lie1 we are all equally interested in discovering the truth4 ,in the final settlement of peace ,american public opinion may1 nay1 will1 have a prominent voice4 ,if it is exerted on the strength of a true understanding of ,european events1 it will contribute to the establishment of a lasting peace4 ,as to the evidence submitted ,mr4 ,beck seems to err in believing that ,governments are accustomed to publish in their various white1 gray1 or orange papers the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth4 ,this is nowhere done1 for there are many bits of information which come to a ,government through its diplomatic connections which it would be indelicate1 discourteous1 or unwise to give to the public4 ,the official documents on ,american foreign relations and all white1 gray1 or orange papers are edited4 ,they are understood to be so by ,congress1 ,parliament1 the ,reichstag1 the ,duma1 c41 and no charge of dishonesty can be maintained against the respective ,governments on that score4 ,if the ,chancellor says that ,germany was using her good offices in ,vienna1 this is as valuable a bit of evidence as the reprint of a dispatch in the ,white ,paper1 unless we wish to impugn his veracity1 and in that case the copy of a dispatch would be valueless1 for he might have forged it4 ,the entire argument1 therefore1 against ,germany and ,austria1 based on what ,mr4 ,beck calls the suppression of vitally important documents1 is void1 unless you will apply it equally to ,great ,britain and the other countries4 ,in ,sir ,edward ,grey's ,white ,paper ,mr4 ,beck has missed no important documents because he looked at ,england's well-prepared case through sympathetic eyes1 and it did not occur to him to ask1 ,where are all the documents bearing on ,italian neutrality8 ,does he believe that ,england was so little interested in the question whether she would have to fight two or three foes1 and whether her way to ,egypt and ,india would be safe or threatened8 ,there are many dispatches to and from ,rome included in the ,white ,paper1 but not a mention of ,italy's position4 ,the first paper contains a letter to the ,british ,ambassador in ,berlin concerning the ,austro-,servian relations4 ,is it not probable that ,sir ,edward ,grey's attention was called to this question by his ,ambassador in ,vienna8 ,where is his letter8 ,or1 if ,sir ,edward thought of it himself1 why did he not mention his conversation also to ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen in ,vienna8 ,where is this note8 ,are we to assume that ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen made his first report on ,july #bc1 although ,sir ,edward ,goschen in ,berlin had an interesting report to make a day earlier8 ,we can thus go through the whole ,british ,white ,paper and discover the omission of many interesting documents4 ,no4 #ch is a letter from ,sir ,rennell ,rodd in ,rome1 dated on ,july #bc and received on ,july #bg4 ,he had no doubt sent also a telegram4 ,what did it contain1 and why was it not published under the date of its arrival instead of the letter which had been delayed in transit8 ,where ,is ,no4 #bh8 ,in ,no4 #bi ,sir ,edward ,grey refers in a telegram to ,sir ,r4 ,rodd to what ,i had said to the ,german ,ambassador4 ,such a reference could have a meaning for ,sir ,r4 ,rodd only if he had been informed of this conversation4 ,there is no dispatch printed in the ,white ,paper containing this information4 ,possibly it was so entwined with other instructions1 which ,sir ,edward ,grey did not care to have known1 that it could not be published4 ,was it perhaps sent to the printer first as ,no4 #bh1 and removed at the last moment when it was too late to change the subsequent numbers8 ,or1 if this assumption is wrong1 what was printed originally as ,no4 #bh8 ,where is ,no4 #bh8 ,there are other omissions1 and one especially noteworthy one between ,nos4 #hj and #ajf which will be discussed later4 ,viewed in this light1 the ,english ,white ,paper loses much of the value of a complete record1 which it has had in the eyes of many4 ,there is absolutely no reason to doubt the accuracy of those dispatches which have been printed1 but it becomes incumbent upon the searcher after the truth to inquire whether the existence of unprinted 7in the case of the ,german ,white ,paper ,mr4 ,beck uses the term suppressed7 papers may not at times alter the interpretation which should be given to those that are printed4 ,since we have no published records anywhere concerning the advice given to ,italy by the ,allies1 and the gradual steps leading up to ,italy's decision to remain neutral2 nor any hint as to the day when her decision was communicated to ,england and the other powers1 it would be futile to speculate on this subject4 ,since1 however1 the ,queen of ,italy and the wife of the ,commander in ,chief of the ,russian forces are sisters1 and since it was in the interest of the ,allies to keep ,italy neutral1 it is not unreasonable to assume that an exchange of opinion took place between ,italy and the ,allies concerning the conditions under which ,italy would remain neutral4 ,if the actual opening of hostilities could be so managed that ,germany could be called the aggressor1 then ,italy probably declared that she would not enter the war4 ,this is a very important phase of the case1 and the omission from ,sir ,edward ,grey's ,white ,paper of all dispatches dealing with ,italian neutrality is much to be regretted4 ,since we are dealing with the ,italian dispatches here1 it may be advisable to consider at once all the communications which are published as having passed between ,sir ,edward ,grey and the ,british ,ambassador1 ,sir ,rennell ,rodd1 in ,rome4 ,they are numbered #ai1 7perhaps #bh17 #bi1 #ce1 #cf1 #ch1 #di1 #eg1 #fc1 #fd1 #hj1 #ha1 #hf1 #ib1 #ajj1 and #ajf1 of which the important numbers are #ch1 #eg1 #fd1 #hj1 and #hf4 ,on ,july #bc ,sir ,edward ,grey was informed that the gravity of the situation lay in the conviction of the ,austro-,hungarian ,government that it was absolutely necessary for their prestige1 after the many disillusions which the turn of events in the ,balkans has occasioned1 to score a definite success4 7,no4 #ch47 ,austria1 in other words1 believed that to let the murder of her heir-apparent pass unpunished would have meant a deathblow to her prestige1 and consequently1 as any one familiar with her conditions will agree1 to her existence4 ,russia1 on the other hand1 on ,july #be said 7see ,no4 #ag1 report from ,sir ,g4 ,buchanan7 that she could not allow 7note the word7 ,austria to crush ,servia and become the predominant power in the ,balkans1 and if she feels secure of the support of ,france1 she will face all the risks of war4 ,these two dispatches to ,sir ,edward ,grey tell the whole story in a nutshell4 ,austria believed1 rightly or wrongly1 that it was a question of life or death for her1 while ,russia claimed the right of preventing ,austria from becoming the predominate power in the ,balkans1 and actually threatened war4 ,russia did not claim to be concerned with the justice of ,austria's demands on ,servia4 ,no such definite word of ,russia's intention was sent to ,germany1 for on ,july #bf ,sir ,m4 de ,bunsen reported ,germany's confident belief that ,russia will keep quiet during the chastisement of ,servia4 7,no4 #cb47 ,on the next day ,sir ,rennell ,rodd reports from ,rome 7,no4 #eg7 that the ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs believes that if ,servia will even now accept it 7the ,austrian note7 ,austria will be satisfied and refrain from a punitive war4 ,he1 moreover1 believes--and this is very important--that ,servia may be induced to accept the note in its entirety on the advice of the four powers invited to the conference1 and this would enable her to say that she had yielded to ,europe and not to ,austria-,hungary alone4 ,since ,italy was to be one of the four powers1 the ,minister's belief was doubtless based on accurate information4 ,there is then as late as ,july #bg no claim made by ,servia that ,austria's demands are unreasonable4 ,she only hates to yield to ,austria alone4 ,austria1 in the meanwhile1 7,no4 #eg17 repeats her assurance that she demands no territorial sacrifices from ,servia4 ,on the next day1 ,july #bh1 ,sir ,rennell ,rodd reports 7,no4 #fd7 that ,servia might still accept the whole ,austrian note1 if some explanation were given regarding mode in which ,austrian agents would require to intervene4 ,austria1 on her part1 had explained that the co-operation of the ,austrian agents in ,servia was to be only in investigation1 not in judicial or administrative measures4 ,servia was said to have willfully misinterpreted this4 7,no4 #fd47 ,from these reports it appears that the differences between ,austria and ,servia were on the way to a solution4 ,austria claimed that her demands were just1 and ,servia did not deny this4 ,austria further claimed that her prestige1 her very existence1 demanded the prompt compliance with her requests by ,servia4 ,she explained in a satisfactory way the one point on which ,servia had taken exceptions1 and ,servia was on the point of complying1 and would have complied1 if the powers had been willing to let her do so4 ,such a conclusion of the incident would have strengthened ,austria's prestige and assured the punishment of the murderers of ,serajevo4 ,russia's ,remark ,about ,austria4 ,the reason why ,servia was not allowed to submit was ,russia's remark1 quoted above1 that she would not allow ,austria to become the predominant power in the ,balkans4 ,it was1 therefore1 ,russia's task to prevent ,servia from accepting ,austria's note4 ,since war was her alternative1 baldly stated to ,england from the first1 she had to do three things--first1 to secure as many allies as possible2 secondly1 to weaken her enemies1 preferably by detaching from them ,italy1 and1 thirdly1 to get as much of a start in her mobilization as possible4 ,the treaties between ,russia1 ,france1 and ,great ,britain1 unlike those between ,germany1 ,austria1 and ,italy1 have never been published4 ,whatever their wording may be1 ,russia was at first apparently not absolutely sure of the support of ,france1 7,no4 #ag17 and ,france1 it would seem1 was unwilling to tempt fate without the help of ,england4 ,that ,england should be willing to join such a combination for such a cause seemed so preposterous to ,germany that she did not believe it4 ,without ,england no ,france1 without ,france no war1 for alone ,russia could not measure herself against ,austria4 ,austria would not have attacked her of her own free will1 but if ,russia had attacked ,austria1 the whole world knew from the published treaties that ,germany was bound to come to the assistance of her ally4 ,it would have been two against one1 and the two could have waited until ,russia had finished her cumbersome mobilization4 ,for even if she had her whole army of many million men on the frontier1 ,austria and ,germany together were strong enough to stem her advance4 ,russia's only chance1 therefore1 when ,servia was on the point of yielding1 and ,austria had almost re-established her prestige1 was to secure the help of ,france1 but this meant also the promise of ,england4 ,the demands made on ,england by ,russia1 some of which are quoted in the ,white ,paper1 are too well known to deserve repetition4 ,this was the chief thing that counted1 to get ,england's promise4 ,the next was to detach ,italy from her allies1 7but of this there are no documents available17 and the third to gain time for her mobilization4 ,all the other suggestions and counter-suggestions which fill the ,english ,white ,paper are insignificant1 as soon as the fundamental positions of ,austria and ,russia are understood4 ,germany has claimed that ,england promised her support to ,russia and ,france on ,july #cj1 or in the night of ,july #bi1 and1 to prove it1 has published the letter from the ,belgian ,minister in ,st4 ,petersburg to his ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 printed in translation in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times on ,oct4 #g4 ,this letter1 which has not been officially denied by the ,allies1 states that the promise of ,england's support gave the ,russian war party the upper hand and resulted in the order of complete mobilization4 ,english ,white ,paper's ,testimony4 ,strangely enough1 and doubtless by an oversight1 the ,english ,white ,paper contains two dispatches 7,nos4 #hj and #ajf7 which seem to confirm the accuracy of ,m4 de l',escaille's statement1 viz41 that ,england promised the ,russian-,french combination her support4 ,on ,july #bi ,sir ,rennell ,rodd wrote to ,sir ,edward ,grey 7,no4 #hj7 that the ,italian ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs had told him there seemed to be a difficulty in making ,germany believe that ,russia was in earnest4 ,as ,germany1 however1 was really anxious for good relations with ourselves1 if she believed that ,great ,britain would act with ,russia and ,france1 he thought it would have a great effect4 ,in a later dispatch of the same day 7,no4 #hf7 he deprecates ,russia's partial mobilization1 which he fears has spoiled the chances of ,germany's exerting any pressure on ,austria4 ,but on the next day1 ,july #cj1 these remarkable words occur3 ,he the ,italian ,minister had reason to believe that ,germany was now disposed to give more conciliatory advice to ,austria1 as she seemed convinced that we should act with ,france and ,russia1 and was most anxious to avoid issue with us4 7,no4 #ajf47 ,readers of the ,white ,paper will look in vain for an explanation of such a change of heart on ,germany's part4 ,what does now mean in the last letter8 ,and why does ,germany seem convinced that ,england will act with ,russia--if not that she has heard of the promise mentioned by ,m4 de l',escaille1 as given early on ,july #cj or late the #bith8 ,the dates agree1 and unless ,sir ,edward ,grey publishes further papers to explain the change that had taken place between ,july #bi and ,july #cj one seems forced to accept this explanation4 ,what is ,germany's attitude8 ,does she rush into war8 ,not at all1 for she is most anxious to avoid issue with ,england4 7,no4 #ajf47 ,germany knew that ,russia had begun to mobilize4 ,every day1 every hour counted2 for against the masses of ,russia she had only her greater speed to match4 ,she knew that ,england had gone over to ,russia1 although she was probably hoping that the alliance between the ,saxon and the ,slav was not yet irrefragable4 ,still1 the prospects were dark4 ,but in spite of this the efforts were renewed to see what could be done in ,vienna4 ,the famous exchange of telegrams between royalty began in the evening of ,july #bi2 and here it is wise to halt for a moment4 ,on ,july #cj the ,czar telegraphed to the ,emperor in reply to the ,emperor's expression of regret that ,russia should be mobilizing1 as follows3 ,the military measures in force now were decreed five days ago4 ,that is1 according to the ,czar1 the ,russian mobilization had begun on ,july #be4 ,on ,july #bg1 however1 the ,russian ,minister of ,war1 ,m4 ,suchomlinow1 had declared to the ,german ,military ,attach on his word of honor that no mobilization order had been issued4 ,july #be1 however1 it will be remembered1 was the day on which ,sir ,g4 ,buchanan had reported from ,st4 ,petersburg that ,russia will face all risks of war if she can feel sure of the support of ,france4 ,on ,july #ca ,russia mobilized her entire army1 which led to ,germany's ultimatum that ,russia demobilize within twelve hours4 ,no reply was received to the request1 and orders for the mobilization of the ,german ,army were issued at #e3ae ,p4,m41 ,aug4 #a1 after the ,german ,ambassador in ,st4 ,petersburg had been instructed to declare that1 owing to the continued mobilization of the ,russian ,army1 a state of war existed between the two countries4 ,kaiser ,tried to ,keep ,peace4 ,in order to understand this step one should read the book ,la ,france ,victorieuse dans la ,guerre de ,demain1 7,france ,victorious in the ,next ,war17 by ,col4 ,arthur ,boucher1 published in #aiaa4 ,col4 ,boucher has stated the case baldly and so simply that every one can understand it4 ,in substance his argument is this3 ,alone ,france has no chance1 but together with ,russia she will win against ,germany4 ,suppose the three countries are beginning mobilization on the same day4 ,germany finishes first1 ,france second1 and ,russia last4 ,germany must leave some of her troops on her eastern frontier1 the rest she throws against ,france4 ,all ,france has to do is to hold them for a few days4 ,col4 ,boucher mentions the exact number of days4 ,this book is not at hand1 and the writer prefers not to quote from memory4 ,then ,russia comes into play1 more ,german troops will be needed in the ,east1 the ,french proceed to an attack on their weakened enemy1 and ,la ,france sera victorieuse4 ,everything hinges on just a couple of days or so4 ,a couple of days6 ,and how much of a start had ,russia8 ,she had begun on ,july #be2 on ,july #bg definite news of the ,russian mobilization was reported in ,berlin1 although the ,minister of ,war denied it on his honor4 ,on ,july #cj ,england was understood to have promised her support to ,russia1 and the ,czar acknowledged that ,russia had been mobilizing for the past five days4 ,five days6 ,and ,col4 ,boucher1 expressing the opinion of military experts1 had counted on victory on a much smaller margin6 ,do the ,judges of the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization realize the almost super-human efforts in the interest of peace made by the ,german ,emperor8 ,russia has a start of five days1 and on ,july #ca a start of six days4 ,can we not hear all the military leaders imploring the ,emperor not to hesitate any longer8 ,but in the interest of peace the ,emperor delays4 ,he has kept the peace for ,germany through the almost thirty years of his reign4 ,he prays to his ,god1 in ,whom he has placed his trust through all his upright life1 with a fervor which has often brought him ridicule4 ,also1 he still believes in ,england1 and hopes through her efforts to be able to keep the peace4 ,he waits another day4 ,a start of seven days for ,russia6 ,the odds against ,germany have grown tremendously4 ,at last he orders mobilization4 ,for a longer delay he would not have been able to answer to his country4 ,as it is1 there are many people who blame him severely for having waited so long4 ,but ,william ,,ii4 was right1 for when the world will begin to realize the agonies through which he must have passed during these days of waiting1 and the sacrifices he made in his effort to preserve peace1 it will judge ,germany rightly1 and call the ,emperor the great prince of peace that he is4 ,but1 it has been said1 why did he not avoid war1 either by forcing ,austria to yield to ,russia1 or1 if she refused1 by withdrawing from her8 ,in common with the whole of ,germany1 he probably felt that ,austria's position was right4 ,servia herself1 as has been seen above1 did not claim that she was unjustly treated1 whatever outsiders thought of ,austria's demands2 and ,austria was fully justified by past events in believing that it was with her a question of life and death4 ,should ,germany sacrifice her faithful friend under such circumstances1 and for what8 ,for the arrogance of ,russia1 who would not allow her to re-establish her prestige in a righteous cause8 ,the word righteous is used advisedly1 because in the early stages of the controversy nobody1 not even ,russia nor ,servia herself1 denied the justice of ,austria's demands4 ,the writer is informed that even the liberal ,english press found no fault with the course taken by ,austria1 although it commented adversely on the language used in the note4 ,what would have been the result of peace bought by ,germany at such a cost8 ,it would have alienated her only faithful friend without laying the foundations for a lasting friendship with her opponents4 ,this at least was ,germany's honest belief4 ,she may have been wrong4 ,history more probably will call her right4 ,to desert ,austria might have postponed the war1 but when it would have come ,germany would have stood alone1 and1 worse1 she would have lost her self-respect4 ,this claim may sound strange in the ears of those who have just witnessed and will never forget the suffering of that beautiful little country1 ,belgium4 ,they hold that1 since ,germany invaded ,belgium1 it is ,germany who broke a treaty and who is to blame4 ,mr4 ,beck considers this to be so self-evident that he deems it unnecessary to advance any proof4 ,he quotes the ,chancellor's speech1 and1 moving for a quick verdict1 declares his motion of guilty carried4 ,the matter1 however1 is not quite so simple for the man who is seeking for the whole truth4 ,let us look at the facts4 ,belgium was a neutral country1 just as any country has the right to declare itself neutral1 with this difference3 that in #ahci she had promised to five powers--,great ,britain1 ,france1 ,russia1 ,austria1 and ,prussia--that she would remain perpetually neutral4 ,these five powers in their turn had promised to guarantee her neutrality4 ,she was1 however1 a sovereign ,state1 and as such had the undoubted right to cease being neutral whenever she chose by abrogating the ,treaty of #ahci4 ,if the other high contracting parties did not agree with her1 it was their right to try to coerce ,belgium to keep to her pledges1 although this would undoubtedly have been an infringement of her sovereignty4 ,the ,treaty of #ahci contains the word perpetual1 but so does the treaty between ,france and ,germany1 in which ,alsace and ,lorraine are ceded by ,france to be perpetually an integral part of the ,german ,empire4 ,does this mean that ,france1 if the ,allies should win1 could not retake these provinces8 ,nobody probably will believe this4 ,the ,treaty of #ahci was a treaty just like the ,treaty of #ahga1 with this difference1 that the latter treaty was concluded between two powers1 and the earlier one between five powers on one side and ,belgium and ,holland on the other4 ,this gave certain rights to all the signatory powers1 any one of whom had the right to feel itself sufficiently aggrieved to go to war if any other power disregarded the treaty4 ,rights of ,neutrals4 ,there was once another neutral ,state1 the city and district of ,cracow1 also established by a treaty to which ,great ,britain was a signatory4 ,three of the signers considered the conditions developing in ,cracow to be so threatening that they abolished ,cracow as an independent ,state4 ,great ,britain sent a polite note of protest1 and dropped the matter4 ,since that time1 however1 two ,hague ,conferences have been held and certain rules agreed upon concerning the rights and duties of neutrals4 ,the ,belgian status of inviolability rests on these rules1 called conventions1 rather than on the ,treaty of #ahci4 ,during the ,franco-,prussian ,war of #ahgj ,mr4 ,gladstone very clearly stated that he did not consider the ,treaty of #ahci enforceable4 ,great ,britain1 therefore1 made two new treaties1 one with ,france and one with ,prussia 7quoted and discussed in ,boston ,evening ,transcript1 ,oct4 #ad1 #aiad7 in which she promised to defend ,belgian neutrality1 by the side of either ,france or ,prussia1 against that one of them who should infringe the neutrality4 ,these treaties were to terminate one year after peace had been concluded between the contestants4 ,a treaty1 like the one of #ahci1 however1 which was considered unenforceable in #ahgj1 can hardly be claimed to have gained new rights in #aiad4 ,in calm moments nobody will claim that a greater sanctity attaches to it than to the treaty in which ,alsace and ,lorraine are ceded forever to ,germany4 ,no1 it is ,the ,hague ,conventions to which we must look4 ,the first convention 7#ahii7 contained no rules forbidding belligerents from entering neutral territory4 ,in the second conference it was thought desirable to formulate such rules1 because it was felt that in war belligerents are at liberty to do what is not expressly forbidden4 ,at the request of ,france1 therefore1 a new set of rules was suggested1 to which ,great ,britain and ,belgium offered valuable amendments4 ,the rules were finally accepted1 and are today parts of international law4 ,they read2 ,article ,i4 ,the territory of neutral powers is inviolable4 ,article ,,ii4 ,belligerents are forbidden to move troops or convoys of either munitions of war or supplies across the territory of a neutral power4 ,these articles1 together with the whole convention called ,rights and duties of neutral powers and persons in case of war on land1 have been ratified and therefore accepted as law by the ,united ,states of ,america1 ,austria1 ,belgium1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,japan1 and ,russia and other minor powers4 ,great ,britain experienced a change of heart1 and1 although her own delegates had moved these articles1 she refused to ratify them1 when she ratified most of the other conventions on ,nov4 #bg1 #aiji4 7,a table showing the ratifications of conventions has been published by ,the ,world ,peace ,foundation1 ,boston47 ,the ,case of ,belgium4 ,since ,great ,britain did not accept these articles as law1 she was not bound by them1 for the principle of ,the ,hague ,conferences is that a nation is bound only by those laws which it accepts4 ,the remarkable fact1 therefore1 appears that the only one of the big nations which had refused to accept these articles1 and which1 therefore1 might have moved her troops across a neutral country and have claimed that she could do so with a clear conscience because she broke no law which was binding on her1 was ,great ,britain4 ,and the world now sees the spectacle of ,great ,britain claiming to have gone to war because another power did what she herself could have done1 according to her own interpretation1 with impunity4 ,japan has broken the international law by infringing the neutrality of ,china1 but ,great ,britain can claim that she did not break a law by doing exactly what ,japan did4 ,it is not asserted here that the citizens of ,great ,britain are not absolutely sincere in their belief of the causes which have allied them with the ,russians and the ,japanese1 and the ,indians and the ,zouaves1 and the negroes and the ,french and the ,belgians against ,germany4 ,their ,government1 however1 should have known that the presumption of insincerity exists when one charges against others a crime which one would have felt at liberty to commit one's self4 ,yet1 more1 the ,british ,government knew better than anybody else that ,germany had not even committed this crime2 for1 according to all laws of justice1 no person or nation can claim the inviolability of a neutral when he has committed hostile acts against a belligerent1 or acts in favor of a belligerent4 7,article ,,xvii4 of ,the ,hague ,conference of #aijg47 ,the question1 therefore1 arises1 ,did ,belgium commit acts in favor of one of ,germany's opponents1 if not actually hostile acts against ,germany8 ,in order to understand ,germany's charge that ,belgium had committed such acts1 attention must be directed to one of the most unfortunate stipulations of the ,treaty of #ahci1 which compelled ,belgium to maintain several fortresses4 ,this meant that a small neutral people1 sandwiched in between two great powers1 had to keep itself informed on military affairs4 ,instead of being able to foster a peaceful state of mind1 which is the surest guarantee of neutrality1 the ,belgians were forced to think military thoughts4 ,illustration3 ,,andrew ,,carnegie 7,photo 7c7 by ,underwood ,underwood47 ,see ,page #dae ,illustration3 ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff 7,photo by ,american ,press ,assn47 ,see ,page #dei ,in the eighties and early nineties they suspected ,france of designs on their integrity4 ,since then a change in the popular feeling has taken place and in recent years the instruction of the ,belgian artillery1 for instance1 was intrusted to ,french officers in active service4 ,these officers were constantly at home and very properly concerned with solving military problems such as a future war with ,germany might present4 ,what was more natural than that these same officers1 when they were detached for a few months or years to ,lige or ,namur or ,huy1 taught their ,belgian charges to prepare against a ,german attack1 and to look upon the ,french as their friends and the ,germans as their enemies8 ,if conditions had been different1 and ,german officers had been in charge of ,belgian fortresses1 the ,belgian guns in practice would always have been trained on imaginary ,french invaders4 ,french ,officers in ,belgian ,forts4 ,if this is understood it will be seen that in the case of war the actual neutrality of the ,belgian garrisons would naturally be determined by the position taken by that nation whose officers had been in charge of the ,belgian fortresses4 ,and this might be entirely independent of the professed wishes of the ,belgian people or their ,government4 ,if ,french officers in active service remained in the several fortresses1 or even only in one after the beginning of hostilities1 and if the ,french campaign plans contemplated an attack through ,belgium1 then ,belgium had committed an act in favor of ,france by not forcing the ,french officers to leave1 and had forfeited the rights and privileges granted by ,the ,hague ,convention of #aijg to a neutral ,state4 ,did ,french officers remain in ,lige or in any other ,belgian fortress after hostilities had begun1 and did ,france plan to go through ,belgium8 ,germany has officially made both claims4 ,the first can easily be substantiated by the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization by an investigation of the prisoners of war taken in ,belgium4 ,until an impartial investigation becomes possible no further proof than the claim made by the ,german ,government can be produced4 ,the second charge is contained in ,no4 #aeg of the ,english ,white ,paper in these words of instruction from the ,german ,foreign ,secretary to the ,german ,ambassador in ,london3 ,please impress upon ,sir ,edward ,grey that ,german ,army could not be exposed to ,french attack across ,belgium1 which was planned according to absolutely unimpeachable information4 ,sir ,edward ,grey has attacked ,germany for invading ,belgium1 but has nowhere denied that ,germany had the unimpeachable evidence she said she had1 and which of course nullified any previous assurance from ,france4 ,it is not known whether ,sir ,edward ,grey was shown this evidence or not1 but if the preservation of ,belgian neutrality was ,great ,britain's chief concern1 why did she not offer to negotiate treaties with ,germany and ,france as she had done in #ahgj8 ,it will be remembered that then she bound herself to join with either of the contestants in defending ,belgian neutrality against the attacks of the other4 ,as the case stands today1 on the evidence of ,sir ,edward ,grey's own ,white ,paper and speeches1 ,great ,britain is making war on ,germany because3 #a4 ,she broke the ,treaty of #ahci1 although her own ,gladstone had declared this treaty to be without force1 and although the status of neutral ,states had been removed by ,the ,hague ,convention from the uncertainty of treaties to the security of international law4 #b4 ,great ,britain makes war against ,germany because ,germany has broken ,articles ,i4 and ,,ii4 of ,chapter #a of ,the ,hague ,convention referring to neutrals1 although ,great ,britain herself has refused to recognize these articles as binding upon her own conduct4 #c4 ,she makes war on ,germany although she has never denied the correctness of ,germany's assertion that she had unimpeachable proof of ,france's intentions of going through ,belgium1 which1 together with the sojourn of ,french officers in ,belgium1 constitutes the offense which1 according to ,the ,hague ,convention1 deprives a so-called neutral ,state of the privileges granted in ,articles ,i4 and ,,ii4 ,it is impossible to say here exactly what these proofs are which ,germany possesses1 and which for military reasons she has not yet been able to divulge4 ,she has published some of them1 namely1 the proof of the continued presence of ,french officers on ,belgian soil1 and has given the names and numbers of the several army corps which ,france had planned to push through ,belgium4 ,the case then stands as follows3 #a4 ,was the inviolability of ,belgium guaranteed by ,articles ,i4 and ,,ii4 of ,the ,hague ,convention8 ,yes4 #b4 ,had ,germany ratified these articles8 ,yes4 #c4 ,had ,great ,britain ratified these articles8 ,no4 #d4 ,would ,belgium have forfeited the right of having her country held inviolable if she had committed acts in favor of ,france1 even if these acts were not actually hostile acts8 ,yes1 according to ,article ,,xvii4 of ,the ,hague ,convention4 #e4 ,did ,belgium commit acts in favor of ,france1 and was ,germany1 therefore1 justified in disregarding the inviolability of her territory8 ,the ,main ,question4 ,this is the important question1 and the answer must be left to the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization4 ,the weight of the evidence would seem to point to a justification of ,germany4 ,yet no friend of ,germany can find fault with those who would wish to defer a verdict until such a time when ,germany can present her complete proof to the world1 and this may be when the war is over4 ,throughout this argument the famous passage of the ,chancellor's speech in the ,reichstag has been disregarded4 ,it reads3 ,our troops have occupied ,luxemburg and perhaps are already on ,belgian soil4 ,gentlemen1 that is contrary to the dictates of international law4 ,it is true that the ,french ,government has declared at ,brussels that ,france is willing to respect the neutrality of ,belgium so long as her opponents respect it4 ,we knew1 however1 that ,france stood ready for invasion4 ,the wrong--,i speak openly--that we are committing we will endeavor to make good4 ,this has been understood to mean that the ,chancellor acknowledged that ,germany was breaking the ,treaty of #ahci without warrant1 and that ,germany1 therefore1 deserved the contempt of the world4 ,may it not bear another interpretation8 ,thus3 ,the ,chancellor1 like ,gladstone in #ahgj1 did not consider the #ahci ,treaty enforceable1 but saw the guarantee for ,belgium in ,the ,hague ,convention4 ,he did not wish to offend ,belgium by announcing to the world that she had lost her rights as a neutral because of her acts favorable to ,france1 for when he spoke he was still of the opinion that she would accept the ,german offer which guaranteed to her both her independence and integrity4 ,and just as ,servia would have accepted ,austria's note if ,russia had permitted her1 so ,belgium would not have resisted the ,german demand if it had not been for ,england4 ,this can be proved by the ,british ,white ,paper1 ,nos4 #aec and #aee4 ,in the former the ,king of the ,belgians appeals to the diplomatic intervention of your ,majesty's ,government to safeguard the integrity of ,belgium1 being apparently of the impression that ,germany wished to annex parts1 if not the whole1 of his country4 ,the ,london reply advises the ,belgians to resist by any means in their power1 and that his ,majesty's ,government will support them in offering such resistance1 and that his ,majesty's ,government in this event are prepared to join ,russia and ,france1 if desired1 in offering to the ,belgian ,government at once common action for the purpose of resisting use of force by ,germany against them1 and a guarantee to maintain their independence and integrity in future years4 ,has ,mr4 ,beck really not noticed in this promise the omission of the word neutrality8 ,by the ,treaty of #ahci ,belgium enjoyed not only independence and integrity1 but also perpetual neutrality4 ,does ,great ,britain offer to fight ,germany for the enforcement of the ,treaty of #ahci8 ,no6 ,because hereafter the word neutrality is dropped from her guarantee1 and since she alone of all the great powers has not ratified the articles of ,the ,hague ,convention concerning neutrals she alone will be able to disregard the inviolability of ,belgian soil1 even though ,belgium kept strictly neutral in a future war4 ,and what1 finally1 does she guarantee her8 ,independence and integrity6 ,that is exactly the same that ,germany had promised her4 ,for this ,belgium had to be dragged through the horrors of war1 and the good name of ,germany as that of an honest nation had to be dragged through the mire1 and hatred and murder had to be started1 that ,belgium might get on the battlefield1 from the insufficient support of ,russia and ,france and ,england1 what ,germany had freely offered her--independence and integrity4 ,casual readers would not miss the word neutrality from ,sir ,edward ,grey's guarantee1 because they do not differentiate between the words integrity1 independence1 and neutrality4 ,great ,britain and her ally ,japan1 marching through ,china into ,kiao-,chau1 may be said to have violated ,china's neutrality1 but not her independence1 nor1 so long as they refrain from annexing any ,chinese territory1 her integrity4 ,fixing the ,blame4 ,nobody familiar with the careful work of ,sir ,edward ,grey can for one moment believe that ,sir ,edward inadvertently dropped the word1 just as little as ,j4 ,ramsay ,macdonald and other ,british leaders believe that he inadvertently dropped one of the two remaining words1 integrity and independence1 when he told ,parliament of ,germany's guarantee1 and why ,great ,britain should not accept it1 but go to war4 ,when the blame for the horrors committed in ,belgium are assessed these facts must be remembered3 #a4 ,belgium was by treaty bound to maintain fortresses4 #b4 ,france tempted her to commit acts friendly to herself1 by which ,belgium forfeited her rights to the protection of ,the ,hague articles governing the rights and duties of neutrals4 #c4 ,england urged her to take up arms1 when she had only asked to have her integrity guaranteed by diplomatic intervention4 7,nos4 #aec1 #aee47 #d4 ,germany promised her independence and integrity and peace1 while ,england1 quietly dropping her guarantee of neutrality in future years1 promised her independence and integrity and war4 #e4 ,and ,sir ,edward ,grey was able to sway ,parliament1 according to one of the leaders of ,parliament himself1 only because he misrepresented ,germany's guarantee1 and1 having dropped1 in his note to ,belgium1 the word neutrality1 dropped yet another of the two remaining words1 integrity and independence4 ,this is the case as it appears on the evidence contained in the various ,white ,papers4 ,austria was attending properly to her own affairs2 ,servia was willing to yield2 ,russia1 however1 was determined to humiliate ,austria or to go to war4 ,germany proved a loyal friend to her ally1 ,austria2 she trusted in the ,british professions of friendship to the last1 and sacrificed seven valuable days in the interest of peace4 ,france was willing to do what might be required by her interests1 while ,great ,britain yielded to ,russia and ,france1 promising them their support without which ,france1 and therefore ,russia1 would not have decided on war4 ,as to ,belgium1 ,germany told ,sir ,edward ,grey that she had unimpeachable evidence that ,france was planning to go through ,belgium1 and she published her evidence concerning the ,french officers who remained in ,belgium4 ,although ,belgium had thus lost any rights attaching to her state of neutrality1 ,germany promised to respect her integrity and independence1 and to pay for any damage done4 ,she preferred1 however1 to listen to ,great ,britain1 who promised exactly the same except pay for any damage done4 ,unlike ,mr4 ,beck1 who in the same article pleads his case as the counsel for the ,allies and casts his verdict as the ,supreme ,court of ,civilization1 the present writer prefers to leave the judgment to his readers as a whole1 and further still1 to the whole ,american people--yea1 to all the peoples of the world4 ,nor is he in a hurry1 for he is willing to wait and have the ,judges weigh the evidence and call for more1 if they consider insufficient what has already been submitted4 ,snap judgments are ever unsatisfactory4 ,they have often to be reversed4 ,the present case1 however1 is too important to warrant a hasty decision4 ,the final judgment1 if it is based on truth1 will very strongly influence the nature of the peace1 which will either establish good-will and stable conditions in the world1 or lead to another and even more complete breakdown of civilization4 ,what ,gladstone ,said ,about ,belgium ,by ,george ,louis ,beer4 ,historian2 winner of the first ,loubat ,prize1 #aiac1 for his book on the origins of the ,british ,colonial system4 ,in the course of his solemn speech of ,aug4 #h1 #aiad1 in the ,house of ,commons ,sir ,edward ,grey quoted some remarks made by ,gladstone in #ahgj on the extent of the obligation incurred by the signatory powers to the ,quintuple ,treaty of #ahci guaranteeing the neutrality of ,belgium4 ,shorn from their context as they were1 these sentences are by no means illuminating1 and it cannot be said that their citation in this form by ,sir ,edward ,grey was a very felicitous one4 ,during the paper polemics of the past months these detached words of ,gladstone have been freely used by ,germany's defenders and apologists to maintain that ,great ,britain of #ahgj would not have deemed the events of #aiad a casus belli1 and that its entrance into the present war on account of the violation of ,belgium's neutrality was merely a pretext4 ,during the course of this controversy ,gladstone's attitude has in various ways been grossly misrepresented1 ,dr4 von ,mach of ,harvard even stating in the columns of ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times that ,gladstone had declared the ,treaty of #ahci to be without force4 ,but1 apart from such patent distortions1 ,gladstone's real position is apparently not clearly defined in the mind of the general public1 which is merely seeking for the unadulterated truth1 regardless of its effect upon the case of any one of the belligerents4 ,shortly after the outbreak of the ,franco-,prussian war in #ahgj the ,prussian ,ambassador in ,london informed ,gladstone1 then ,prime ,minister1 that some time prior to the existing war ,france had asked ,prussia to consent to the former country's absorption of ,belgium1 and that there was in the possession of the ,prussian ,government the draft of a treaty to this effect in the handwriting of ,m4 ,benedetti1 then ,french ,ambassador at ,berlin4 ,this communication was obviously made1 as ,lord ,morley tells us1 with the object of prompting ,gladstone to be the agent in making the evil news public and thus of prejudicing ,france in the judgment of ,europe4 ,gladstone thought this no part of his duty1 and very shortly thereafter1 at the direct instance of ,bismarck1 this draft treaty of #ahff-g was communicated by ,baron ,krause of the ,prussian ,embassy in ,london to ,delane1 the editor of ,the ,times4 ,on ,july #be1 #ahgj1 it was published in the columns of that paper and aroused considerable anxiety in ,england4 ,it immediately became imperative upon the ,british ,government to take some action4 ,as ,gladstone wrote to ,bright1 the publication of this treaty has thrown upon us the necessity of doing something fresh to secure ,belgium1 or else of saying that under no circumstances would we take any step to secure her from absorption4 ,this publication has wholly altered the feeling of the ,house of ,commons1 and no ,government could at this moment venture to give utterance to such an intention about ,belgium4 ,but neither do we think it would be right1 even if it were safe1 to announce that we would in any case stand by with folded arms and see actions done which would amount to a total extinction of the public right in ,europe4 ,the ,special ,identical ,treaties4 ,a simple declaration of ,great ,britain's intention to defend the neutrality of ,belgium by arms in case it were infringed seemed to ,gladstone not to meet the special requirements of the case as revealed by the proposed ,treaty of #ahff-g between ,prussia and ,france4 ,his main object was to prevent the actual execution of such an agreement1 by means of which the two belligerent powers would settle their quarrels and satisfy their ambitions at the expense of helpless ,belgium4 ,hence1 on ,july #cj1 the ,british ,government opened negotiations with ,france and ,prussia and within a fortnight had concluded separate but identical treaties with each of these powers4 ,according to these treaties1 in case the neutrality of ,belgium were violated by either ,france or ,germany1 ,great ,britain agreed to co-operate with the other in its defense4 ,the preamble of these treaties states that the contracting powers being desirous at the present time of recording in a solemn act their fixed determination to maintain the independence and neutrality of ,belgium1 as provided in the ,treaty of #ahci1 have concluded this separate treaty1 which1 without impairing or invalidating the conditions of the said ,quintuple ,treaty1 shall be subsidiary and accessory to it4 ,article ,,iii4 further provided that these ,treaties of #ahgj were to expire twelve months after the conclusion of the existing war1 and that thereafter the independence and neutrality of ,belgium would continue to rest1 as heretofore1 on the ,treaty of #ahci4 ,these documents tell a plain tale1 which is amply confirmed by the proceedings in ,parliament in connection with this matter4 ,on ,aug4 #e1 #ahgj1 while the negotiations leading to the above-mentioned treaties were still pending1 questions were raised in the ,house of ,commons about the recently published abortive ,treaty of #ahff-g between ,prussia and ,france4 ,in reply ,gladstone stated that the ,treaty of #ahci is that under which the relations of the contracting powers with ,belgium are at present regulated2 and that1 while he could not explain the intentions of the ,government in a matter of this very grave character in answer to a question1 he hoped to be able to communicate some further information in an authentic manner4 ,three days later1 as these treaties with ,france and ,prussia had been virtually concluded1 ,gladstone was able to satisfy the anxiety of the ,house and outlined their terms4 ,he explicitly stated that1 after their expiration1 the respective parties1 being parties to the ,treaty of #ahci1 shall fall back upon the obligations they took upon themselves under that treaty4 ,after ,gladstone had finished speaking the leader of the opposition1 ,disraeli1 took the floor and pointed out that1 as a general proposition1 when there is a treaty guarantee so explicit as that expressed in the ,treaty of #ahci1 ,i think the wisdom of founding on that another treaty which involves us in engagements may be open to doubt4 ,but he accepted ,gladstone's statement as the declaration of the ,cabinet1 that they are resolved to maintain the neutrality and independence of ,belgium1 ,i accept it as a wise and spirited policy1 and a policy1 in my opinion1 not the less wise because it is spirited4 ,gladstone then replied1 saying that the reason the ,government had not made a general declaration of its intentions regarding ,belgium was that much danger might arise from such a declaration and that inadvertently they might have given utterance to words that might be held to import obligations almost unlimited and almost irrespectively of circumstances4 ,we had made up our minds1 he continued1 that we had a duty to perform1 and we thought a specific declaration of what we thought the obligations of this country better than any general declaration4 ,referring to the two treaties in process of ratification1 he concluded3 ,we thought that by contracting a joint engagement we might remove the difficulty and prevent ,belgium from being sacrificed4 ,the policy of the ,government continued1 however1 to be criticised1 mainly on the ground that the ,treaty of #ahci amply covered the case4 ,on ,aug4 #aj ,gladstone defended his policy in the ,house of ,commons in a speech pitched on a high moral plane1 in which he dilated upon ,belgium's historic past and splendid present and on ,great ,britain's duty to this little nation irrespective of all questions of its own self-interest4 ,with genuine fervor1 he exclaimed3 ,if1 in order to satisfy a greedy appetite for aggrandisement1 coming whence it may1 ,belgium were absorbed1 the day that witnessed that absorption would hear the knell of public right and public law in ,europe4444 ,we have an interest in the independence of ,belgium which is wider than that which we may have in the literal operation of the guarantee4 ,it is found in answer to the question whether under the circumstance of the case this country1 endowed as it is with influence and power1 would quietly stand by and witness the perpetration of the direst crime that ever stained the pages of history1 and thus become participators in the sin4 ,what ,gladstone ,had in ,mind4 ,what ,gladstone had in mind was the scheme of #ahff-g1 by which ,france was to absorb ,belgium1 with ,prussia's consent and aid4 ,he distinctly stated that the ,treaties of #ahgj were devised to meet the new state of affairs disclosed by the publication of this incomplete treaty4 ,it was in order to prevent the revival of such a conspiracy that ,gladstone made separate and identical treaties in #ahgj with ,france and ,prussia4 ,they were a practical device to secure an effectual enforcement of the ,treaty of #ahci under unforeseen and difficult circumstances4 ,the agreement of #ahgj was1 as ,gladstone said1 a cumulative treaty added to that of #ahci1 and the latter treaty loses nothing of its force1 even during the existence of this present treaty4 ,during the course of this speech defending the ,government's action against those critics who claimed that the ,treaty of #ahci adequately met the situation1 ,gladstone made some general remarks about the extent of the obligation incurred by the signatories to the ,treaty of #ahci3 ,it is not necessary1 nor would time permit me1 to enter into the complicated question of the nature of the obligations of that treaty1 but ,i am not able to subscribe to the doctrine of those who have held in this ,house what plainly amounts to an assertion that the simple fact of the existence of a guarantee is binding on every party to it1 irrespectively altogether of the particular position in which it may find itself at the time when the occasion for acting on the guarantee arises4 ,it is1 of course1 impossible to state precisely what were those unuttered thoughts that passed through ,gladstone's mind as he spoke these characteristically cautious words1 but what in general they were can be satisfactorily gleaned from a letter that he had written six days before this to ,john ,bright3 ,that we should simply declare we will defend the neutrality of ,belgium by arms in case it should be attacked4 ,now1 the sole or single-handed defense of ,belgium would be an enterprise which we incline to think quixotic2 if these two great military powers ,france and ,prussia combined against it--that combination is the only serious danger2 and this it is which by our proposed engagements we should1 ,i hope1 render improbable to the very last degree4 ,i add for myself this confession of faith3 ,if the ,belgian people desire1 on their own account1 to join ,france or any other country1 ,i for one will be no party to taking up arms to prevent it4 ,but that the ,belgians1 whether they would or not1 should go plump down the maw of another country to satisfy dynastic greed is another matter4 ,the accomplishment of such a crime as this implies would come near to an extinction of public right in ,europe1 and ,i do not think we could look on while the sacrifice of freedom and independence was in course of consummation4 ,fight to the ,bitter ,end ,,an ,,interview ,,with ,,andrew ,,carnegie4 ,retired ironmaster and philanthropist2 builder of the ,peace ,temple at ,the ,hague2 founder of the ,carnegie ,institution at ,washington2 founder and patron of a chain of libraries in the ,united ,states and ,great ,britain1 and benefactor of many societies and institutions4 ,by ,edward ,marshall4 ,here is the report of a truly remarkable statement by ,mr4 ,carnegie4 ,he is the world's most notable peace advocate1 and in this interview he voices the reflections suggested to him by the great ,european war4 ,they are unusual1 and make this interview especially worthy of a place upon the pages of the ,christmas issue of ,,the ,,times1 although it principally deals with war1 and ,christmas is the festival of peace4 ,has war ever settled anything which might not have been settled better by arbitration8 ,i asked ,mr4 ,carnegie4 ,no2 never1 he replied4 ,no truer inference was ever made than may be found in ,milton's query1 penned three centuries ago and never answered3 ',what can war but wars breed8' ,war can breed only war4 ,of course1 peace inevitably must follow war1 but1 truly1 no peace ever was born of war4 ,we all revere the memory of him who voiced the warning3 ',in time of peace prepare for war'2 but1 as a matter of fact1 we all know that when one nation prepares for war others inevitably must follow its dangerous lead4 ,hence1 and hence only1 the huge armaments which have oppressed the world1 making its most peaceful years a spectacle of sadness--a spectacle of men preparing and prepared to fight with one another4 ,sooner or later men prepared to fight will fight2 huge armaments and armies mean huge battles2 huge battles mean huge tragedies4 ,this never has been otherwise1 and never can be4 ,peace can come only when mankind abandons warful preparation4 ,and so ,i seem to have replied to your inquiry with an answer with a tail to it2 and the tail is more important than the answer1 for the answer merely says that war never settled anything which might not have been settled better by arbitration1 while the tail proclaims the folly of a world prepared for war4 ,how to ,prevent ,war4 ,armament must mean the use of armament1 and that is war4 ,if we are to prevent war we must prevent preparation for war1 just as if we are to prevent burglary we must prevent preparation for burglary by prohibiting the carrying of the instruments of burglary4 ,the only cure for war ,mr4 ,carnegie in speaking italicized the word cure is war which defeats some one2 but two men who are unarmed are certain not to shoot at one another4 ,here1 as in medicine1 prevention is much better than cure4 ,plainly it must be through such prevention1 not through such a cure as victory sometimes is supposed to represent1 that warfare can be stopped4 ,warfare means some one's defeat1 of course1 and that implies his temporary incapacity for further war1 but it goes without saying that all conquered nations must be embittered by their defeat4 ,few nations ever have fought wars in which the majority of at least their fighting men did not believe the side they fought for to be in the right4 ,defeat by force of arms1 therefore1 always has meant the general conviction throughout conquered nations that injustice has been done4 ,nations ,like ,individuals4 ,in such circumstances nations must be like individuals under similar conditions4 ,the individual believing himself to have been in the right1 yet finding himself beaten in his efforts to maintain it1 will not accept the situation philosophically2 he will be angry and rebellious2 he will nurse what he believes to be his wrong4 ,to nurse a wrong1 whether it be real or fancied1 is to help it grow in the imagination1 and that must mean at least the wish to find some future means of righting it1 either by strategy or increased strength4 ,there are two things which humanity does not forget--one is an injury1 and1 no matter how strongly some may argue against the truth of this contention1 the other is a kindness4 ,in the long run both will be repaid4 ,and nations1 like individuals1 prefer the coin which pays the latter debt4 ,military force never has accomplished kindness4 ,kindness means industrial armies decked with the garlands of peace2 military armies1 armed and epauletted1 must mean minds obsessed with the spirit of revenge or conquest1 hands clenched to strike1 hearts eager to invade4 ,every military implement is designed to cut or crush1 to wound and kill4 ,nations at peace help one another with humanity's normal tenderness of heart at times of pestilence1 of famine1 of disaster4 ,nations at war exert their every ounce of strength to force upon their adversaries hunger1 destruction1 and death4 ,starvation of the enemy becomes a detail of what is considered good military strategy in war time1 just as world-embracing charity has become a characteristic of all civilization during times of peace4 ,must we not admit flotillas carrying grain to famine-stricken peoples to be more admirable than fleets which carry death to lands in which prosperity might reign if undisturbed by war8 ,but do you not admit that wars sometimes have helped the forces of civilization in their conquest against barbarism8 ,war has not been the chief force of civilization against barbarism1 ,mr4 ,carnegie replied with emphasis4 ,then he continued more thoughtfully3 ,that is one way of saying it4 ,another is1 no effort of the forces of civilization against barbarism is war in the true sense of the word4 ,such an armed effort is a part of the force pushing barbarism backward1 and therefore1 in the last analysis1 tends toward kindness and peace2 while1 in the sense in which we use the word1 war means the retrogression of civilization into barbarism4 ,it is usually born of greed--greed for territory or for power4 ,such war as that of which we all are thinking in these days is war between civilized men4 ,one civilized man cannot improve another civilized man by killing him1 although it is not inconceivable that a civilized man may do humanity a service by destroying human savages1 for with the savages he must destroy their savagery4 ,but a war in civilized ,europe destroys no savagery2 it breeds it1 so that it and its spawn may defile future generations4 ,there has been much balderdash in talk about unselfish motives as the origin of warfare4 ,it is safe to say that #ii per cent of all the slaughter wrought by civilization under the cloak of a desire to better bad conditions really has been evil4 ,it is impossible to conceive of general betterment through general slaughter4 ,there have been few altruistic wars4 ,but how about our ,spanish war8 ,i asked4 ,surely it was not greed which sent our men and ships to ,cuba4 ,no1 said ,mr4 ,carnegie1 that was not war1 but world-police work4 ,our skirmish with ,spain was a most unusual international episode4 ,we harmed none of the people of the land wherein we fought1 but taught them what we could of wise self-government and gave them independence4 ,to battle for the liberation of the slave is worthy work1 and this of ours was such a battle4 ,our ,spanish war was not the outgrowth of our rivalry with any one or any one's with us2 it was the manifestation of our high sense of responsibility as strong and healthy human beings for the welfare of the weak and oppressed4 ,that ,was ,police ,work4 ,it did not make toward militarism on this continent1 but the reverse2 in a few months it established permanent peace where peace had been a stranger4 ,it was police work on the highest plane1 substituting order for disorder4 ,but did it not emphasize the need for the maintenance1 even here1 of a competent and efficient naval and military force8 ,i asked4 ,mr4 ,carnegie shook his head emphatically4 ,that is the old1 old argument cropping up again1 said he1 the argument that a provocative is a preventive4 ,for us to maintain a great army for the purpose of preventing war thereby would be as sensible as for each of us to be afraid to walk about except with a lightning rod down his back1 since men have been struck by lightning4 ,no nation wants to fight us4 ,we have friends throughout the world4 ,millions now resident in military nations are hoping that some day they may be able to become citizens of our beloved republic1 principally because it now is not1 nor is it every likely to be1 military4 ,humanity loves peace4 ,here peace abides1 and1 if we follow reason1 will remain unbroken4 ,note the advantages of our own position4 ,imagine what the task would be of landing seventy thousand hostile soldiers on our shores6 ,first they would need to cross three thousand miles of the ,atlantic or five thousand miles of the ,pacific4 ,and what if they should come8 ,my plan of operation would be to bid them welcome as our visitors1 considering them as men1 not soldiers2 to take them to our great interior1 say1 as far west as ,chicago1 and there to say to them3 ',here we shall leave you4 ,make yourselves at home1 if that thought pleases you2 fight us if it does not4 ,if you think you can conquer us1 try it4' ,they would make themselves at home and1 learning the advantages of staying with us1 would become applicants for our citizenship1 rather than our opponents in warfare4 ,and if they tried to fight us1 what would happen to them8 ,our nation is unique in an important respect4 ,its individuals are the best armed in the world4 ,not only1 for example1 are its farmers armed1 but they can shoot1 which is far more than can be said of those of ,britain or of any other nation4 ,the ,governments of ,europe cannot afford to give their citizenry arms1 and1 as for the ,european citizenry1 it not only cannot afford to purchase arms1 but cannot afford even to pay the license fees which ,government demands of those possessing arms with the right to use them4 ,but ours8 ,most ,americans can afford to and do own guns with which to shoot1 and1 furthermore1 most ,americans1 when they shoot1 can hit the things at which they shoot4 ,combine this powerful protective influence with the fact that thousands of any army coming to invade us would not want to fight when once they got here1 but would want to settle here and enjoy peace1 and we find that we thus are protected as no nation in the world ever has been protected or can be4 ,imagine the effect upon the ,european fighting man's psychology if he found that an army transport had conveyed him to a land where one man's privilege is every man's right6 ,learning this1 it is not a joke to say1 but is a statement of the probable fact1 that the invading soldiery would not want to fire its first volleys1 but would want to file its first papers4 ,they would not ask for cartridges1 but for citizenship4 ,america is protected by a force incomparable1 which ,i may call its peaceful militia1 and the man who1 above all other men1 ,i most should wish to see appointed to its command would be ,gen4 ,leonard ,wood were it not for the fact that there would be some danger that in such an eventuation his professional training would carry him beyond the rule of reason4 ,that is likely to be the most serious trouble with the trained soldier4 ,the doctor wants to dose1 the parson to preach1 and the soldier to fight4 ,professional habit may make any of us dangerous4 ,but if it came to fighting ,i do not consider it within the bounds of possibility that we could lose4 ,i once asked ,gen4 ,sherman how the troops which he commanded during the civil war compared for efficiency with ,european troops4 ,his answer was3 ',the world never has seen the army that ,i would be afraid to trust my boys with1 man for man4' ,would ,surprise the ,enemy4 ,that thought of welcoming an invading army appeals strongly to me4 ,the hostile ,general would be amazed by the ease with which he got his forces in1 but he would be more startled by the difficulty he would find if he tried to get them out4 ,if they once learned the advantages of our liberties they would find it hard not to get away1 but to go away4 ,i restrain my temper with difficulty when ,i contemplate the foolishness of the people who discuss with gravity the possibility of a successful invasion of these ,united ,states by a foreign foe4 ,the thought always arises when ,i hear these cries from our army and naval officers for a greater armament3 ',are these men cowards8' ,i don't believe it4 ,it is their profession which makes them alarmists4 ,not only are the physical difficulties which would hamper an invasion practically insuperable1 but the reception enemies would get1 if any of them landed1 would be wholly without parallel in the world's history4 ,if our liberties really were threatened1 every man1 and very nearly every woman1 in our vast population would rise to their defense as never any people yet has risen to any national defense4 ,americans1 young and old1 en masse1 would sweep to the protection of what they know1 and what the world knows1 would be the cause of right and human liberty4 ,i1 myself1 should wish to be invited to advance and meet invading forces if they came4 ,i would approach them without any weapons on my person4 ,i would not shoot at them4 ,i would make a speech to them4 ',gentlemen1' ,i would say1 'here's the chance of your life to win life's chief prize4 ,now you are peasant soldiers4 ,you have the opportunity to become citizen kings4 ,we are all kings here4 ,here the least of you can take a rank much higher than that of any ,general in your army4 ,he can become a sovereign in a republic4' ,i think they would hurrah for me1 not harm me1 after they had heard my speech4 ,striving for peace1 we shall become so powerful that if war comes we shall be invincible4 ,peace1 not war1 makes riches2 the rich nation is the powerful nation4 ,perhaps ,i was as much a peace man in my youth as ,i am now1 but when ,i was asked1 during the civil war1 to organize a corps of telegraph operators and railroad conductors and engineers and take them to ,washington1 ,i considered it the greatest of all privileges to obey the order4 ,i was the last man to get on the last train leaving ,burkes ,station1 after ,bull ,run1 and1 now1 if the country ever should be invaded1 ,i would be1 ,i hope1 one of the first to rush to meet the enemy--but ,i think my haste would be to convert1 not to kill1 him4 ,the man who has done well in business1 however1 learns to abhor all waste1 and ,i must admit that it does pain me to see hundreds of millions of our dollars spent on battleships which will but rust away1 and thousands of our able men vegetating on them or in an army4 ,the men who urge this vast waste of our money and men mean well1 no doubt1 but they do not know the nation of which they have the good fortune to be citizens--they do not realize how very potent a force we have become in the wide world1 nor the fact that one of the great reasons why we have become a force lies in the circumstance that our national development has not been hampered by the vast expense of militarism4 ,mr4 ,carnegie paused4 ,some weeks ago1 in an interview granted me for publication in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times1 ,dr4 ,nicholas ,murray ,butler1 ,president of ,columbia ,university1 predicted that the present war would find its final outcome in the establishment of the ,united ,states of ,europe4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,carnegie to express his view upon this subject4 ,nothing else could occur which would be of such immense advantage to ,europe1 he replied4 ,united we stand1 and divided they fall4 ,if the territory now occupied by the homogeneous and co-operative federation known as the ,united ,states of ,america were occupied instead by a large number of small1 independent competitive nations1 that is1 if each section of our territory which now is a ,state were an independent country1 ,america would be constantly in turmoil4 ,europe has been set back a century because she substituted the present war of nations for the promotion of a federation plan4 ,the latter would have meant peace and prosperity1 the former means ruin4 ,if in ,europe this year such a federation as ,dr4 ,butler regards as a future probability had been a present actuality1 #aiad would have left a record very different from that which it is making4 ,for instance1 it would have been as difficult for the ,state of ,germany to fight the ,state of ,russia1 or the ,state of ,france1 or that of ,england1 or all of them1 and to trample neutral ,belgium1 as it now would be1 here1 for the ,state of ,pennsylvania to declare war on the ,states of ,new ,york and ,connecticut and to wreck ,new ,jersey as she sent her troops to the invasion4 ,originally we had thirteen ,states1 and thirteen only1 but there was other territory here1 and the attractive force of the successful union of the thirteen ,states brought the other territory in as it was organized4 ,thus we started right4 ,europe had begun before men had become so wise1 and1 having begun wrong1 has found herself1 through the centuries1 unable to correct old errors4 ,a ,federation of ,europe4 ,certainly ,i hope that out of the great crime of this vast war some good will come4 ,the greatest good which could come would be a general ,european federation4 ,i do not believe that this will come at once2 but the world will be infinitely the better if it comes at length--if the natural law of mutual attraction for mutual advantage draws these nations now at war into a union which shall make such wars impossible in future1 as wars between our ,states1 here1 are impossible4 ,but before this can come peace must come1 and before peace can come one or the other of the nations now at war must at least ask for an armistice4 ,if ,i were in the place of that great ,general1 ,lord ,kitchener1 and should receive the news that such a request had been made by the commander of the opposing forces1 ,i should say3 ',no armistice6 ,surrender6' ,but1 then1 if the surrender should be made1 ,i should say1 in effect3 ',gentlemen1 we have made up our minds that these terrible explosions must mark the end of war between our civilized nations4 ,our sacrifices in this war have been too great to permit us to be satisfied with less than this4 ',if we now cannot feel assured of such a federation of nations as will result in the settlement of all future disputes by peaceful arbitration at ,the ,hague1 then we shall keep on fighting till the day comes when we can achieve that end4 ',upon the other side of the ,atlantic1' ,i should continue if ,i were ,lord ,kitchener and should be confronted by such a situation1 'we see in the ,united ,states of ,america an example which must satisfy us that world peace now can be maintained4 ',there1' ,i should go on1 'thirteen ,states were banded into union in #aggf4 ,their total population was less than the present population of their largest city and their area has spread until it links two oceans and offers homes in forty-eight ,states to one hundred millions1 and the population still increases rapidly4 ,an experiment of world significance was tried1 and is a success1 for the aggregated nation has grown and now is growing in power more rapidly than any other nation on the surface of the earth4' ,would ,mean ,world ,peace4 ',it is plain to me and should be plain to all of us1' ,i should continue1 if ,i were ,lord ,kitchener1 so placed1 'that we in ,europe have but to follow this example which ,america has set for us in order to achieve an ultimate result as notably desirable4 ,when we have accomplished it world peace will be enthroned and all the peoples of the earth will be able safely to go about the pleasant and progressive business of their lives without apprehension of their neighbors4 ,humanity1 thus freed of its most dreadful burden1 will be able to leap forward toward the realization of its ultimate possibilities of progress4' ,and do you really think there is the immediate possibility of an effective ,european league for permanent peace and general disarmament8 ,i asked ,mr4 ,carnegie4 ,naturally my mind has dwelt much on this problem1 he replied4 ,the culmination of the ,european situation in the present war is very dreadful1 but no good ever came out of crying over spilled milk4 ,however1 it seems safe to conclude that a majority of the people of the civilized world will presently decide that a step forward must be taken4 ,everywhere in ,europe1 when the present conflict ends1 this fact will be emphasized by shell-wrecked1 fire-blackened buildings2 by the vacant chairs of sons and fathers who have fallen victims2 by innumerable graves and by a general impoverishment1 the inevitable result of war's great waste1 which will touch and punish every man1 every woman1 every child4 ,in the face of such an emphasis no denial of the facts will be among the possibilities1 and ,i scarcely think that any even will be attempted4 ,if the federation ,dr4 ,butler has predicted does not come about at once1 it will be admitted almost universally that future disputes occurring between the ,governments of ,europe shall be settled1 not by force of fighting men1 but by arbitration at ,the ,hague4 ,and now a serious question obtrudes itself4 ,must there not be a carefully considered and cautiously worked out understanding1 which may be considered the preliminary of peace8 ,later on the foremost men of every nation can meet in conference to consider with an earnestness hitherto unknown the great problems which will be involved in the permanent abolition of war and establishment of peace2 but for this the way must be prepared4 ,here1 again1 ,i think ,the ,hague ,tribunal is the proper body to assemble for the purpose of devising means for the accomplishment of the great end1 which must be such legislation as will accomplish1 at the end of this war1 the ending of all war among the nations4 ,an important duty of the conference would be some arrangement for a union of the forces of the nations now at war1 charged with and qualified to perform the duty of maintaining peace pending the completion of the final comprehensive plan4 ,for ,one ,purpose ,only4 ,it is possible and even probable that as a part of the accomplishment of this it may be found to be desirable and even necessary to organize and provide for the maintenance of a joint naval and military body of strength sufficient to enforce world peace during the period necessary for the preparation of a plan to be submitted to all powers4 ,but if this force is to be established1 it must be done with the clear understanding that it is designed for one thing only1 the maintenance of peace1 and must not be used at any time for any other service4 ,in the selection of the commanding officer to be intrusted with this task1 it will be conceded that the victors in this war1 or those who have a notable advantage at the time of the beginning of the armistice1 shall have the right of his appointment4 ,no protest ever will arise from the mass of the people of ,europe against the abolishment of militarism4 ,even the people of ,germany1 as a whole1 have not found militarism attractive4 ,it has been the influence of the military aristocracy of ,germany1 the most powerful caste in the world1 which not only has encouraged the national tendency1 but has forced the ,emperor1 as ,i believe1 to action against his will and judgment4 ,but a change was notable in ,germany before the war began1 and will be far more notable after it has ended4 ,the socialistic movement waxes strong throughout the nation1 and the proceedings of the ,reichstag show us that the nation is marching steadily1 though perhaps slowly1 toward a real democracy4 ,i believe the first election to follow peace will result in a demand by the ,reichstag that it1 alone1 shall be given power to declare war4 ,it will be argued1 and it is evident that it then will be amply provable1 that it is the people who suffer most through war1 and that1 therefore1 their representatives should utterly control it4 ,that itself would be a most important step toward peace1 and ,i feel certain that it is among the probabilities4 ,as things stand in ,germany1 although the ,reichstag has its powerful influence in regard to war expenditure and might accomplish important results by refusing to vote amounts demanded1 the fact remains that until it has been given the power of making or withholding declaration of war the most important results cannot be accomplished4 ,in ,fried's volume1 ,i suggested to ,mr4 ,carnegie1 you are credited with saying that ,emperor ,william1 himself and by himself1 might establish peace4 ,granting that that might have been the fact before this war began1 is it your opinion that he1 or any other one man1 could now control the situation to that extent8 ,assuming that the ,germans should come out victorious1 ,mr4 ,carnegie replied1 the ,emperor would become a stronger power than ever toward the maintenance of peace among the nations4 ,at one time ,i believed him to be the anointed of ,god for this purpose1 and did not fail to tell him so4 ,even if his forces should be defeated in this present carnage1 ,i am sure he would be welcomed by the conference ,i have suggested as the proposer of the great world peace1 thus fulfilling the glorious destiny for which at one time ,i considered that he had been chosen from on high4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,carnegie what part he thought this country1 the ,united ,states1 should play in the great movement which he has in mind and thoroughly believes is even now upon its way4 ,the ,united ,states1 he answered1 although1 happily1 not a party to the world crime which is now in progress1 seems entitled to preference as the one to call the nations of the world to the consideration of the greatest of all blessings--universal1 lasting peace4 ,woman and ,war ,,shot4 ,,tell ,,his ,,mother4 ,by ,w4,e4,p4 ,french1 ,captain1 ,u4,s4 ,army4 ,what have ,i done to you1 ,brothers1--,war-,lord and ,land-,lord and ,priest1-- ,that my son should rot on the blood-smeared earth where the raven and buzzard feast8 ,he was my baby1 my man-child1 that soldier with shell-torn breast1 ,who was slain for your power and profit--aye1 murdered at your behest4 ,i bore him1 my boy and my manling1 while the long months ebbed away2 ,he was part of me1 part of my body1 which nourished him day by day4 ,he was mine when the birth-pang tore me1 mine when he lay on my heart1 ,when the sweet mouth mumbled my bosom and the milk-teeth made it smart1 ,babyhood1 boyhood1 and manhood1 and a glad mother proud of her son-- ,see the carrion birds1 too gorged to fly6 ,ah6 ,brothers1 what have you done8 ,you prate of duty and honor1 of a patriot's glorious death1 ,of love of country1 heroic deeds--nay1 for shame's sake1 spare your breath6 ,pray1 what have you done for your country8 ,whose was the blood that was shed ,in the hellish warfare that served your ends8 ,my boy was shot in your stead4 ,and for what were our children butchered1 men makers of cruel law8 ,by the ,christ1 ,i am glad no woman made the ,christless code of war6 ,shirks and schemers1 why don't you answer8 ,is the foul truth hard to tell8 ,then a mother will tell it for you1 of a deed that shames fiends in hell3-- ,our boys were killed that some faction or scoundrel might win mad race ,for goals of stained gold1 shamed honors1 and the sly self-seeker's place2 ,that money's hold on our country might be tightened and made more sure2 ,that the rich could inherit earth's fullness and their loot be quite secure2 ,that the world-mart be wider opened to the product mulct from toil2 ,that the labor and land of our neighbors should become your war-won spoil2 ,that the eyes of an outraged people might be turned from your graft and greed ,in the misruled1 plundered home-land by lure of war's ghastly deed2 ,and that priests of the warring nations could pray to the selfsame ,god ,for ,his blessing on battle and murder and corpse-strewn1 blood-soaked sod4 ,oh1 fools6 if ,god were a woman1 think you ,she would let kin slay ,for gold-lust and craft of gamesters1 or cripple that trade might pay8 ,this quarrel was not the fighters'3--the cheated1 red pawns in your game3-- ,you stay-at-homes garnered the plunder1 but the pawns1--wounds1 death1 and ,fame6 ,you paid them a beggarly pittance1 your substitute prey-of-the-sword1 ,but1 ye canny beasts of prey1 they paid1 in life and limb1 for your hoard4 ,and1 behold6 you have other victims3 a widow sobs by my side1 ,who clasps to her breast a girl-child4 ,men1 she was my slain son's bride6 ,i can smell the stench of the shambles1 where the mangled bodies lie2 ,i can hear the moans of the wounded2 ,i can see the brave lads die2 ,and across the heaped1 red trenches and the tortured1 bleeding rows ,i cry out a mother's pity to all mothers of dear1 dead foes4 ,in love and a common sorrow1 ,i weep with them o'er our dead1 ,and invoke my sister woman for a curse on each scheming head4 ,nay1 why should we mothers curse you8 ,lo6 flesh of our flesh are ye2 ,but1 by soul of ,mary who bore the ,christ-man murdered at ,calvary1 ,into our own shall the mothers come1 and the glad day speed apace ,when the law of peace shall be the law of the women that bear the race2 ,when a man shall stand by his mother1 for the worldwide common good1 ,and not bring her tears and heart-break nor make mock of her motherhood4 ,the ,way to ,peace ,,an ,,interview ,,with ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff4 ,one of the leading ,american financiers and noted philanthropist2 founder of ,jewish ,theological ,seminary and of ,semitic ,museum at ,harvard ,university2 a native of ,germany and member of the firm of ,kuhn1 ,loeb ,co41 bankers4 ,by ,edward ,marshall4 ,american as ,i am in every fibre1 and in accord as ,i feel with every interest of the country of my adoption1 ,i cannot find myself in agreement with what appears to be1 to a considerable extent1 ,american opinion as to the origin and responsibility for the deplorable conflict in which almost all of ,europe has become involved4 ,for many reasons my personal sympathies are with ,germany4 ,i cannot feel convinced that she has been the real aggressor2 ,i believe that war was forced upon her1 almost as if by prearrangement among the nations with whom she now contends2 ,i cannot but believe that they had become jealous and envious of her rapid and unprecedented peaceful development and had concluded that the moment had arrived when all was favorable for a union against her4 ,although ,i left ,germany half a century ago1 ,i would think as little of arraying myself against her1 the country of my birth1 in this the moment of her struggle for existence1 as of arraying myself against my parents4 ,but while ,i steadfastly believe this war to have been forced upon ,germany against her will1 ,i also believe that circumstances which were stronger than the ,governments of ,england and ,france1 her present enemies1 were necessary to overcome an equally definite reluctance upon their part4 ,in other words1 ,i cannot wholly blame the ,english ,government1 or the ,french ,government1 any more than ,i can wholly blame the ,german ,government4 ,let us see how the great tragedy came about4 ,it is safe to pass rapidly over the ,servian-,bosnian-,herzegovinian-,austro -,hungarian complication which served as the immediate precipitant of hostilities4 ,it has been detailed repeatedly in ,,the ,,times and other ,american publications4 ,it had reached a point at which the ,austro-,hungarian ,government felt compelled to take extreme measures by means of which to safeguard the integrity of the empire4 ,the firm but fatal ultimatum to ,servia followed1 the reply to which1 suffice it to say1 was unsatisfactory to ,austria1 who could not accept the suggestion of an investigation into the circumstances attending the assassination of the ,archduke ,ferdinand through a commission or court on which she was not represented4 ,like ,maine ,case4 ,the situation really was analogous to that which existed between the ,united ,states and ,spain when the ,maine was blown up in ,havana ,harbor4 ,in order to fix the responsibility for this dastardly affair we then similarly demanded an investigation by ,spain1 to be carried out with the assistance of representatives of this ,government4 ,spain1 too1 then offered to conduct an investigation1 but she peremptorily declined to allow us to take part in it4 ,this attitude on her part quickly brought about our declaration of war against her4 ,it is important that ,americans should realize the similarity in the two situations and the likeness of the ,austrian action of #aiad to that which our own ,government took in #ahih4 ,as soon as ,austria had rejected as unsatisfactory ,servia's reply to her ultimatum she prepared to undertake a punitive armed expedition against ,servia1 and ,russia at once declared that she would rank herself as ,servia's protector4 ,indeed1 without any further parley1 and to give effect to this threat1 ,russia immediately mobilized her army4 ,since then it has been averred that this mobilization had been in progress for several weeks previous to ,servia's rejection of the ,austrian ultimatum4 ,this made it obligatory upon ,germany to go to ,austria's aid1 under the provisions of their treaty of alliance1 although she was well aware that such an action would bring ,france into the conflict under the terms of her alliance with ,russia4 ,indeed1 an unsatisfactory reply had been received from ,france as to the latter's intentions1 but ,germany endeavored to secure at least an assurance of ,england's neutrality4 ,this proved to be impossible4 ,how the ,german ,government could indulge for a moment in the hope that in a war with ,russia and ,france on the one side and ,germany and ,austria on the other1 ,england could be induced to remain neutral passes comprehension1 but that it did believe this seems a certainty4 ,the ,english ,government1 no doubt1 correctly felt that without the aid of its immense resources1 and particularly without the operations of its great navy against ,germany and ,austria1 the latter nations would find it not so very difficult a task to dispose of both ,russia and ,france4 ,english statesmen very promptly must have become alive to the probability that a ,germany which had subdued ,russia and ,france1 and thus had made itself master of the ,continent1 would be unlikely long to tolerate a continuance of ,england's world leadership4 ,so1 even if the neutrality of ,belgium had not been violated1 other reasons would have been found by ,england for joining ,france and ,russia in the war against ,germany1 for ,england would not risk1 without any effort to protect them1 the loss of her continued domination of the high seas and her undisputed possession of her vast colonial empire4 ,germany ,fighting for ,life4 ,i am not defending the violation of ,belgian neutrality4 ,this1 undeniably1 was a most unjustifiable action1 in spite of ,german claims that she was forced into it by the necessities of the situation4 ,but ,i am explaining that1 even had it not occurred1 still ,england would have gone to war4 ,that was the situation4 ,germany is now fighting for her very existence1 and ,i1 who am not without knowledge of ,german conditions1 am convinced that never has there been a war more wholly that of a whole people than is this present conflict1 as far as ,germany is concerned4 ,any one who has been in even superficial touch with ,german public opinion and individual feeling in any part of the empire1 since the war began1 must know that there is hardly a man1 woman1 or child throughout the empire who would hesitate if called upon to sacrifice possessions or life in order to insure victory to the ,fatherland4 ,seventy million people who are animated by unanimous sentiment of this sort cannot be crushed1 probably not subdued4 ,and ,england is confronted by the certainty that her world leadership is the stake for which she is fighting2 that her defeat would mean the end of the vast dominance which she has exercised throughout the world1 since the time of the ,armada1 through the power of her great navy4 ,is it not apparent1 therefore1 that these nations1 if left to themselves1 inevitably must continue the war until one side or the other1 or both1 shall become exhausted--an eventuation which may be postponed not for mere months but for years8 ,in our own civil war ,grant for almost two years stood within a hundred or a hundred and fifty miles of ,richmond1 the heart of the ,confederacy1 and was not able to sufficiently subdue ,lee's forces to enable him to get possession of the city until the complete exhaustion of the ,confederacy's resources in men and money had been accomplished4 ,illustration3 ,,viscount ,,james ,,bryce 7,photo from ,george ,g4 ,bain47 ,see ,page #dgg ,illustration3 ,,dr4 ,,bernhard ,,dernburg 7,photo by ,campbell ,studios47 ,see ,page #dhg ,illustration3 ,,david ,,starr ,,jordan ,see ,page #ejb ,illustration3 ,,john ,,grier ,,hibben 7,photo by ,mc,manus47 ,see ,page #ejc ,while that situation may not offer a true parallel in all respects to that in which we find the belligerent forces in the present ,european war1 it nevertheless may be taken as a precedent proving that frontal encounters of powerful opponents generally do not yield final results until actual exhaustion compels one side or the other to abandon hope4 ,such an exhaustion hardly can be expected within measurable time on the part of either one or the other of the combatants in the existing ,european conflict1 and this means the probable continuation for a long period of the merciless slaughter which has marked the last few months4 ,we hold up our hands in horror at the stories of human sacrifices in the early ages when1 after all1 these were1 perhaps1 less brutal and less appalling than the wholesale slaughter of the flower of these warring peoples of which we now read almost daily4 ,as ,i see the situation there really are only three contestants in the war--,england1 ,russia1 and ,germany4 ,france1 ,belgium1 and ,austria are important auxiliaries1 but they are playing to a certain extent secondary rles4 ,england's real object is the utter defeat of ,germany--nothing more nor less than that--and if this is accomplished ,england will have control of ,europe4 ,it must be remembered that the ,english ,government and ,english people frequently have asserted that they would not be satisfied with mere defeat of ,germany's armed forces1 but that her power must be permanently paralyzed4 ,if ,england should accomplish this1 with ,germany1 its army and its navy1 thus wholly out of the way1 no one would be left for ,england to fear in future upon the high seas4 ,that might be the chief significance of ,england's complete victory1 and its complete significance would be that every nation in the world would have to do the ,british bidding1 for should any one refuse she could completely destroy its commerce and shut off its overseas supplies4 ,in the cases of most nations overseas supplies include material vital to the continuance of life and happiness2 to every nation1 in these days of a developed and habitual foreign trade1 overseas supplies are actually essential1 even when they do not necessarily include meats and wheat and other foodstuffs4 ,the effect upon the ,united ,states of such an ,english victory would be most disastrous4 ,the alliance between ,england and ,japan is likely to be permanent4 ,that is something which ,americans cannot afford to forget for a moment4 ,england needs ,japan in the ,far ,east1 especially as an ally in case of need1 which at some time is certain to arrive1 against ,russia2 and ,japan for many reasons needs the strength of ,english backing1 without which her financial and political situation soon would become most dangerous1 if not collapse4 ,such a permanent alliance would have this consequence upon us1 that without even the probability of difficulties with either ,england or ,japan--and1 personally1 ,i do not believe that such a probability need be feared--we nevertheless year after year would be compelled to increasingly prepare for what may be defined as the disagreeable possibility of the eventuation of a disagreeable possibility4 ,certainly we should be under the necessity of notably and1 therefore1 very expensively1 increasing our naval armament2 we should be under the necessity of large expenditures for coast defense4 ,corollary military cost would be enormous and burdensome4 ,the preparation which would be imposed on us as a necessity by such a permanent alliance would be sufficiently extensive and expensive to burden our people heavily and handicap our national progress4 ,it might involve1 perhaps1 even a greater hardship in our case than militarism has involved in ,germany4 ,it is improbable that the average ,american realizes the part which absence of such burdens has played in our national development so far2 it would be difficult for the average ,american who has not studied the whole subject carefully to estimate accurately the part which the imposition of such a burden would be sure to play in our future4 ,we have been measurably a free people4 ,if we were under the necessity of supporting vast military and naval establishments we should be that no longer1 no matter how completely we adhered to our democratic political system and ideals4 ,it is not ,kings1 but what they do1 which burdens countries1 and the most burdensome1 act of any ,king is to load his country up with non-productive1 threatening1 and expensive war machinery4 ,the ,real ,peril4 ,i fear that the ,american people as a whole have visualized only slightly1 if at all1 the real peril involved in this contingency2 but ,i cannot feel otherwise than sure that soon they must awake to the great danger that militarism and navalism may be imposed upon them through no fault of their own4 ,american impulses trend away from armament toward peaceful development along industrial lines1 but even now political leaders in ,washington begin to see what may be coming4 ,the propositions which already have been made for considerable increases in our naval and military forces may be regarded as only the forerunners of what is to be expected later4 ,my sympathies and interests1 in other words my patriotic sentiments1 are definitely ,american4 ,i must repeat that ,i am of ,german origin1 and that as regards the present struggle ,i am pro-,german1 yet it would be impossible for me to say that ,i am anti-,english1 although ,i am anti-,russian for reasons that are obvious4 ,i already have expressed the belief that the complete humiliation of ,england would be disastrous to us4 ,now1 it seems to me that if ,germany should be completely successful1 if she should be able to wear out the ,allies1 break down ,france1 hold ,russia in check1 and cripple or even invade ,england1 7which many ,german leaders actually believe can be done1 incredible as it may seem to us17 ,germany would acquire a position such as never has been held by any nation since the beginning of history4 ,not even the power of the ,roman ,empire would approach it4 ,the advance which has marked the development of every means of communication1 transportation1 manufacturing1 c41 since ,rome's day would give ,germany1 in the case of such an eventuation1 a power which would have been inconceivable to the most ambitious ,roman ,emperor4 ,it would make her a menace not only to her immediate neighbors1 but to the entire globe4 ,could she be trusted with such power8 ,notwithstanding my personal sympathies1 which ,i have taken pains to clearly outline1 ,i must admit that ,i cannot think so4 ,the ,german character is not only self-reliant1 which is admirable1 but it readily becomes domineering1 particularly when in the ascendency4 ,in the rle of a world conqueror ,germany would become a world dictator--would indulge in a domination which would be almost unbearable to every other nation4 ,particularly would this be the case in respect to her relations with the ,united ,states1 a nation with which she always has had and always must have intimate trade and commercial relations4 ,should ,germany make ,england impotent and ,france powerless we should become more or less dependent upon ,german good-will1 and it is highly probable1 indeed ,i regard it as a certainty1 that before long1 in such an event1 the ,monroe ,doctrine would cease to exercise any important influence on world events4 ,it would become a thing of the past--a scrap of paper4 ,you see that while ,i am not neutral to the extreme1 while ,i fervently hope and pray that ,germany may not be wrecked and that she may emerge from the war with full ability to maintain her own1 ,i cannot believe that it would be good for her or good for the world in general if she found herself absolutely and incontrovertibly victorious at the end of the great struggle4 ,in other words1 ,i wish ,germany to be victorious1 but ,i do not wish her to be too victorious4 ,this brings us definitely to the question as to what can be done to stop this war4 ,its continuance is infinitely costly of men and treasure2 its prosecution to the bitter end would mean complete disaster for one contestant and only less complete destruction for the other1 and it would give to the victor1 no matter what his sufferings and losses might have been1 a power dangerous to the entire world4 ,how shall it end8 ,we do not want its end to mean a new ,european map4 ,anything of the sort would include the seed of another ,european war1 to be fought out later and at even greater probable cost1 with all the world-disturbance implied in such an eventuation4 ,what the ,united ,states should desire and does desire is an understanding between these nations1 of just what they are fighting for1 which ,i almost believe they no longer know themselves1 and a conference between them now1 a pause to think1 which at least may help toward stimulating each side to make concessions1 before the ultimate of damage has been done4 ,such a conference might be called even without any interval in warfare and induced without definite outside intervention from ourselves or any one else4 ,i believe it not to be beyond the bounds of possibility that if this course could be brought about importantly enough1 a way out of this brutal struggle and carnage might be discovered even now1 and ,i know ,i am not alone in this belief4 ,the situation is unprecedented4 ,no congress such as in former times more than once has settled wars and brought about peace by the give-and-take process could be of avail in the existing circumstances4 ,something far higher than such a conference is needed4 ,this peace must not be temporary4 ,it must mark not the ending of this war alone but the ending of all war4 ,some means must be devised and generally agreed to which1 after the re-establishment of peace1 will do away with jealousies among ,european nations1 so that the continual increase of armament on land and sea no longer will be necessary1 and humanity will be freed from its tremendous burden4 ,it is not at present possible to point out any concrete means by which these things may be accomplished1 but it is not impossible that1 when reason shall be returned to the ,governments now at war1 they themselves may suggest to one another plans and ways and means how this may be effectuated4 ,toward this end ,america may help tremendously1 and herein lies1 it seems to me1 the greatest opportunity ever offered by events to the ,american press4 ,let the newspapers of ,america stop futile philosophizing upon the merits and demerits of each case1 let them measurably cease their comment upon what each side has accomplished or failed to accomplish during the tragic four months which have traced their bloody mark on history4 ,let them begin to stimulate public opinion in favor of a rational adjustment of the points at issue--such an adjustment as will leave each contestant unhumiliated and intact1 such an adjustment as will avoid1 as far as may be possible1 the complete defeat of any one1 such an adjustment as will do what can be done toward righting wrongs already wrought1 and such an adjustment as will let the world return as soon as may be to the paths of peace1 productiveness1 prosperity1 and happiness4 ,in suggesting that ,america should regard this effort as an obligation ,i am assuming for this country no rights which are not properly hers4 ,we1 a nation of a hundred million people1 laboring constantly for peace and human progress1 have a right to make our voice heard1 and if we raise it properly it will find listeners among those who can help toward the accomplishment of what we seek4 ,but if we would make it heard we must be earnest1 be honest1 and be ceaseless in the reiteration of our demand4 ,have we not the right to insist that the interests of neutral nations1 of whom1 with our ,south ,american cousins1 7for the better intercourse with whom we have just spent several hundred millions upon the construction of the ,panama ,canal17 we form so large a percentage1 shall before long be given some consideration by the nations whose great quarrel is harming us incalculably8 ,americans ,should ,speak ,out4 ,the interruption of our economic development already has become marked and the war's baneful influence upon moral conditions in our midst shows itself through constantly increasing unemployment and1 as a logical consequence of that1 the rapid filling of our eleemosynary and penal institutions4 ,may we not reasonably demand that this shall speedily be brought to an end8 ,it probably is true that under the rules of the game the ,president of the ,united ,states cannot offer his good offices again to the belligerents without first being invited by one or the other side to do this1 but the people of the ,united ,states have a voice even more powerful than his2 if that of the people of ,south ,america should be joined with it1 and if the combined sound should be made unquestionably apparent to the warring nations1 it could not pass unheeded4 ,public opinion in the ,united ,states should firmly seek to impress upon the warring nations the conviction that nothing can secure a lasting peace except assurance of conditions under which not mighty armies and tremendous navies are held to be the factors through which trade expansion and the conquest of the markets of the world are to be obtained1 but that this can be accomplished better and more lastingly through rigid adherence to the qualities and methods which generally make for success in commercial or any other peaceful competition--fairness1 thorough efficiency1 and hard work4 ,the concentrated power of the ,american press and people would be tremendous4 ,i am sure that1 in this instance1 it is possible to concentrate it for righteousness and the future good of all humanity4 ,prof4 ,mather on ,mr4 ,schiff ,professor of ,art at ,princeton ,university2 editorial writer for ,the ,new ,york ,evening ,post and ,assistant ,editor of ,the ,nation1 #aija-jf4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,it seems to me that the ,belgian previous question ought to be moved with all candid pro-,germans4 ,mr4 ,schiff is plainly candid1 so ,i have framed an open letter to elicit his opinion3 ,an ,open ,letter to ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff4 ,mr4 ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff1 ,new ,york4 ,my ,dear ,sir3 ,the universal esteem which you enjoy in the country of your adoption lends great weight to any utterance of yours on public matters4 ,your interview on the war in ,,the ,,times of ,nov4 #bb will everywhere have influence for its gravity and fineness of feeling4 ,it is with compunction that ,i call your attention to the fact that your statement is ambiguous on precisely those issues of the conflict which your fellow-citizens have nearest at heart4 ,your general position may be described as a desire for prompt peace and restoration of the former balance of power4 ,more specifically you wish ,germany to be victorious1 but not too victorious4 ,if this be merely an instinctive expression of the residual ,german in you1 an expression made with no practical implications of any sort1 no ,american will do otherwise than respect such a sentiment4 ,but if you deliberately desire a moderate victory for ,germany1 with all that such moderate victory practically implies1 it behooves your fellow-citizens to judge your views in the light of what these really call for4 ,an ever so slightly victorious ,germany would presumably retain ,belgium1 in whole or in part4 ,does such a conquest have your moral assent8 ,or suppose the rather improbable event of a ,germany driven out of ,belgium1 but otherwise slightly victorious4 ,in such case not a pfennig of indemnity would come to ,belgium4 ,do you believe that no indemnity is morally due ,belgium8 ,knowing your reputation as a man and philanthropist1 ,i can hardly believe that your desire for a not too victorious ,germany includes its logical implication of a subjugated or uncompensated ,belgium4 ,but if this be so1 candor expects an avowal4 ,until you have made yourself clear on the issue that most concerns your fellow-citizens they will remain in doubt as to your whole moral attitude on the war4 ,does your pacificism contemplate a ,german ,belgium8 ,i feel sure you will admit that no fairer question could be set to any one who comments on the sequels of the war4 ,i am1 most respectfully yours1 ,,frank ,,jewett ,,mather1 ,jr4 ,princeton ,university1 ,oct4 #bc1 #aiad4 ,the ,eliot-,schiff ,letters ,on ,nov4 #bb ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times printed this interview with ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff on the ,european war reproduced above4 ,two days later ,dr4 ,charles ,w4 ,eliot1 ,president ,emeritus of ,harvard1 who is an old friend of ,mr4 ,schiff1 wrote him a letter of comment on ,,the ,,times interview4 ,this letter resulted in considerable correspondence between the two4 ,at the time this correspondence was penned there was not the least thought in the mind of either of the writers of giving the letters to the public4 ,it was simply an interchange of ideas between men who had long known each other4 ,when they were convinced1 however1 that publication might serve a useful purpose in shaping public opinion1 both ,mr4 ,schiff and ,dr4 ,eliot cordially assented to their being printed4 ,dr4 ,eliot to ,mr4 ,schiff4 ,,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,nov4 #bd1 #aiad4 ,dear ,mr4 ,schiff3 ,it was a great relief to me to read just now your interview in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times of ,nov4 #bb1 for ,i have been afraid that your judgment and mine1 concerning the desirable outcome of this horrible war1 were very different4 ,i now find that at many points they coincide4 ,one of my strongest hopes is that one result of the war may be the acceptance by the leading nations of the world of the precept or law--there shall be no world empire for any single nation4 ,if ,i understand you correctly1 you hold the same opinion4 ,you wish neither ,germany nor ,england to possess world empire4 ,you also look forward1 as ,i do1 to some contract or agreement among the leading nations which shall prevent competitive armaments4 ,i entirely agree with you that it is in the highest degree undesirable that this war should be prolonged to the exhaustion of either side4 ,when1 however1 ,i come to your discussion of the means by which a good result toward ,european order and peace may be brought out of the present convulsion ,i do not find clear guidance to present action on your part or mine1 or on the part of our ,government and people4 ,was it your thought that a congress of the peoples of ,north and ,south ,america should now be convened to bring to bear ,american opinion on the actual combatants while the war is going on8 ,or is it your thought that the ,american nations wait until there is a lull or pause in the indecisive fighting8 ,so far as ,i can judge from the very imperfect information which reaches us from ,germany1 the confidence of the ,german ,emperor and people in their invincible army is not much abated1 although it clearly ought to be4 ,it is obvious that ,american opinion has some weight in ,germany2 but has it not enough weight to induce ,germany to abandon her intense desire for ,belgium and ,holland and extensive colonial possessions8 ,to my thinking1 without the abandonment of that desire and ambition on the part of ,germany1 there can be no lasting peace in ,europe and no reduction of armaments4 ,sincerely yours1 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff1 ,esq4 ,mr4 ,schiff to ,dr4 ,eliot4 ,,new ,,york1 ,nov4 #be1 #aiad4 ,my ,dear ,dr4 ,eliot3 ,i am just in receipt of your thoughtful letter of yesterday1 which it has given me genuine pleasure to receive4 ,while it is true that ,i have not found myself in accord with many of the views to which you have given public expression concerning the responsibility for this deplorable conflict and the unfortunate conditions it has created1 ,i never doubted that as to its desirable outcome we would find ourselves in accord1 and ,i am very glad to have this confirmed by you1 though as to this our views could not have diverged4 ,as to the means by which a desirable result toward ,european order and peace may be brought about out of the chaos which has become created1 it is1 ,i confess1 difficult to give guidance at present4 ,what needs first1 in my opinion1 to be done is to bring forth a healthy and insistent public opinion here for an early peace without either side becoming first exhausted1 and it was my purpose in the interview ,i have given to set the ,american people thinking concerning this4 ,i have no idea that ,i shall have immediate success2 but if men like you and others follow in the same line1 ,i am sure ,american public opinion can before long be made to express itself emphatically and insistently in favor of an early peace4 ,without this it is not unlikely that this horrible slaughter and destruction may continue for a very1 very long time4 ,yours most faithfully1 ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff4 ,president ,emeritus ,charles ,w4 ,eliot1 ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,dr4 ,eliot to ,mr4 ,schiff4 ,,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,nov4 #bh1 #aiad4 ,dear ,mr4 ,schiff3 ,i think1 just as you do1 that the thing which most needs to be done is to induce ,germany to modify its present opinion that the nation must fight for its very life to its last mark and the last drop of its blood4 ,now1 every private letter that ,i have received from ,germany1 and every printed circular1 pamphlet1 or book on the war which has come to me from ,german sources insists on the view that1 for ,germany1 it is a question between world empire or utter downfall4 ,there is no sense or reason in this view1 but the ,german philosophers1 historians1 and statesmen are all maintaining it at this moment4 ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia have no such expectations or desires as regards the fate of ,germany4 ,what they propose to do is to put a stop to ,germany's plan of attaining world empire by militarism4 ,have you any means of getting into the minds of some of the present rulers of ,germany the idea that no such alternative as life or death is presented to ,germany in this war1 and that the people need only abandon their world-empire ambitions while securing safety in the heart of ,europe and a chance to develop all that is good in ,german civilization8 ,sincerely yours1 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff1 ,esq4 ,mr4 ,schiff to ,dr4 ,eliot4 ,the ,greenbrier1 ,,white ,,sulphur ,,springs1 ,w4 ,va41 ,dec4 #a1 #aiad4 ,dear ,dr4 ,eliot3 ,i have received today your letter of the #bhth ult41 and ,i hasten to reply to it1 for ,i know of nought that is of more importance than the discussion between earnest men of what might be done to bring to cessation this horrible and senseless war4 ,i believe you are mistaken--though in this ,i am stating nothing1 absolutely1 but my personal opinion--that ,germany would not listen to the suggestion for a restoration of peace until it has either come into a position to dictate the terms or until it is utterly crushed4 ,indeed1 ,i rather feel1 and ,i have indications that such is the case1 that ,england is unwilling to stop short of crushing ,germany1 and it is now using all the influence it can bring to bear in this country to prevent public opinion being aroused in favor of the stoppage of hostilities and re-establishment of peace4 ,the same mail which brought your letter this morning brought me also a letter from a leading semi-military man1 whom ,i know by name1 but not personally4 ,it is so fine and timely that ,i venture to inclose a copy for your perusal4 ,why would not you1 and perhaps ,dr4 ,andrew ,d4 ,white1 who--is it not a coincidence--has likewise written me today on the subject of my recent ,,times interview1 be the very men to carry out the suggestion made by my correspondent8 ,perhaps no other two men in the entire country are so greatly looked up to by its people for guidance as you--in the first instance--and ,dr4 ,white4 ,you could surely bestow no greater gift upon the entire civilized world than if now1 in the evening of a life which has been of such great value to mankind1 you would call around you a number of leading1 earnest ,americans with the view of discussing and framing plans through which ,american public opinion could be crystallized and aroused to the point where it will insistently demand that these warring nations come together and1 with the experience they have made to their great cost1 make at least an attempt to find a way out4 ,i cannot but believe that the ,governments of ,england1 ,france1 and ,germany--if not ,russia--will have to listen1 if the ,american people speak with no uncertain voice4 ,do it1 and you will deserve and receive the blessing of this and of coming generations6 ,yours most faithfully1 ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff4 ,dr4 ,eliot to ,mr4 ,schiff4 ,,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,dec4 #h1 #aiad4 ,dear ,mr4 ,schiff3 ,i thank you for your letter of ,dec4 #a and its interesting inclosure4 ,although every thoughtful person must earnestly desire that the waste and destruction of this greatest of wars should be stopped as soon as possible1 there is an overpowering feeling that the war should go on until all the combatants1 including ,germany1 have been brought to see that the ,governmental rgime and the state of the public mind in ,germany which have made this war possible are not consistent with the security and well-being of ,europe in the future4 ,personally1 ,i feel strongly that the war ought to go on so long as ,germany persists in its policies of world empire1 dynastic rule1 autocratic bureaucracy1 and the use of force in international dealings4 ,if the war stops before ,germany sees that those policies cannot prevail in twentieth-century ,europe1 the horrible wrongs and evils which we are now witnessing will recur2 and all the nations will have to continue the destructive process of competitive armaments4 ,if peace should be made now1 before the ,allies have arrived at attacking ,germany on her own soil1 there would result only a truce of moderate length1 and then a renewal of the present horrors4 ,i cannot but think that ,europe now has a chance to make a choice between the ,german ideal of the ,state and the ,anglo-,american ideal4 ,these two ideals are very different2 and the present conflict shows that they cannot coexist longer in modern ,europe4 ,in regard to the suggestion which your correspondent made to you that a conference of private persons should now be called in the hope of arriving at an agreed-upon appeal to the combatants to desist from fighting and consider terms of settlement1 ,i cannot but feel 7#a7 that such a conference would have no assured status2 7#b7 that the combatants would not listen2 and 7#c7 that the effort would1 therefore1 be untimely now1 though perhaps useful later4 ,one idea might possibly bring about peace1 if it fructified in the mind of the ,german ,emperor--the idea1 namely1 that the chance of ,germany's obtaining dominating power in either ,europe or the world having already gone1 the wise thing for him to do is to save ,united ,germany within her natural boundaries for secure development as a highly civilized strong nation in the heart of ,europe4 ,surplus population can always emigrate happily in the future as in the past4 ,the security of ,germany would rest1 however1 on an international agreement to be maintained by an international force2 whereas1 the example which ,germany has just given of the reckless violation of international agreements is extremely discouraging in regard to the possibility of securing the peace of ,europe in the future4 ,although this war has already made quite impossible the domination of ,germany in ,europe or in the world1 the leaders of ,germany do not yet see or apprehend that impossibility4 ,hence1 many earnest peace-seekers have to confess that they do not see any means whatever available for promoting peace in ,europe now1 or even procuring a short truce4 ,i wish ,i could believe with you that the ,governments of ,england1 ,france1 ,germany1 and ,russia would listen to the voice of the ,american people4 ,they all seem to desire the good opinion and moral support of ,america2 but ,i see no signs that they would take ,american advice or imitate ,american example4 ,president ,wilson seems to think that this country will be accepted as a kind of umpire in this formidable contest2 but surely we have no right to any such position4 ,our example in avoiding aggression on other nations1 and in declining to enter the contest for world power1 ought to have some effect in abating ,european ambitions in that direction2 but our exhortations to peace and good-will will1 ,i fear1 have little influence4 ,there is still a real contest on between democracy and oligarchical methods4 ,you see1 my dear ,mr4 ,schiff1 that ,i regard this war as the result of long-continuing causes which have been gathering force for more than fifty years4 ,in ,germany all the forces of education1 finance1 commercial development1 a pagan philosophy1 and ,government have been preparing this war since #ahfj4 ,to stop it now1 before these forces have been overwhelmingly defeated1 and before the whole ,german people is convinced that they are defeated1 would be to leave humanity exposed to the certain recurrence of the fearful convulsions we are now witnessing4 ,if anybody can show me any signs that the leaders of ,germany are convinced that there is to be no world empire for ,germany or any other nation1 and no despotic ,government in ,europe1 ,i shall be ready to take part in any effectual advocacy of peace4 ,sincerely yours4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff1 ,esq4 ,mr4 ,schiff to ,dr4 ,eliot4 ,,new ,,york1 ,dec4 #e1 #aiad4 ,president ,emeritus ,charles ,w4 ,eliot1 ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,dear ,dr4 ,eliot3 ,your letter of ,dec4 #c reached me this morning1 and has given me much food for thought4 ,i wish ,i could follow you in the position you have taken1 for ,i like nothing better than to sit at the feet of a master like you and be instructed4 ,but1 much as ,i have tried1 even before our recent correspondence was begun1 to get at your viewpoint as from time to time published1 ,i have not been able to convince myself that you occupy a correct position4 ,please accept this as expressed in all modesty1 for ,i know were you not thoroughly convinced of the justice of the position you have taken from the start you would not be so determined in holding to it4 ,i am perfectly frank to say that ,i am amazed and chagrined when you say that you feel strongly that the war ought to go on until the ,allies have arrived at attacking ,germany on her own soil1 which1 if this is at all likely to come1 may take many months yet1 and will mean sacrifice of human life on both sides more appalling than anything we have seen yet since the war began4 ,so you are willing that1 with all the human life that has already perished1 practically the entire flower of the warring nations shall become exterminated before even an effort be made to see whether these nations cannot be brought to reason1 cannot be made to stop and to consider whether1 with the experience of the past four months before them1 it would not be better to even now make an effort to find a way in which the causes that have led to this deplorable conflict can be once and forever eradicated8 ,that it will be possible to find at this time any method or basis through the adoption of which the world would become entirely immune against war ,i do not believe1 even by the establishment of the international police force such as you and others appear to have in mind4 ,the perpetual cessation of all war between the civilized nations of the world can1 as ,i see it1 only be brought about in two ways1 both ,utopian and likely impracticable1 for many years to come4 ,war could be made only to cease entirely if all the nations of ,europe could be organized into a ,united ,states of ,europe and if free trade were established throughout the world4 ,in the first instance1 the extreme nationalism1 which has become so rampant during the past fifty years and which has been more or less at the bottom of every war1 would then cease to exist and prevail1 and in the second event1 namely1 if free trade became established throughout the world the necessity for territorial expansion and aggression would no longer be needed1 for1 with the entire world open on equal terms to the commerce and industry of every nation1 territorial possession would not be much of a consideration to any peoples4 ,you continually lay stress upon the danger of the domination of ,germany in ,europe and in the world4 ,i believe ,i have already made myself quite clear in my recent ,,new ,,york ,,times interview1 which has called forth this correspondence between us1 that neither would ,i wish to have ,germany come into a position where it might dominate ,europe1 and more or less the world1 nor do ,i believe that the ,german ,nation1 except perhaps a handful of extremists1 has any such desires4 ,i believe ,i have also made myself quite clear in the interview to which ,i have referred that my feelings are not anti-,english1 for ,i shall never forget that liberal government and all forms of liberalism have had their origin1 ever since the ,magna ,charta1 in that great nation whom we so often love to call our cousins4 ,but1 with all of this1 can you ignore the fact that ,england even today1 without the further power and prestige victory in the present conflict would give her1 practically dominates the high seas1 that she treats the ocean as her own and enforces her dictates upon the waters even to our very shores8 ,that this is true the past four months have amply proved4 ,i am not one of those who fear that the ,united ,states1 as far as can now be foreseen1 will get into any armed conflict with ,great ,britain or with ,japan1 her permanent ally1 but ,i can well understand that many in our country are of a different opinion1 and it takes no prophet to foresee that1 with ,england coming out of this war victorious and her and ,japan's power on the high seas increased1 the demand from a large section of our people for the acquisition and possession of the ,united ,states of an increased powerful navy and for the erection of vast coast defenses1 both on the ,atlantic and ,pacific shores1 will become so insistent that it cannot be withstood4 ,what this will mean to the ,american people in lavish expenditures and in increased taxation ,i need not here further go into4 ,yes1 my dear and revered friend1 ,i can see nought but darkness if a way cannot be soon found out of the present deplorable situation as it exists in ,europe4 ,but even if the ,allies are victorious it will mean1 as ,i am convinced1 the beginning of the descent of ,england as the world's leader and the hastened ascendency of ,russia1 who1 not today or tomorrow1 but in times to come1 is sure to crowd out ,england from the world's leadership4 ,a ,russia that will have become democratic in its government1 be it as a republic or under a truly constitutional monarchy2 a ,russia in which education will be as free as it is in our own country2 a ,russia in which the people can move about and make homes in the vast territory she possesses wherever they can find most happiness and prosperity2 a ,russia with its vast natural resources of every kind fully developed1 is bound to be the greatest and most powerful nation on the earth4 ,but ,i am going too far into the future and ,i must return to the sad and deplorable present4 ,i only wanted to show how ,england's alliance with this present-day ,russia and its despotic1 autocratic1 and inhuman ,government may1 if the ,allies shall be victorious1 prove possibly in the nearer future1 but certainly in the long run1 ,england's ,nemesis4 ,before closing ,i want to correct the impression you appear to have received that ,i have meant to suggest a conference of private persons for the purpose of agreeing upon an appeal by them to the nations of ,europe to desist from fighting and consider terms of settlement4 ,i know this would be entirely impracticable and useless1 but what ,i meant to convey to you was my conviction that if you and men like you1 of whom ,i confess there are but too few1 were to make the endeavor to rouse public opinion in the ,united ,states to a point where it should insistently demand that this terrific carnage of blood and destruction cease1 it would not be long before these warring ,governments would take notice of such sentiments on the part of the ,american people2 and what should be done at once is the stoppage of the furnishing of munitions of war to any of the belligerents1 as is unfortunately done to so great an extent at present from this country4 ,we freely and abundantly give to the ,red ,cross and the many other relief societies1 but we do this1 even if indirectly1 out of the very profits we derive from the war material we sell to the belligerents1 and with which the wounds the ,red ,cross and other relief societies endeavor to assuage are inflicted4 ,yours most faithfully1 ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff4 ,dr4 ,eliot to ,mr4 ,schiff4 ,,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,dec4 #h1 #aiad4 ,dear ,mr4 ,schiff3 ,your letter of ,dec4 #e tells me what the difference is between you and me in respect to the outcome of the war--,i am much more hopeful or sanguine of the world's getting good out of it than you are4 ,since you do not hope to get any good to speak of out of it1 you want to stop it as soon as possible4 ,you look forward to future war from time to time between the nations of ,europe and to the maintenance of competitive armaments4 ,you think that the lust of dominion must continue to be felt and gratified1 now by one nation and now by another2 that ,great ,britain can gratify it now1 but that she will be overpowered by ,russia by and by4 ,i am unwilling to accept these conditions for ,europe1 or for the world1 without urging the freer nations to make extraordinary efforts to reach a better solution of the ,european international problem which1 unsolved1 has led down to this horrible pit of general war4 ,i have just finished another letter to ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times1 which will probably be in print by the time you get back to ,new ,york1 so ,i will not trouble you with any exposition of the grounds of my hopefulness4 ,it is because ,i am hopeful that ,i want to see this war fought out until ,germany is persuaded that she cannot dominate ,europe1 or1 indeed1 make her will prevail anywhere by force of arms4 ,when that change of mind has been effected ,i hope that ,germany will become a member of a federation firm enough and powerful enough to prevent any single nation from aiming at world empire1 or even pouncing on a smaller neighbor4 ,there is another point on which ,i seem to differ from you3 ,i do not believe that any single nation has now1 or can ever hereafter have1 the leadership of the world1 whereas you look forward to the existence of such leadership or domination in the hands of a single great power4 ,are there not many signs already1 both in the ,east and in the ,west1 that the time has past for world empire8 ,very sincerely and cordially yours1 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,jacob ,h4 ,schiff1 ,esq4 ,mr4 ,schiff to ,dr4 ,eliot4 ,,new ,,york1 ,dec4 #ad1 #aiad4 ,dear ,dr4 ,eliot3 ,i have delayed replying to your valued letter of the #hth inst4 until after the appearance of your further letter to ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times1 to which you had made reference1 and1 like everything emanating from you1 the contents of your last ,,times letter have evoked my deepest interest4 ,had our recent correspondence not already become more extended than you likely had intended it to become when you first wrote me on the subject of my ,,times interview of some weeks ago1 ,i should go into your latest arguments at greater length4 ,as it is1 ,i shall only reiterate that ,i find myself unable to follow you in your belief and hope1 that world empire and world leadership1 as this now exists1 is likely to cease as a consequence of the present war1 much as we all may desire this4 ,england has taken up arms to retain her world dominion and leadership2 and to gain it1 ,germany is fighting4 ,how can you1 then1 expect that ,england1 if victorious1 would be willing to surrender her control of the oceans and the dominion over the trade of the world she possesses in consequence1 and where is there1 then1 room for the hope you express that world leadership may become a thing of the past with the termination of the present conflict8 ,i repeat1 with all my attachment for my native land and its people1 ,i have no inimical feeling toward ,england1 have warm sentiments for ,france1 and the greatest compassion for brave1 stricken ,belgium4 ,thus1 with malice toward none1 and with the highest respect for your expressed views1 ,i am still of the opinion that there can be no greater service rendered to mankind than to make the effort1 either through the force of public opinion of the two ,americas1 or otherwise1 to bring these warring ,governments together at an early moment1 even if this can only be done without stopping their conflict1 so that they may make the endeavor1 whether--with their costly experience of the last five months1 with the probability that they now know better what need be done to make the extreme armaments on land and sea as unnecessary as they are undesirable in the future--a basis cannot be found upon which disarmament can be effectively and permanently brought about4 ,this1 at some time1 they will have come to1 in any event1 and must there first more human lives be sacrificed into the hundreds and hundreds of thousands1 and still greater havoc be wrought1 before passions can be made to cease and reason be made to return8 ,if1 as you seem to think1 the war need go on until one country is beaten into a condition where it must accept the terms the victor chooses to impose1 because it can no longer help itself to do else1 the peace thus obtained will only be the harbinger of another war in the near or distant future1 bloodier probably than the present sanguinary conflict1 and through no compact which might be entered into will it be possible to actually prevent this4 ,twenty centuries ago ,christianity came into the world with its lofty message of peace on earth and good-will to men1 and now1 after two thousand years1 and at the near approach of the season when ,christianity celebrates the birth of its founder1 it is insisted that the merciless slaughter of man by man we have been witnessing these last months must be permitted to be continued into the infinite4 ,most faithfully yours1 ,,jacob ,h4 ,,schiff4 ,president ,emeritus ,charles ,w4 ,eliot1 ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,,la ,,cathedrale4 ,from ,figaro4 ,by ,,edmond ,,rostand4 ,ils n'ont fait que la rendre un peu plus immortelle4 ,l',oeuvre ne prit pas1 que mutile un gredin4 ,demande ,phidias et demande ,rodin ,si1 devant ses morceaux1 on ne dit plus3 ,c'est ,elle6 ,la ,forteresse meurt quand on la dmantle4 ,mais le ,temple1 bris1 vit plus noble2 et soudain ,les yeux1 se souvenant du toit avec ddain1 ,prfrent voir le ciel dans la pierre en dentelle4 ,rendons grace--attendu qu'il nous manquait encor ,d'avoir ce qu'ont les ,grecs sur la colline d'or2 ,le ,symbole du ,beau consacr par l'insulte6-- ,rendons grace aux pointeurs du stupide canon1 ,puisque de leur adresse allemande il rsulte ,une ,honte pour eux1 pour nous un ,parthnon6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,cathedral4 ,a ,free ,translation of ,rostand's ,sonnet4 ,by ,,frances ,c4 ,,fay4 ,deathless is graven deeper on thy brow2 ,ghouls have no power to end thy endless sway4 ,the ,greek of old1 the ,frenchman of today1 ,before thy riven shrine are bending now4 ,a wounded fortress straightway lieth prone1 ,not so the ,temple dies2 its roof may fall1 ,the sky its covering vault1 an azure pall1 ,doth droop to crown its wealth of lacework stone4 ,praise to you1 ,vandal guns of dull intent6 ,we lacked till now our ,beauty's monument ,twice hallowed o'er by insult's brutal hand1 ,as ,pallas owns on ,athens' golden hill1 ,we have it now1 thanks to your far-flung brand6 ,your shame--our gain1 misguided ,german skill6 ,probable ,causes and ,outcome of the ,war ,by ,charles ,w4 ,eliot4 ,president ,emeritus of ,harvard ,university2 ,officer ,legion d',honneur 7,france72 ,imperial ,order of the ,rising ,sun1 first class 7,japan72 ,royal ,prussian ,order of the ,crown1 first class2 ,grand ,officer of the ,crown of ,italy2 ,member of the ,general ,education ,board1 and an original investigator for the cause of international peace4 ,following ,is ,reproduced a ,series of ,five ,letters to ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times from ,dr4 ,eliot1 ,together with the ,comments ,thereon by ,eminent ,critics4 ,,dr4 ,,eliot',s ,,first ,,letter4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,the ,american people without distinction of party are highly content with the action of their ,national ,administration on all the grave problems presented to the ,government by the sudden outbreak of long-prepared war in ,europe--a war which already involves five great ,states and two small ones4 ,they heartily approve of the action of the ,administration on mediation1 neutrality1 aid to ,americans in ,europe1 discouragement of speculation in foods1 and1 with the exception of extreme protectionists1 admission to ,american registery of foreign-built ships2 although the legislation on the last subject1 which has already passed ,congress1 is manifestly inadequate4 ,our people cannot see that the war will necessarily be short1 and they cannot imagine how it can last long4 ,they realize that history gives no example of such a general interruption of trade and all other international intercourse as has already taken place1 or of such a stoppage of the production and distribution of the necessaries of life as this war threatens4 ,they shudder at the floods of human woe which are about to overwhelm ,europe4 ,hence1 thinking ,americans cannot help reflecting on the causes of this monstrous outbreak of primitive savagery--part of them come down from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and part developed in the nineteenth--and wondering what good for mankind1 if any1 can possibly come out of the present cataclysm4 ,the whole people of the ,united ,states1 without regard to racial origin1 are of one mind in hoping that mankind may gain out of this prodigious physical combat1 which uses for purposes of destruction and death all the new forces of nineteenth-century applied science1 some new liberties and new securities in the pursuit of happiness2 but at this moment they can cherish only a remote hope of such an issue4 ,the military force which ,austria-,hungary and ,germany are now using on a prodigious scale1 and with long-studied skill1 can only be met by similar military force1 and this resisting force is summoned more slowly than that of ,austria-,hungary and ,germany1 although the ultimate battalions will be heavier4 ,in this portentous physical contest the ,american people have no part2 their geographical position1 their historical development1 and their political ideals combine to make them for the present mere spectators1 although their interests--commercial1 industrial1 and political--are deeply involved4 ,for the moment1 the best thing our ,government can do is to utilize all existing neutrality rights1 and1 if possible1 to strengthen or develop those rights1 for out of this war ought to come more neutral ,states in ,europe and greater security for neutralized territory4 ,the ,need for ,discussion4 ,the chances of getting some gains for mankind out of this gigantic struggle will be somewhat increased if the ,american people1 and all other neutral peoples1 arrive through public discussion at some clear understanding of the causes and the possible and desirable issues of the war1 and the sooner this public discussion begins1 and the more thoroughly it is pursued1 the sounder will probably be the tendencies of public sentiment outside of the contending nations and the conclusions which the peace negotiations will ultimately reach4 ,when one begins1 however1 to reflect on the probable causes of the sudden lapse of the most civilized parts of ,europe into worse than primitive savagery1 he comes at once on two old and widespread evils in ,europe from which ,america has been exempt for at least #aej years4 ,the first is secret diplomacy with power to make issues and determine events1 and the second is autocratic national ,executives who can swing the whole physical force of the nation to this side or that without consulting the people or their representatives4 ,the actual catastrophe proves that secret negotiations like those habitually conducted on behalf of the concert of ,europe1 and alliances between selected nations1 the terms of which are secret1 or at any rate not publicly stated1 cannot avert in the long run outrageous war1 but can only produce postponements of war1 or short truces4 ,free institutions1 like those of the ,united ,states1 take the public into confidence1 because all important movements of the ,government must rest on popular desires1 needs1 and volitions4 ,autocratic institutions have no such necessity for publicity4 ,this ,government secrecy as to motives1 plans1 and purposes must often be maintained by disregarding truth1 fair dealing1 and honorable obligations1 in order that1 when the appeal to force comes1 one ,government may secure the advantage of taking the other by surprise4 ,duplicity during peace and the breaking of treaties during war come to be regarded as obvious military necessities4 ,the second great evil under which certain large nations of ,europe--notably ,russia1 ,germany1 and ,austria-,hungary--have long suffered and still suffer is the permanent national ,executive1 independent of popular control through representative bodies1 holding strong views about rights of birth and religious sanctions of its authority1 and really controlling the national forces through some small council and a strong bureaucracy4 ,so long as ,executives of this sort endure1 so long will civilization be liable to such explosions as have taken place this ,august1 though not always on so vast a scale4 ,americans now see these things more clearly than ,european lovers of liberty1 because ,americans are detached from the actual conflicts by the ,atlantic1 and because ,americans have had no real contact with the feudal or the imperial system for nearly #cjj years4 ,pilgrim and ,puritan1 ,covenanter and ,quaker1 ,lutheran and ,catholic alike left the feudal system and autocratic government behind them when they crossed the ,atlantic4 ,americans1 therefore1 cannot help hoping that two results of the present war will be3 7#a7 ,the abolition of secret diplomacy and secret understandings1 and the substitution therefor of treaties publicly discussed and sanctioned1 and 7#b7 the creation of national ,executives--,emperors1 ,sultans1 ,kings1 or ,presidents--which cannot use the national forces in fight until a thoroughly informed national assembly1 acting with deliberation1 has agreed to that use4 ,opposite ,tendencies4 ,the ,american student of history since the middle of the seventeenth century sees clearly two strong though apparently opposite tendencies in ,europe3 ,first1 the tendency to the creation and maintenance of small ,states such as those which the ,peace of ,westphalia 7#afdh7 recognized and for two centuries secured in a fairly independent existence1 and1 secondly1 a tendency from the middle of the nineteenth century toward larger national units1 created by combining several kindred ,states under one executive4 ,this second tendency was illustrated strongly in the case of both ,germany and ,italy1 although the ,prussian domination in ,germany has no parallel in ,italy4 ,somewhat earlier in the nineteenth century the doctrine of the neutralization of the territories of small ,states was established as firmly as solemn treaties could do it4 ,the larger national units had a more or less federative quality1 the components yielding some of their functions to a central power1 but retaining numerous independent functions4 ,this tendency to limited unification is one which ,americans easily understand and appreciate4 ,we believe in the federative principle1 and must therefore hope that out of the present ,european horror will come a new development of that principle1 and new security for small ,states which are capable of guaranteeing to their citizens life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness--a security which no citizen of any ,european country seems today to possess4 ,some of the underlying causes of the horrible catastrophe the ,american people are now watching from afar are commercial and economic4 ,imperial ,germany's desire for colonies in other continents--such as ,great ,britain and ,france secured earlier as a result of keen commercial ambitions--is intense4 ,prussia's seizure of ,schleswig in #ahfd-e had the commercial motive2 and it is with visions of ports on the ,north ,sea that ,germany justifies her present occupation of ,belgium4 ,the ,russians have for generations desired to extend their national territory southward to the ,aegean and the ,bosphorus1 and eastward to good harbors on the ,pacific4 ,later they pushed into ,mongolia and ,manchuria1 but were resisted successfully by ,japan4 ,austria-,hungary has long been seeking ports on the ,adriatic1 and lately seized without warrant ,herzegovina and ,bosnia to promote her approach toward the ,aegean1 and is now trying to seize ,servia with the same ends in view4 ,with similar motives ,italy lately descended on ,tripoli1 without any excuse except this intense desire for colonies--profitable or unprofitable4 ,on the other hand1 the ,american people1 looking to the future as well as to the past1 object to acquisitions of new territory by force of arms2 and since the twentieth century opened they have twice illustrated in their own practice--first in ,cuba1 and then in ,mexico--this democratic objection4 ,they believe that extensions of national territory should be brought about only with the indubitable consent of the majority of the people most nearly concerned4 ,they also believe that commerce should always be a means of promoting good-will1 and not ill-will1 among men1 and that all legitimate and useful extensions of the commerce of a manufacturing and commercial nation may be procured through the policy of the open door--which means nothing more than that all nations should be allowed to compete on equal terms for the trade of any foreign people1 whether backward or advanced in civilization4 ,no ,american ,administration has accepted a concession of land in ,china4 ,they also believe that peaceable extensions of territory and trade will afford adequate relief from the economic pressure on a population too large for the territory it occupies1 and that there is no need of forcible seizure of territory to secure relief4 ,it is inevitable1 therefore1 that the ,american people should hope that one outcome of the present war should be--no enlargement of a national territory by force or without the free consent of the population to be annexed1 and no colonization except by peaceable commercial and industrial methods4 ,aggressive ,force a ,failure4 ,one of the most interesting and far-reaching effects of the present outbreak of savagery is likely to be the conviction it carries to the minds of thinking people that the whole process of competitive armaments1 the enlistment of the entire male population in national armies1 and the incessant planning of campaigns against neighbors1 is not a trustworthy method for preserving peace4 ,it now appears that the military preparations of the last fifty years in ,europe have resulted in the most terrific war of all time1 and that a fierce ultimate outbreak is the only probable result of the system4 ,for the future of civilization this is a lesson of high value4 ,it teaches that if modern civilization is to be preserved1 national ,executives--whether imperial or republican--must not have at their disposal immense armaments and drilled armies held ready in the leash2 that armaments must be limited1 an international ,supreme ,court established1 national armies changed to the ,swiss form1 and an international force adequate to deal with any nation that may suddenly become lawless agreed upon by treaty and held always in readiness4 ,the occasional use of force will continue to be necessary even in the civilized world2 but it must be made not an aggressive but a protective force and used as such--just as protective force has to be used sometimes in families1 schools1 cities1 and ,commonwealths4 ,at present ,americans do not close their eyes to the plain fact that the brute force which ,germany and ,austria-,hungary are now using can only be overcome by brute force of the same sort in larger measure4 ,it is only when negotiations for peace begin that the great lesson of the futility of huge preparations for fighting to preserve peace can be given effect4 ,is it too much to expect that the whole civilized world will take to heart the lessons of this terrible catastrophe and co-operate to prevent the recurrence of such losses and woes8 ,should ,germany and ,austria-,hungary succeed in their present undertakings1 the whole civilized world would be obliged to bear continuously1 and to an ever-increasing amount1 the burdens of great armaments1 and would live in constant fear of sudden invasion1 now here1 now there--a terrible fear1 against which neither treaties nor professions of peaceable intentions would offer the least security4 ,it must be admitted1 however1 that the whole military organization1 which has long been compulsory on the nations of ,continental ,europe1 is inconsistent in the highest degree with ,american ideals of individual liberty and social progress4 ,democracies can fight with ardor1 and sometimes with success1 when the whole people is moved by a common sentiment or passion2 but the structure and discipline of a modern army like that of ,germany1 ,austria-,hungary1 or ,russia1 has a despotic or autocratic quality which is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of democratic society4 ,to make war in countries like ,france1 ,great ,britain1 and the ,united ,states requires the widespread1 simultaneous stirring of the passions of the people on behalf of their own ideals4 ,this stirring requires publicity before and after the declaration of war and public discussion2 and the delays which discussion causes are securities for peace4 ,out of the present struggle should come a check on militarism--a strong revulsion against the use of force as means of settling international disputes4 ,america ,cannot ,be ,indifferent4 ,it must also be admitted that it is impossible for the ,american people to sympathize with the tone of the imperial and royal addresses which1 in summoning the people to war1 use such phrases as ,my monarchy1 ,my loyal people1 ,my loyal subjects2 for there is implied in such phrases a dynastic or personal ownership of peoples which shocks the average ,american4 ,americans inevitably think that the right way for a ruler to begin an exhortation to the people he rules is ,president ,wilson's way3 ,my fellow-countrymen4 ,it follows from the very existence of these ,american instincts and hopes that1 although the people of the ,united ,states mean to maintain faithfully a legal neutrality1 they are not1 and can not be1 neutral or indifferent as to the ultimate outcome of this titanic struggle4 ,it already seems to them that ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia are fighting for freedom and civilization4 ,it does not follow that thinking ,americans will forget the immense services which ,germany has rendered to civilization during the last hundred years1 or desire that her power to serve letters1 science1 art1 and education should be in the least abridged in the outcome of this war upon which she has entered so rashly and selfishly and in so barbarous a spirit4 ,most educated ,americans hope and believe that by defeating the ,german barbarousness the ,allies will only promote the noble ,german civilization4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,w4 ,,burgess 7,photo by ,alman ,co47 ,see ,page #ejg ,illustration3 ,,william ,m4 ,,sloane 7,photo by ,pach47 ,see ,page #eae ,the presence of ,russia in the combination against ,germany and ,austria-,hungary seems to the average ,american an abnormal phenomenon2 because ,russia is itself a military monarchy with marked territorial ambitions2 and its civilization is at a more elementary stage than that of ,france or ,england2 but he resists present apprehension on this score by recalling that ,russia submitted to the ,concert of ,europe when her victorious armies were within seventeen miles of ,constantinople1 that she emancipated her serfs1 proposed ,the ,hague ,conferences1 initiated the ,duma1 and has lately offered--perhaps as war measures only--autonomy to her ,poles and equal rights of citizenship to her ,jews4 ,he also cannot help believing that a nation which has produced such a literature as ,russia has produced during the last fifty years must hold within its multitudinous population a large minority which is seething with high aspirations and a fine idealism4 ,for the clarification of the public mind on the issue involved1 it is important that the limits of ,american neutrality should be discussed and understood4 ,the action of the ,government must be neutral in the best sense2 but ,american sympathies and hopes cannot possibly be neutral1 for the whole history and present state of ,american liberty forbids4 ,for the present1 thinking ,americans can only try to appreciate the scope and real issues of this formidable convulsion1 and so be ready to seize every opportunity that may present itself to further the cause of human freedom1 and of peace at last4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,asticou1 ,me41 ,sept4 #a1 #aiad4 ,appreciation from ,lord ,bryce ,late ,ambassador at ,washington from ,great ,britain2 ,chief ,secretary for ,ireland1 #aije-f2 author of ,the ,american ,commonwealth1 and of studies in history and biography4 ,it has been a great pleasure to see from your published letter1 which has just reached us1 that you so clearly understand the motive and feelings with which ,great ,britain has entered on the present war4 ,neither commercial rivalry nor any fancied jealousy of ,germany's greatness has led us into it1 and to the ,german people our people bear no ill-will whatever4 ,along with many others ,i have worked steadily during long years for the maintenance of friendship with ,germany1 admiring the splendid gifts of the ,german race1 and recognizing their enormous services to science1 philosophy1 and literature4 ,we had hoped1 as some thoughtful statesmen in ,germany had also hoped1 that by a cordial feeling between ,germany and ,britain the peace of ,europe might be secured and something done to bring about permanently better relations between ,germany and her two great neighbors with whom we found ourselves on friendly terms2 and we had confidently looked to the ,united ,states to join with us in this task4 ,but the action of the ,german ,government in violating the neutrality of ,belgium when ,france had assured us that she would respect it1 the invasion of a small ,state whose neutrality and independence she and ,england had joined in guaranteeing1 evoked in this country an almost unanimous sentiment that the faith of treaties and the safety of small ,states must be protected4 ,there has been no war for more than a century--perhaps two centuries--into which the nation has entered with so general a belief that its action is justified4 ,we rejoice to be assured that this is the general feeling of the people of the ,united ,states1 whose opinion we naturally value more than we do that of any other people4 ,most persons in this country1 including all those who work for peace1 agree with you in deploring the vast armaments which ,european ,states have been piling up1 and will hope with you that after this war they may be reduced--and safely reduced--to slender dimensions4 ,their existence is a constant menace to peace4 ,they foster that spirit of militarism which has brought these horrors on the world2 for they create in the great countries of the ,continent a large and powerful military and naval caste which lives for war1 talks and writes incessantly of war1 and glorifies war as a thing good in itself4 ,it is 7as you say7 to the peoples that we must henceforth look to safeguard international concord4 ,they bear the miseries of war1 they ought to have the power to arrest the action of those who are hurrying them into it4 ,to get rid of secret diplomacy is more difficult in ,europe than in ,america1 whose relations with foreign ,states are fewer and simpler1 but what you say upon that subject also will find a sympathetic echo here among the friends of freedom and of peace4 ,i am always sincerely yours1 ,,james ,,bryce4 ,forest ,row1 ,sussex1 ,sept4 #ag1 #aiad4 ,a ,reply by ,dr4 ,francke ,professor of the ,history of ,german ,culture at ,harvard ,university and ,curator of the ,germanic ,museum2 author of works on ,german literature4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,in his letter of ,sept4 #a ,president ,eliot expresses the opinion that in the present war ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia are fighting for freedom and civilization4 ,and he adds3 ,it does not follow that thinking ,americans will forget the immense services which ,germany has rendered to civilization during the last hundred years1 or desire that her power to serve letters1 science1 art1 and education should be in the least abridged in the outcome of this war1 upon which she has entered so rashly and selfishly and in so barbarous a spirit4 ,most educated ,americans hope and believe that by defeating the ,german barbarousness the ,allies will only promote the noble ,german civilization4 ,in other words1 ,german military and political power is to be crushed in order to set free the ,german genius for science1 literature1 and art4 ,it is interesting to contrast with such views as these the following words of ,goethe1 uttered in #ahac3 ,i have often felt a bitter grief at the thought of the ,german people1 which is so noble individually and so wretched as a whole4 ,a comparison of the ,german people with other nations gives us painful feelings1 which ,i try to overcome by all possible means2 and in science and art ,i have found the wings which lift me above them4 ,but the comfort which they afford is1 after all1 only a miserable comfort1 and does not make up for the proud consciousness of belonging to a nation strong1 respected1 and feared4 ,however1 ,i am comforted by the thought of ,germany's future4 ,yes1 the ,german people has a future4 ,the destiny of the ,germans is not yet fulfilled4 ,the time1 the right time1 no human eye can foresee1 nor can human power hasten it on4 ,to us individuals1 meanwhile1 is it given1 to every one according to his talents1 his inclinations1 and his position1 to increase1 to strengthen1 and to spread national culture4 ,in order that in this respect1 at least1 ,germany may be ahead of other nations and that the national spirit1 instead of being stifled and discouraged1 may be kept alive and hopeful and ready to rise in all its might when the day of glory dawns4 ,if ,i am not mistaken1 these words of ,germany's greatest poet express accurately what the ,german people during the last hundred years has been striving for--national culture and national pre-eminence in every field of human activity4 ,to advocate the reduction of ,germany to a land of isolated scientists1 poets1 artists1 and educators is tantamount to a call for the destruction of the ,german ,nation4 ,,kuno ,,francke4 ,harvard ,university1 ,sept4 #e1 #aiad4 ,,dr4 ,,eliot',s ,,second ,,letter ,the ,stout and ,warlike ,breed ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,there is nothing new in the obsession of the principal ,european nations that1 in order to be great and successful in the world as it is1 they must possess military power available for instant aggression on weak nations1 as well as for effective defense against strong ones4 ,when ,sir ,francis ,bacon wrote his essay on ,the ,true ,greatness of ,kingdoms and ,estates he remarked that forts1 arsenals1 goodly races of horses1 armaments1 and the like would all be useless except the breed and disposition of the people be stout and warlike4 ,he denied that money is the sinews of war1 giving preference to the sinews of men's arms1 and quoted ,solon's remark to ,croesus1 ,sir1 if any other come that hath better iron than you1 he will be master of all this gold--a truly ,bismarckian proposition4 ,indeed1 ,sir ,francis ,bacon says explicitly that the principal point of greatness in any ,state is to have a race of military men4 ,goethe1 reflecting on the wretchedness of the ,german people as a whole1 found no comfort in the ,german genius for science1 literature1 and art1 or only a miserable comfort which does not make up for the proud consciousness of belonging to a nation strong1 respected1 and feared4 ,because ,germany in his time was weak in the military sense1 he could write3 ,i have often felt a bitter grief at the thought of the ,german people1 which is so noble individually1 and so wretched as a whole2 and he longed for the day when the national spirit1 kept alive and hopeful1 should be ready to rise in all its might when the day of glory dawns4 ,the day of glory was to be the day of military power4 ,carlyle said of ,germany and ,france in ,november1 #ahgj1 that noble1 patient1 deep1 pious1 and solid ,germany should be at length welded into a nation1 and become ,queen of the ,continent1 instead of vaporing1 vainglorious1 gesticulating1 quarrelsome1 restless1 and oversensitive ,france1 seems to me that hopefulest public fact that has occurred in my time4 ,how did ,germany attain to this position of ,queen of the ,continent8 ,by creating and maintaining1 with utmost intelligence and skill1 the strongest army in ,europe--an army which within six years had been used successfully against ,denmark1 ,austria1 and ,france4 ,germany became ,queen by virtue of her military power4 ,in the same paper ,carlyle said of the ,french ,revolution1 of which he was himself the great portrayer3 ,i often call that a celestial infernal phenomenon1 the most memorable in our world for a thousand years2 on the whole1 a transcendent revolt against the devil and his works1 7since shams are all and sundry of the devil1 and poisonous and unendurable to man47 ,now1 the ,french ,revolution was an extraordinary outbreak of passionate feeling and physical violence on the part of the ,french ,nation1 both at home and abroad2 and it led on to the ,napoleonic wars1 which were tremendous physical struggles for mastery in ,europe4 ,in a recent public statement two leading philosophical writers of modern ,germany1 ,profs4 ,eucken and ,haeckel1 denounce the brutal national egoism of ,england1 which they say recognizes no rights on the part of others1 and1 unconcerned about morality or unmorality1 pursues only its own advantage2 and they attribute to ,england the purpose to hinder at any cost the further growth of ,german greatness4 ,but what are the elements of that ,german greatness which ,england is determined to arrest by joining ,france and ,russia in war against ,germany and ,austria-,hungary8 ,the three elements of recent ,german greatness are the extension of her territory2 contiguous territories in ,europe and in other continents colonial possessions2 the enlargement of ,german commerce and wealth1 and to these ends the firm establishment of her military supremacy in ,europe4 ,these are the ideas on the true greatness of nations which have prevailed in the ruling oligarchy of ,germany for at least sixty years1 and now seem to have been accepted1 or acquiesced in1 by the whole ,german people4 ,in this view1 the foundation of national greatness is fighting power4 ,this conception of national greatness has prevailed at many different epochs--,macedonian1 ,roman1 ,saracen1 ,spanish1 ,english1 and ,french--and1 indeed1 has appeared from time to time in almost all the nations and tribes of the earth2 but the civilized world is now looking for better foundations of national greatness than force and fighting4 ,the partial successes of democracy in ,europe have much increased the evils of war4 ,sir ,francis ,bacon looked for a fighting class2 under the feudal system when a ,baron went to war he took with him his vassals1 or that portion of them that could be spared from the fields at home4 ,universal conscription is a modern invention1 the horrors of which1 as now exhibited in ,germany1 ,austria-,hungary1 and ,france1 much exceed those of earlier martial methods4 ,there has never been such an interruption of agricultural and industrial production1 or such a rending of family ties in consequence of war as is now taking place in the greater part of ,europe4 ,moreover1 mankind has never before had the use of such destructive implements as the machine gun1 the torpedo1 and the dynamite bomb4 ,the progress of science has much increased the potential destructiveness of warfare4 ,thinking people in all the civilized countries are asking themselves what the fundamental trouble with civilization is1 and where to look for means of escape from the present intolerable conditions4 ,christianity in nineteen centuries has afforded no relief4 ,the so-called mitigations of war are comparatively trivial4 ,the recent ,balkan wars were as ferocious as those of ,alexander4 ,the ,german aviators drop aimless bombs at night into cities occupied chiefly by non-combatants4 ,the ,north ,sea is strewn with floating mines which may destroy fishing1 freight1 or passenger vessels of any nation1 neutral or belligerent1 which have business on that sea4 ,the ruthless destruction of the ,louvain ,library by ,german soldiers reminds people who have read history that the destroyers of the ,alexandria ,library have ever since been called fanatics and barbarians4 ,the ,german ,army tries to compel unfortified ,belgian cities and towns to pay huge ransoms to save themselves from destruction--a method which the ,barbary ,states1 indeed1 were accustomed to use against their ,christian neighbors1 but which has long been held to be a method appropriate only for brigands and pirates--,greek1 ,sicilian1 ,syrian1 or ,chinese4 ,what ,is ,wrong with ,civilization8 ,how can it be that the ,government of a civilized ,state commits1 or permits in its agents1 such barbarities8 ,the fundamental reason seems to be that most of the ,european nations still believe that national greatness depends on the possession and brutal use of force1 and is to be maintained and magnified only by military and naval power4 ,in ,north ,america there are two large communities--heretofore inspired chiefly by ideals of ,english origin--which have never maintained conscripted armies1 and have never fortified against each other their long frontier--,canada and the ,united ,states4 ,both may fairly be called great peoples even now2 and both give ample promise for the future4 ,neither of these peoples lacks the stout and warlike quality of which ,sir ,francis ,bacon spoke2 both have often exhibited it4 ,the ,united ,states suffered for four years from a civil war1 characterized by determined fighting1 in indecisive battles1 in which the losses1 in proportion to the number of men engaged1 were often much heavier than any thus far reported from the present battlefields in ,belgium and ,france4 ,there being then no lack of martial spirit in these two peoples1 it is an instructive phenomenon that power to conquer is not their ideal of national greatness4 ,much the same thing may be said of some other self-governing constituents of the ,british ,empire1 such as ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 and ,south ,africa4 ,they1 too1 have a better ideal of national greatness than that of military supremacy4 ,what are the real ambitions and hopes of the people of the ,united ,states and the people of ,canada in regard to their own future8 ,their expectations of greatness certainly are not based on any conception of invincible military force1 or desire for the physical means of enforcing their own will on their neighbors4 ,they both believe in the free commonwealth1 administered justly1 and with the purpose of securing for each individual all the freedom he can exercise without injury to his neighbors and the collective well-being4 ,they desire for themselves1 each for itself1 a strong ,government1 equipped to perform its functions with dignity1 certainty1 and efficiency2 but they wish to have that ,government under the control of the deliberate public opinion of free citizens1 and not under the control of any ,prtorian ,guard1 ,oligarchic ,council1 or ,general ,staff1 and they insist that the civil authority should always control such military and police forces as it may be necessary to maintain for protective purposes4 ,true ,national ,greatness4 ,they believe that the chief object of government should be the promotion of the public welfare by legislative and administrative means2 that the processes of government should be open and visible1 and their results be incessantly published for approval or disapproval4 ,they believe that a nation becomes great through industrial productiveness and the resulting internal and external commerce1 through the gradual increase of comfort and general well-being in the population1 and through the advancement of science1 letters1 and art4 ,they believe that education1 free intercourse with other nations1 and religious enthusiasm and toleration are means of national greatness1 and that in the development and use of these means force has no place4 ,they attribute national greatness in others1 as well as in themselves1 not to the possession of military force1 but to the advance of the people in freedom1 industry1 righteousness1 and good-will4 ,they believe that the ideals of fighting power and domination should be replaced by the ideals of peaceful competition in production and trade1 of generous rivalry in education1 scientific discovery1 and the fine arts1 of co-operation for mutual benefit among nations different in size1 natural abilities1 and material resources1 and of federation among nations associated geographically or historically1 or united in the pursuit of some common ends and in the cherishing of like hopes and aspirations4 ,they think that the peace of the world can be best promoted by solemn public compacts between peoples--not ,princes or ,cabinets--compacts made to be kept1 strengthened by mutual services and good offices1 and watched over by a permanent ,international ,judicial ,tribunal authorized to call on the affiliated nations for whatever force may be necessary to induce obedience to its decrees4 ,will not the civilized world learn from this horrible ,european war--the legitimate result of the policies of ,bismarck and his associates and disciples--that these democratic ideals constitute the rational substitute for the imperialistic ideal of fighting force as the foundation of national greatness8 ,the new ideals will still need the protection and support1 both within and without each nation1 of a restrained public force1 acting under law1 national and international1 just as a sane mind needs as its agent a sound and strong body4 ,health and vigor will continue to be the safeguards of morality1 justice1 and mercy4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,asticou1 ,me41 ,sept4 #ad1 #aiad4 ,,dr4 ,,eliot',s ,,third ,,letter4 ,why ,is ,america ,anti-,german8 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,the numerous pamphlets which ,german writers are now distributing in the ,united ,states1 and the many letters about the ,european war which ,americans are now receiving from ,german and ,german-,american friends1 are convincing thoughtful people in this country that ,american public opinion has some weight with the ,german ,government and people1 or1 at least1 some interest for them2 but that the reasons which determine ,american sympathy with the ,allies1 rather than with ,germany and ,austria-,hungary1 are not understood in ,germany1 and are not always appreciated by persons of ,german birth who have lived long in the ,united ,states4 ,it would be a serious mistake to suppose that ,americans feel any hostility or jealousy toward ,germany1 or fail to recognize the immense obligations under which she has placed all the rest of the world1 although they now feel that the ,german ,nation has been going wrong in theoretical and practical politics for more than a hundred years1 and is today reaping the consequences of her own wrong-thinking and wrong-doing4 ,there are many important matters concerning which ,american sympathy is strongly with ,germany3 7#a7 ,the unification of ,germany1 which ,bismarck and his co-workers accomplished1 naturally commended itself to ,americans1 whose own country is a firm federation of many more or less different ,states1 containing more or less different peoples2 while most ,americans did not approve ,bismarck's methods and means1 they cordially approved his accomplishment of ,german unification2 7#b7 ,americans have felt unqualified admiration for the commercial and financial growth of ,germany during the past forty years1 believing it to be primarily the fruit of well-directed industry and enterprise2 7#c7 all educated ,americans feel strong gratitude to the ,german ,nation for its extraordinary achievements in letters1 science1 and education within the last hundred years4 ,jealousy of ,germany in these matters is absolutely foreign to ,american thought1 and that any external power or influence should undertake to restrict or impair ,german progress in these respects would seem to all ,americans intolerable1 and1 indeed incredible2 7#d7 all ,americans who have had any experience in ,governmental or educational administration recognize the fact1 that ,german administration--both in peace and in war--is the most efficient in the world1 and for that efficiency they feel nothing but respect and admiration1 unless the efficiency requires an inexpedient suppression or restriction of individual liberty2 7#e7 ,americans sympathize with a unanimous popular sentiment in favor of a war which the people believe to be essential to the greatness1 and even the safety1 of their country--a sentiment which prompts to family and property sacrifices very distressing at the moment1 and irremediable in the future2 and they believe that the ,german people today are inspired by just such an overwhelming sentiment4 ,how is it1 then1 that1 with all these strong ,american feelings tending to make them sympathize with the ,german people in good times or bad1 in peace or in war1 the whole weight of ,american opinion is on the side of the ,allies in the present war8 ,the reasons are to be found1 of course1 in the political and social history of the ,american people1 and in its ,governmental philosophy and practice today4 ,these reasons have come out of the past1 and are intrenched in all the present ideals and practices of the ,american ,commonwealth4 ,they inevitably lead ,americans to object strongly and irrevocably to certain ,german national practices of great moment1 practices which are outgrowths of ,prussian theories1 and experiences that have come to prevail in ,germany during the past hundred years4 ,in the hope that ,american public opinion about the ,european war may be a little better understood abroad it seems worth while to enumerate those ,german practices which do not conform to ,american standards in the conduct of public affairs3 7a7 ,americans object to the committal of a nation to grave measures of foreign policy by a permanent ,executive--,czar1 ,kaiser1 or ,king--advised in secret by professional diplomatists who consider themselves the personal representatives of their respective sovereigns4 ,the ,american people have no permanent ,executive1 and the profession of diplomacy hardly exists among them4 ,in the conduct of their national affairs they utterly distrust secrecy1 and are accustomed to demand and secure the utmost publicity4 7b7 ,they object to placing in any ruler's hands the power to order mobilization or declare war in advance of deliberate consultation with a representative assembly1 and of co-operative action thereby4 ,the fact that ,german mobilization was ordered three days in advance of the meeting of the ,reichstag confounds all ,american ideas and practices about the rights of the people and the proper limits of ,executive authority4 7c7 ,the secrecy of ,european diplomatic intercourse and of international understandings and terms of alliance in ,europe is in the view of ordinary ,americans not only inexpedient1 but dangerous and unjustifiable4 ,under the ,constitution of the ,united ,states no treaty negotiated by the ,president and his ,cabinet is valid until it has been publicly discussed and ratified by the ,senate4 ,during this discussion the people can make their voice heard through the press1 the telegraph1 and the telephone4 7d7 ,the reliance on military force as the foundation of true national greatness seems to thinking ,americans erroneous1 and in the long run degrading to a ,christian nation4 ,they conceive that the ,united ,states may fairly be called a great nation2 but that its greatness is due to intellectual and moral forces acting through adequate material forces and expressed in education1 public health and order1 agriculture1 manufacturing1 and commerce1 and the resulting general well-being of the people4 ,it has never in all its history organized what could be called a standing or a conscripted army2 and1 until twenty years ago1 its navy was very small1 considering the length of its sea coasts4 ,there is nothing in the history of the ,american people to make them believe that the true greatness of nations depends on military power4 ,object to ,extension by ,force4 7e7 ,they object to the extension of national territory by force1 contrary to the wishes of the population concerned4 ,this objection is the inevitable result of democratic institutions2 and the ,american people have been faithful to this democratic opinion under circumstances of considerable difficulty--as1 for example1 in withdrawing from ,cuba1 the rich island which had been occupied by ,american troops during the short war with ,spain1 7#ahih17 and in the refusing to intervene by force in ,mexico for the protection of ,american investors1 when that contiguous country was distracted by factional fighting4 ,this objection applies to long-past acts of the ,german ,government an well as to its proceedings in the present war--as1 for example1 to the taking of ,schleswig-,holstein and ,alsace-,lorraine1 as well as to the projected occupation of ,belgium4 7f7 ,americans object strenuously to the violation of treaties between nations on the allegation of military necessity or for any other reason whatever4 ,they believe that the progress of civilization will depend in future on the general acceptance of the sanctity of contracts or solemn agreements between nations and on the development by common consent of international law4 ,the neutralization treaties1 the arbitration treaties1 ,the ,hague ,conferences1 and some of the serious attempts at mediation1 although none of them go far enough1 and many of them have been rudely violated on occasion1 illustrate a strong tendency in the civilized parts of the world to prevent international wars by means of agreements deliberately made in time of peace4 ,the ,united ,states has proposed and made more of these agreements than any other power1 has adhered to them1 and profited by them4 ,under one such agreement1 made nearly a hundred years ago1 ,canada and the ,united ,states have avoided forts and armaments against each other1 although they have had serious differences of opinion and clashes of interests1 and the frontier is #c1jjj miles long and for the most part without natural barriers4 ,cherishing the hope that the peace of ,europe and the rights of its peoples may be secured through solemn compacts1 7which should include the establishment of a permanent international judicial tribunal1 supported by an international force17 ,americans see1 in the treatment by the ,german ,government of the ,belgian neutralization treaty as nothing but a piece of paper which might be torn up on the ground of military necessity1 evidence of the adoption by ,germany of a retrograde policy of the most alarming sort4 ,that single act on the part of ,germany--the violation of the neutral territory of ,belgium--would have determined ,american opinion in favor of the ,allies1 if it had stood alone by itself--the reason being that ,american hopes for the peace and order of the world are based on the sanctity of treaties4 7g7 ,american public opinion1 however1 has been greatly shocked in other ways by the ,german conduct of the war4 ,the ,american common people see no justification for the dropping of bombs1 to which no specific aim can be given1 into cities and towns chiefly inhabited by non-combatants1 the burning or blowing up of large portions of unfortified towns and cities1 the destruction of precious monuments and treasuries of art1 the strewing of floating mines through the ,north ,sea1 the exacting of ransoms from cities and towns under threat of destroying them1 and the holding of unarmed citizens as hostages for the peaceable behavior of a large population under threat of summary execution of the hostages in case of any disorder4 ,all these seem to ,americans unnecessary1 inexpedient1 and unjustifiable methods of warfare1 sure to breed hatred and contempt toward the nation that uses them1 and therefore to make it difficult for future generations to maintain peace and order in ,europe4 ,they cannot help imagining the losses civilization would suffer if the ,russians should ever carry into ,western ,europe the kind of war which the ,germans are now waging in ,belgium and ,france4 ,they have supposed that war was to be waged in this century only against public1 armed forces and their supplies and shelters4 ,these opinions and prepossessions on the part of the ,american people have obviously grown out of the ideals which the early ,english colonists carried with them to the ,american wilderness in the seventeenth century1 out of the long fighting and public discussion which preceded the adoption of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states in the eighteenth century1 and out of the peculiar experiences of the free ,commonwealths which make up the ,united ,states1 as they have spread across the almost uninhabited continent during the past #abe years4 ,the experience and the situation of modern ,germany have been utterly different4 ,germany was divided for centuries into discordant parts1 had ambitious and martial neighbors1 and often felt the weight of their attacks4 ,out of war came accessions of territory for ,prussia1 and at last ,german unity4 ,the reliance of intelligent and patriotic ,germany on military force as the basis of national greatness is a natural result of its experiences4 ,americans1 however1 believe that this reliance is unsound both theoretically and practically4 ,the wars in ,europe since #ahgj-ga1 the many threatenings of war1 and the present catastrophe seem to ,americans to demonstrate that no amount of military preparedness on the part of the nations of ,europe can possibly keep the peace of the ,continent1 or indeed prevent frequent explosions of destructive warfare4 ,they think1 too1 that preparation for war on the part of ,germany better than any of her neighbors can make will not keep her at peace or protect her from invasion1 even if this better preparation include advantages of detail which have been successfully kept secret4 ,all the nations which surround ,germany are capable of developing a strong fighting spirit2 and all the countries of ,europe1 except ,england and ,russia1 possess the means of quickly assembling and getting into action great bodies of men4 ,in other words1 all the ,european ,states are capable of developing a passionate patriotism1 and all possess the railroads1 roads1 conveyances1 telegraphs1 and telephones which make rapid mobilization possible4 ,no perfection of military forces1 and no amount of previous study of feasible campaigns against neighbors1 can give peaceful security to ,germany in the present condition of the great ,european ,states4 ,in the actual development of weapons and munitions1 and of the art of quick intrenching1 the attacking force in battle on land is at a great disadvantage in comparison with the force on the defensive4 ,that means indecisive battles and ultimately an indecisive war1 unless each party is resolved to push the war to the utter exhaustion and humiliation of the other--a long process which involves incalculable losses and wastes and endless miseries4 ,americans have always before them the memory of their four years' civil war1 which1 although resolutely prosecuted on both sides1 could not be brought to a close until the resources of the ,southern ,states in men and material were exhausted4 ,in that dreadful process the whole capital of the ,southern ,states was wiped out4 ,but ,one ,possible ,issue4 ,now that the sudden attack on ,paris has failed1 and adequate time has been secured to summon the slower-moving forces of ,russia and ,england1 and these two resolute and persistent peoples have decided to use all their spiritual and material forces in co-operation with ,france against ,germany1 thoughtful ,americans can see but one possible issue of the struggle1 whether it be long or short1 namely1 the defeat of ,germany and ,austria-,hungary in their present undertakings1 and the abandonment by both peoples of the doctrine that their salvation depends on militarism and the maintenance of autocratic ,executives intrusted with the power and the means to make sudden war4 ,they believe that no human being should ever be trusted with such power4 ,the alternative is1 of course1 genuine constitutional government1 with the military power subject to the civil power4 ,the ,american people grieve over the fruitless sacrifices of life1 property1 and the natural human joys which the ,german people are making to a wrong and impossible ideal of national power and welfare4 ,the sacrifices which ,germany is imposing on the ,allies are fearfully heavy1 but there is reason to hope that these will not be fruitless1 for out of them may come great gains for liberty and peace in ,europe4 ,all experienced readers on this side of the ,atlantic are well aware that nine-tenths of all the reports they get about the war come from ,english and ,french sources1 and this knowledge makes them careful not to form judgments about details until the events and deeds tell their own story4 ,they cannot even tell to which side victory inclines in a long1 far-extended battle until recognizable changes in the positions of the combatants show what the successes or failures must have been4 ,the ,english and ,french win some advantage so far as the formation of public opinion in this country is concerned1 because those two ,governments send hither official reports on current events more frequently than the ,german ,government does1 and with more corroborative details4 ,the amount of secrecy with which the campaign is surrounded on both sides is1 however1 a new and unwelcome experience for both the ,english and the ,american public4 ,german ,ignorance of ,events4 ,the pamphlets by ,german publicists and men of letters which are now coming to this country1 and the various similar publications written here1 seem to indicate that the ,german public is still kept by its ,government in ignorance about the real antecedents of the war and about many of the incidents and aspects of the portentous combat4 ,these documents seem to ,americans to contain a large amount of misinformation about the attack of ,austria-,hungary on ,servia1 the diplomatic negotiations and the correspondence between the sovereigns which immediately preceded the war1 and the state of mind of the ,belgian and ,english peoples4 ,american believers in the good sense and good feeling of the common people naturally imagine1 when an awful calamity befalls a nation1 that the people cannot have been warned of its approach1 else they would have avoided it4 ,in this case they fear that the ,emperor1 the ,chancellery1 and the ,general ,staff have themselves been misinformed in important respects1 have made serious miscalculations which they are proposing to conceal as long as possible1 and are not taking the common people into their confidence4 ,american sympathies are with the ,german people in their sufferings and losses1 but not with their rulers1 or with the military class1 or with the professors and men of letters who have been teaching for more than a generation that might makes right4 ,that short phrase contains the fundamental fallacy which for fifty years has been poisoning the springs of ,german thought and ,german policy on public affairs4 ,dread of the ,muscovite does not seem to ,americans a reasonable explanation of the present actions of ,germany and ,austria-,hungary1 except so far as irrational panic can be said to be an explanation4 ,against possible1 though not probable1 ,russian aggression1 a firm defensive alliance of all ,western ,europe would be a much better protection than the single might of ,germany4 ,it were easy to imagine also two new buffer ,states--a reconstructed ,poland and a ,balkan ,confederation4 ,as to ,french revenge1 it is the inevitable and praiseworthy consequence of ,germany's treatment of ,france in #ahgj-ga4 ,the great success of ,germany in expanding her commerce during the last thirty years makes it hard for ,americans to understand the hot indignation of the ,germans against the ,british because of whatever ineffective opposition ,great ,britain may have offered to that expansion4 ,no amount of commercial selfishness on the part of insular ,england can justify ,germany in attempting to seize supreme power in ,europe and thence1 perhaps1 in the world4 ,finally1 ,americans hope and expect that there will be no such fatal issue of the present struggle as the destruction or ruin of the ,german ,nation4 ,on the contrary1 they believe that ,germany will be freer1 happier1 and greater than ever when once she has got rid of the monstrous ,bismarck policies and the ,emperor's archaic conception of his function1 and has enjoyed twenty years of real peace4 ,your obedient servant1 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,asticou1 ,me41 ,sept4 #bh1 #aiad4 ,dr4 ,dernburg's ,reply to the ,third ,letter ,late ,german ,secretary of ,state for the ,colonies2 lived for several years in the ,united ,states as member of the banking firm of ,ladenburg1 ,thalmann ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,prof4 ,eliot is conferring a great favor on the exponents of the ,german side in the present struggle in explaining to them what he thinks of the so-called anti-,german feeling in the ,united ,states4 ,i am sure his views will be read also in ,germany with a great deal of attention1 although he will certainly not remain unchallenged in nearly all essential points4 ,the compliment that ,prof4 ,eliot pays to the ,german people as a whole must be specially appreciated1 the more so as it comes from a scientist whose great authority is equally recognized on both sides of the ,atlantic4 ,the anti-,german feeling1 according to ,prof4 ,eliot1 takes its source from the ,american objection to the committal of a nation to grave mistakes by a permanent ,executive4 ,but then1 with the exception of ,france1 all the warring nations have permanent ,executives1 professional diplomatists2 all their affairs are conducted in secret1 and all their rulers have the power1 including the ,president of ,france1 to embroil their nations in war4 ,the ,german ,emperor is in this respect certainly more restricted than the other heads of ,state1 and ,i have not read that the declaration of war has been expressly sanctioned by the ,english ,parliament1 and certainly the mobilization of the ,english fleet that took place in ,july1 and the mobilization of the ,russian ,army that took place at the same time1 have not even been brought to the knowledge of the respective ,parliaments4 ,when1 therefore1 the same conditions prevail in all the warring ,states1 how can they be made the reason for such an anti-,german feeling8 ,the same objection holds good with the ,american antipathy against the power of rulers to order mobilization or declare war in advance without consultation of ,parliament1 to which ,i have only to say that the ,english fleet was mobilized without consulting the ,english ,parliament1 while in ,germany the ,bundesrat1 the representatives of the ,federal ,states1 as well as of the ,federal ,diets1 has been duly consulted4 ,i may add that also the party leaders of the ,reichstag1 which could not be convoked earlier than two days after the declaration of the war1 have been continuously informed and consulted4 ,against the next paragraph1 where ,prof4 ,eliot complains of the secrecy of ,european diplomacy and of international treaties and understandings1 the same objection must be made4 ,the state described here as particular to ,germany prevails in all ,european countries1 and neither the treaty of the ,russian-,french alliance1 nor the arrangements of the ,triple ,entente have ever been submitted to the ,french or ,british ,parliaments4 ,as regards the ,american attitude toward armaments1 ,i purposely refrain from adducing the ,american example into my argument1 much as ,i could show that with a very large part of the ,american ,nation the idea of defending the ,american coast against any invader and the maintenance of a strong ,pan-,american policy1 if need be by arms1 is just as fixed a tenet as the ,german idea that the ,fatherland should be held safe from invasion or destruction by the will and the strength of its people4 ,england has always held the same1 if not through her army so through her navy1 and so did the rest of ,europe2 and there is no argument to be gotten from that for an anti-,german feeling4 ,no ,seizure of ,schleswig-,holstein4 ,americans object to the extension of territory by force4 ,germany has never done that1 even if one goes back as far as ,prof4 ,eliot wishes to go4 ,mr4 ,eliot is absolutely mistaken as to the history of the incorporation of ,schleswig-,holstein into ,prussia4 ,schleswig-,holstein was a ,dual-,dukedom that never belonged to ,denmark1 but having as its ,duke the ,king of ,denmark as long as he belonged to the elder line of the ,house of ,oldenburg4 ,this elder line was extinct when ,king ,christian ,,viii4 died without male issue4 ,his successor wanted to incorporate the two ,german ,dukedoms into ,denmark4 ,then the people stood up and expressed the desire to remain with the ,german ,federation1 to which it had always belonged1 and there it is now1 of its own free will4 ,the natural dividing line between ,denmark and ,germany1 however1 is the ,river ,eider4 ,there are about #cj1jjj ,danes south of the ,eider1 who have been absorbed against their will1 a thing that can never be avoided1 and that has sometimes given ,prussia a little trouble4 ,alsace-,lorraine ,originally ,german4 ,as to ,alsace-,lorraine1 the facts are known to be that it had belonged to ,germany until it had been taken1 against the will of the people1 by ,france under ,louis ,,xiv41 and it was returned to ,germany as a matter of right1 more than three-quarters of the population being of ,german descent and speaking the ,german language4 ,but let me ask in return1 ,mr4 ,eliot1 when did ever in her political career ,england consult the will of the people when she took a country8 ,can he say that1 when ,england tore the treaty of ,majuba ,hill1 like a scrap of paper1 and made war on the ,boers8 ,did she consult the people of ,cyprus in #ahgh8 ,does he know of any plbiscite in ,india8 ,has she consulted the ,persians1 or has ,france consulted the people of ,morocco1 or of ,indo-,china1 ,italy the people of ,tripoli8 ,since ,germany has not acted here in any other way forty years ago than all the other nations1 why does ,dr4 ,eliot consider the ,american people justified in taking anti-,german views for reasons of such an old date1 while he forgives the nations of the party he favors for much more recent infringement of his rule8 ,americans object to the violation of treaties4 ,so do the ,germans4 ,we have always kept our treaties1 and mean to do so in the future4 ,the fact with ,belgium is that her neutrality was very one-sided2 that1 as can be proved1 as early as the #beth of ,june1 ,lige was full of ,french soldiers1 that ,belgian fortifications were all directed against ,germany1 and that for years past it was the ,belgian press that outdid the ,french press in attacks against ,germany4 ,but ,i can give ,mr4 ,eliot here some authority that he has so far not challenged4 ,when ,sir ,edward ,grey presented the ,english case in the ,house of ,commons on the #c;d of ,august he declared that the ,british attitude was laid down by the ,british ,government in #ahgj1 and he verbally cited ,mr4 ,gladstone's speech1 in which he said he could not subscribe to the assertion that the simple fact of the existence of a guarantee was binding on every party1 irrespective altogether of the particular position in which it may find itself at the time when the occasion for acting on the guarantee arises4 ,he called that assertion a stringent and impracticable view of the guarantee and the whole treaty a complicated question4 ,so ,mr4 ,gladstone1 and with him ,sir ,edward ,grey1 has held the ,belgian neutrality treaty not binding on every party1 when it was against the interest which the particular situation dictated1 when the war broke out4 ,it was the interest of ,great ,britain to maintain the treaty1 and that is why she acted4 ,it was against ,german interest to maintain the treaty1 and that is why she broke it4 ,that is the ,british and not the ,german theory1 and ,i could very well rest my case here4 ,my theory is with the ,german ,chancellor1 that ,i greatly regret the necessity of violating the ,belgian neutrality1 after ,belgium had chosen to repel the ,german overtures for a free passage4 ,it is quite certain that the breach of the ,belgian neutrality by ,germany was used in ,great ,britain as a powerful instrument to influence the public sentiment4 ,every war must be borne by national unity1 and it is the duty of the nation's leaders to secure such unity by all practicable means4 ,but has it been forgotten that the attitude of ,sir ,edward ,grey caused such excellent men as ,lord ,morley1 ,john ,burns1 and ,sir ,john ,trevelyan to leave the ,cabinet1 where they were looked upon as the best and most liberal members of the ruling combination8 ,bernard ,shaw says of ,great ,britain that she has never been at a loss for an effective moral attitude4 ,such an attitude is a powerful weapon in diplomatical and actual warfare1 and it must be resorted to1 if the necessity arises4 ,but that cannot blind us to the fact that the ,british ,government allowed the political interest to be the paramount consideration in this ,belgian neutrality matter4 ,the ,german interest for not acting on the guarantee was just as strong as the ,english to act for it4 ,the proof is found in the ,english ,white ,paper4 ,i cite the famous reprint of ,,the ,,times1 7,dispatch ,no4 #adh of ,aug4 #b to ,paris47 ,here ,sir ,edward ,grey says3 ,we were considering 444 whether we should declare violation of ,belgian neutrality to be a casus belli4 ,treaties ,must ,not ,be ,overrated4 ,i am an ardent believer in all international arrangements to prevent difficulties and wars between nations1 and ,i rejoice with the ,american people in the signal success this policy is now having in this country4 ,but international treaties must not be overrated4 ,there are questions which cannot be settled by them4 ,it is too difficult to explain just the nature of such situations as arose in ,europe1 so ,i may be permitted for once to ask this question3 ,does ,prof4 ,eliot believe that the majority of the ,american people think that the unwritten ,monroe ,doctrine could be made the subject of arbitration1 whether it had a right to exist or to be enforced8 ,i must emphatically say1 ,no1 it could not4 ,it can be as little arbitrated upon as a matter of religion or of personal morals4 ,mr4 ,eliot thinks a happy result of the war would be that ,american institutions should prevail in ,germany thereafter4 ,why should ,germany only become a representative republic8 ,does he not demand the same regarding ,russia1 ,england1 ,italy1 ,austria1 and ,japan8 ,and if not1 why not8 ,from all this ,i fail to see the point in the reasons given by ,prof4 ,eliot why fair-minded ,americans should side with the ,allies because the objections made against ,german procedure1 down to the breach of the ,belgian neutrality1 must be made against all other ,european ,states4 ,british history is just teeming with examples of broken treaties and torn scraps of paper4 ,the chasing of ,german diplomatic representatives out of neutral ,egypt is a case in point4 ,i must insist that whatever anti-,german feeling there is is not fully explained by ,prof4 ,eliot1 and his article cannot be made a code by which ,german behavior could be regulated in the future4 ,prof4 ,eliot is a scholar2 business interests do not come very near him4 ,so he is especially concerned with the ethical aspect of the matter4 ,he believes the ,germans think that might is right4 ,this is very unjust4 ,our history proves that we have never acted on this principle4 ,we have never got or attempted to get a world empire such as ,england has won1 all of which1 with a very few exceptions1 by might1 by war1 and by conquest4 ,the ,german writers who have expounded this doctrine have only shown how the large world empires of ,england and ,france were welded together1 what means have been adopted for that purpose1 and against what sort of political doctrines we must beware4 ,our ,sympathy for the ,under ,dog4 ,as ,dr4 ,eliot makes his remarks for the benefit of his ,german confrres1 may ,i be permitted to say to them what ,i consider the reason for the ,american attitude8 ,there is1 in the first place1 the ethical side4 ,americans have a very strong sense of generosity1 and are1 as a rule1 very good sports4 ,they think ,belgium a small nation1 brutally attacked by a much bigger fellow2 they feel that the little man stands up bravely and gamely1 and fights for all he is worth4 ,such a situation will always command ,american sympathy and antagonism against the stronger4 ,then there is the business side4 ,americans feel that this war is endangering their political and commercial interests1 so they are naturally angry against the people who1 they believe1 have brought the war about4 ,as ,germany has not had an opportunity to make herself heard as amply as her adversaries1 they think that it was ,germany which set the world afire1 and that is what they resent1 and in which they were justified1 if it were true4 ,but the question of the hour is not the question of the past1 but of the present and of the future1 and the people on this side who will give ,germany fair play because it is just in them will examine the situation in the light of their interests4 ,then they will find that ,belgium had been in league with the ,allies long before the conflagration broke out1 only to be left to its own resources when the critical hour arose4 ,they will further find that it is not ,germany but ,england and her allies that are throttling commerce1 maiming cables1 stopping mails1 and breaking neutrality and other treaties to further their aims2 that1 finally1 today ,england has established a world rule on the sea to which even ,america must submit4 ,they will then soon come to the conclusion that1 no matter what happened in the past1 the peace of the world can only be assured by a good understanding between ,germany and the ,united ,states as a sort of counterbalance against the unmeasured aggrandizement of ,english sea power4 ,then the feeling toward ,germany will be considerably better1 and ,i may add that even now it is not so very bad after all4 ,i make these remarks with due respect to ,prof4 ,eliot and his views1 and with great reluctance for being compelled to enter the field against a personality whose undoubted superiority ,i wish to be the first to acknowledge4 ,,bernhard ,,dernburg4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #d1 #aiad4 ,dr4 ,jordan's ,reply to ,dr4 ,dernburg ,daniel ,jordan is ,assistant ,professor of ,roman ,languages and ,literature at ,columbia ,university4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,president ,eliot is as fair a judge of the present ,european situation as can be found anywhere1 and is well qualified to explain the almost unanimous attitude of thoughtful ,americans in regard to ,germany4 ,dr4 ,dernburg1 on the other hand1 has been officially sent from ,germany to expound the ,german official version2 both his point of view and his treatment of facts are essentially un-,american4 ,he says3 ,americans object to the extension of territory by force4 ,germany has never done that4 ,apparently he believes that the ,poles asked ,prussia to become her subjects4 ,the facts are that they have fought and begged for autonomy for nearly #aej years1 and that at the present time high ,german officials are members of the ,anti-,polish ,league4 ,dr4 ,dernburg1 when he comes to ,schleswig-,holstein1 states that #cj1jjj ,danes south of the ,eider ,river 7this is in ,holstein7 have been absorbed against their will1 a thing that can never be avoided1 and that has sometimes given ,prussia a little trouble4 ,but what about the ,danes north of the ,eider ,river8 ,schleswig and ,holstein are really two provinces4 ,holstein is ,german1 but the northern part of ,schleswig1 north of ,fiensburg1 is inhabited by ,danes who are longing to join ,denmark and who number about #bjj1jjj4 ,article #e of the ,treaty of ,prague1 signed on ,aug4 #bc1 #ahff1 after ,sadowa1 between ,prussia and ,austria1 states that the inhabitants of ,northern ,schleswig shall be given a chance to join ,denmark1 if they should so express the desire by a free vote4 ,prussia has not respected this solemn promise any more than former promises concerning ,schleswig4 ,the frequently renewed protests of the annexed ,danes have remained unanswered4 ,the best proof that ,prussia's title to ,danish ,schleswig was not considered as very substantial is that in ,october1 #ahgh1 ,prussia finally obtained from ,austria the annulment of ,article #e of the ,treaty of ,prague1 which dealt with the taking of a plbiscite in ,danish ,schleswig4 ,to decide the fate of a province without consulting the inhabitants seems perfectly natural to ,german ,kultur1 but to ,americans it is not2 the days of slavery have gone1 and wherever slavery still exists it is time to make a change4 ,as to ,alsace-,lorraine1 says ,dr4 ,dernburg1 the facts are known that it had belonged to ,germany until it was taken by ,louis ,,xiv41 against the will of the people1 and that it was returned to ,germany as a matter of right4 ,such an argument is mediaeval1 and it might just as well be argued that ,germany should now belong to ,france1 because ,germany was once conquered1 civilized1 and organized by inhabitants of ,france1 led by their ,frankish ,king4 ,and it is not sure that in #afdh ,alsace was not glad to become ,french1 because ,louis ,,xiv41 by the ,treaty of ,westphalia1 then granted perfect religious freedom to the ,alsatians1 who unlike their neighbors1 lived ever since without fear of religious persecutions4 ,lorraine itself was not annexed by ,louis ,,xiv41 nor by force1 as it was peacefully united to ,france at the death of ,stanislas1 father of the ,queen of ,france1 ,marie-,lesinzka4 ,as for the inhabitants of ,metz1 they were considered long ago as ,french4 ,metz was annexed to ,france in #aeeb1 with the full consent of the then allies of the ,french ,king1 ,henri ,,ii41 the ,german ,princes1 who recognized by the ,treaty of ,cateau-,cambresis1 7#aeei17 that ,metz1 ,toul1 and ,verdun were ,french cities1 and could not be considered as a part of the ,german ,confederation4 ,so there were at one time ,german ,princes who accepted the dogma of the consent of the governed6 ,attacking the record of ,england in order to defend the record of ,germany1 as ,dr4 ,dernburg does1 is no justification for the necessary ,german aggression of today4 ,even granting that the ,english record is poor1 which is a matter open to discussion1 two wrongs would not make things right4 ,dr4 ,dernburg also compares the policy of aggrandizement of ,germany in ,schleswig1 ,alsace1 c41 with that of other countries in ,morocco1 ,tripoli1 c4 ,even school children know that two things which are entirely unlike must not be compared4 ,northern ,africa had too long been a den of pirates and brigands1 and ,latin ,europe has rendered an immense service to the world in establishing order there4 ,algeria has been conquered in the same way as ,morocco is now being conquered1 and her natives enjoy more genuine liberty than they ever did before2 they are even willing to fight as volunteers for the country they consider now as their own4 ,neither ,danish ,schleswig nor ,alsace-,lorraine1 which were as civilized as any other ,european country when they were last annexed1 can be compared to ,morocco any more than to the ,philippines4 ,so this comparison made by ,dr4 ,dernburg also falls to pieces4 ,the case of the ,german point of view is not entirely without hope4 ,in ,,the ,,times of ,oct4 #e ,dr4 ,dernburg approves the annexation of ,holstein because the ,germans of ,holstein wanted to belong to ,germany4 ,this is a sound conclusion1 and ,dr4 ,dernburg will doubtless acknowledge later--better late than never--that the ,alsatians and the ,danish of ,schleswig should have had their say1 just like the ,germans of ,holstein4 ,it cannot be possible that to him the wish of the inhabitants of a province is the voice of ,god when it suits ,germany and the voice of the devil when it suits somebody else4 ,,daniel ,,jordan4 ,columbia ,university1 ,nov4 #f1 #aiad4 ,dr4 ,irene ,sargent's ,reply to ,dr4 ,dernburg ,professor of the ,history of ,fine ,arts1 ,syracuse ,university4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,contradicting ,dr4 ,eliot1 ,dr4 ,bernhard ,dernburg says3 ,schleswig-,holstein was a dual ,dukedom that never belonged to ,denmark2 but1 having as its ,duke the ,king of ,denmark1 as long as he belonged to the elder line of the house of ,oldenburg 444 ,frederick ,,vii4 wanted to incorporate the two ,german ,dukedoms into ,denmark4444 ,then the people stood up and expressed the desire to remain with the ,german ,federation4 ,such an assertion is a summary1 inaccurate1 and unfair manner of dealing with perhaps the most complex series of diplomatic1 legal1 and racial questions that arose in the nineteenth century4 ,it would appear from the best evidence that ,schleswig was indissolubly united with the ,crown of ,denmark4 ,to maintain this principle ,christian ,,viii4 in #ahdf issued letters patent declaring that the royal line of succession 7female7 was in full force1 as far as ,schleswig was concerned4 ,as to ,holstein1 the ,king stated that he was prevented from giving an equally clear decision1 and the reason of his hesitation lay in the assumption that the law of the ,salic ,saxons excluding women from the throne would naturally prevail in ,holstein1 where the ,germans1 their customs1 and their language were dominant4 ,two years later1 ,prussia sought to restore her prestige1 lost in the ,revolution of #ahdh1 by sending troops into the ,duchies in order to enforce the principle that this territory constituted two independent and indivisible ,states1 the government of which was hereditary in the male line alone4 ,the ,prussian troops were afterward withdrawn by the hesitating ,frederic ,william1 and there followed a succession of protocols1 constitutions1 and compacts until the time of ,bismarck1 who1 in his ,reflections1 ,volume ,,ii41 ,page #aj1 in writing of the ,duchies1 acknowledges3 ,from the beginning ,i kept annexation steadily before my eyes4 ,the master of statecraft conquered4 ,but did the people stand up and express their desire to remain with the ,german ,federation1 as ,dr4 ,dernburg asserts8 ,if his assertion be true1 why were the ,danish optants subjected to domiciliary visits1 perquisitions1 arrest1 and expulsion8 ,and why--only to mention one instance of espionage--did the ,prussian police confiscate the issue of a ,danish newspaper published in ,schleswig because it contained a reference to that ,duchy under its historic name of ,south ,jutland8 ,the truth stands that the whole ,schleswig-,holstein question is one that involves the modern principle of nationality1 and1 as such1 enters of necessity into the present ,european crisis4 ,it is broadly understood by ,dr4 ,eliot and willfully misapprehended by his critic4 ,passing on to consider ,alsace-,lorraine1 ,dr4 ,dernburg declares that it had belonged to ,germany until it was taken1 against the will of the people1 under ,louis ,,xiv4 ,in this statement1 as in the treatment of the previous question1 facts are mutilated and wrong impressions are given4 ,alsace1 it is well known1 was included within the confines of ancient ,gaul1 its original population was ,celtic1 and it passed1 late in the fifth ,christian century1 under the rule of the ,franks1 one of whose chieftains1 ,clovis1 became the founder of the first ,french monarchy4 ,in dealing with its later history ,dr4 ,dernburg confuses the ,holy ,roman 7,germanic7 ,empire with ,germany1 considered in its modern sense4 ,he appears to forget that the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 was an age of absolutism and not of plbiscites4 ,he also ignores that the most strenuous efforts on the part of ,germany to strangle the ,french nationality and language in the imperial territory 7,alsace-,lorraine7 have proved useless1 although they have been exerted constantly for almost a half century4 ,,irene ,,sargent4 ,professor of the ,history of ,fine ,arts4 ,syracuse ,university1 ,nov4 #c1 #aiad4 ,,dr4 ,,eliot',s ,,fourth ,,letter4 ,germany and ,world ,empire ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,each one of the principal combatants in ,europe seems to be anxious to prove that it is not responsible for this cruelest1 most extensive1 and most destructive of all wars4 ,each ,government involved has published the correspondence between its ,chief ,executive and other ,chief ,executives1 and between its ,chancellery or ,foreign ,office and the equivalent bodies in the other nations that have gone to war1 and has been at pains to give a wide circulation to these documents4 ,to be sure1 none of these ,government publications seems to be absolutely complete4 ,there seems to be in all of them suppressions or omissions which only the future historian will be able to report--perhaps after many years4 ,they reveal1 however1 the dilapidated state of the ,concert of ,europe in ,july1 #aiad1 and the flurry in the ,european ,chancelleries which the ultimatum sent by ,austria-,hungary to ,servia produced4 ,they also testify to the existence of a new and influential public opinion1 about war and peace1 to which nations that go to war think it desirable to appeal for justification or moral support4 ,these publications have been read with intense interest by impartial observers in all parts of the world1 and have in many cases determined the direction of the readers' sympathy and good will2 and yet none of them discloses or deals with the real sources of the unprecedented calamity4 ,they relate chiefly to the question who struck the match1 and not to the questions who provided the magazine that exploded1 and why did he provide it4 ,grave responsibility1 of course1 attaches to the person who gives the order to mobilize a national army or to invade a neighbor's territory2 but the real source of the resulting horrors is not in such an order1 but in the ,governmental institutions1 political philosophy1 and long-nurtured passions and purposes of the nation or nations concerned4 ,german ,desire for ,world ,empire4 ,the prime source of the present immense disaster in ,europe is the desire on the part of ,germany for world empire1 a desire which one ,european nation after another has made its supreme motive1 and none that has once adopted it has ever completely eradicated4 ,germany arrived late at this desire1 being prevented until #ahgj from indulging it1 because of her lack of unity1 or rather because of being divided since the ,thirty ,years' ,war into a large number of separate1 more or less independent1 ,states4 ,when this disease1 which has attacked one nation after another through all historic times1 struck ,germany it exhibited in her case a remarkable malignity1 moving her to expansion in ,europe by force of arms1 and to the seizure of areas for colonization in many parts of the world4 ,prussia1 indeed1 had long believed in making her way in ,europe by fighting1 and had repeatedly acted on that belief4 ,shortly before the achievement of ,german unity by ,bismarck she had obtained by war in #ahfd and #ahff important accessions of territory and leadership in all ,germany4 ,with this desire for world empire went the belief that it was only to be obtained by force of arms4 ,therefore1 united ,germany has labored with utmost intelligence and energy to prepare the most powerful army in the world1 and to equip it for instant action in the most perfect manner which science and eager invasion could contrive4 ,to develop this supreme military machine universal conscription--an outgrowth of the conception of the citizens' army of ,france during the ,revolution--was necessary2 so that every young man in ,germany physically competent to bear arms might receive the training of a soldier1 whether he wished it or not1 and remain at the call of the ,government for military duty during all his years of competency1 even if he were the only son of a widow1 or a widower with little children1 or the sole support of a family or other dependents4 ,in order to the completeness of this military ideal the army became the nation and the nation became the army to a degree which had never before been realized in either the savage or the civilized world4 ,this army could be summoned and put in play by the ,chief ,executive of the ,german ,nation with no preliminaries except the consent of the hereditary heads of the several ,states which united to form the empire in #ahgj-ga under the domination of ,prussia1 the ,prussian ,king1 become ,german ,emperor1 being ,commander in ,chief of the ,german ,army4 ,at the word of the ,emperor this army can be summoned1 collected1 clothed1 equipped and armed1 and set in motion toward any frontier in a day4 ,the ,german ,army was thus made the largest in proportion to population1 the best equipped1 and the most mobile in the world4 ,the ,german ,general ,staff studied incessantly and thoroughly plans for campaigns against all the other principal ,states of ,europe1 and promptly utilized--secretly1 whenever secrecy was possible--all promising inventions in explosives1 ordnance1 munitions1 transportation1 and sanitation4 ,at the opening of #aiad the ,general ,staff believed that the ,german ,army was ready for war on the instant1 and that it possessed some significant advantages in fighting--such as better implements and better discipline--over the armies of the neighboring nations4 ,the army could do its part toward the attainment of world empire4 ,it would prove invincible4 ,a ,great ,german ,navy4 ,the intense desire for colonies1 and for the spread of ,german commerce throughout the world1 instigated the creation of a great ,german navy1 and started the race with ,england in navy building4 ,the increase of ,german wealth1 and the rapid development of manufactures and commercial sea power after #ahgj-ga1 made it possible for the empire to devote immense sums of money to the quick construction of a powerful navy1 in which the experience and skill of all other shipbuilding nations would be appropriated and improved on4 ,in thus pushing her colonization and sea-power policy ,germany encountered the wide domination of ,great ,britain on the oceans2 and this encounter bred jealousy1 suspicion1 and distrust on both sides4 ,that ,germany should have been belated in the quest for foreign possessions was annoying2 but that ,england and ,france should have acquired early ample and rich territories on other continents1 and then should resist or obstruct ,germany when she aspired to make up for lost time1 was intensely exasperating4 ,hence chronic resentments1 and--when the day came--probably war4 ,in respect to its navy1 however1 ,germany was not ready for war at the opening of #aiad2 and1 therefore1 she did not mean to get into war with ,great ,britain in that year4 ,indeed1 she believed--on incorrect information--that ,england could not go to war in the ,summer of #aiad4 ,neither the ,government nor the educated class in ,germany comprehends the peculiar features of party government as it exists in ,england1 ,france1 and the ,united ,states2 and1 therefore1 the ,german leaders were surprised and grievously disappointed at the sudden popular determination of ,great ,britain and ,ireland to lay aside party strife and take strenuous part in the general ,european conflict4 ,the complete preparation of the ,german ,army for sudden war1 the authority to make war always ready in the hands of the ,german ,emperor1 and the thorough studies of the ,german ,staff into the most advantageous plans of campaign against every neighbor1 conspired to develop a new doctrine of military necessity as the all-sufficient excuse for disregarding and violating the contracts or agreements into which ,prussia or the new ,germany had entered with other nations4 ,to gain quickly a military advantage in attacking a neighbor came to be regarded as proper ground for violating any or all international treaties and agreements1 no matter how solemn and comprehensive1 how old or how new4 ,the demonstration of the insignificance or worthlessness of international agreements in ,german thought and practice was given in the first days of the war by the invasion of ,belgium1 and has been continued ever since by violation on the part of ,germany of numerous agreements concerning the conduct of war into which ,germany entered with many other nations at the ,second ,hague ,conference4 ,sanctity of ,national ,contracts4 ,this ,german view of the worthlessness of international agreements was not a cause of the present war1 because it was not fully evident to ,europe1 although familiar and of long standing in ,germany2 but it is a potent reason for the continuance of the war by the ,allies until ,germany is defeated2 because it is plain to all the nations of the world1 except ,germany1 ,austria-,hungary1 and ,turkey at the moment1 that the hopes of mankind for the gradual development of international order and peace rest on the sanctity of contracts between nations1 and on the development of adequate sanctions in the administration of international law4 ,the new doctrine of military necessity affronts all law and is completely and hopelessly barbarous4 ,world empire now1 as always1 is to be won by force--that is1 by conquest and holding possession4 ,so ,assyria1 ,israel1 ,macedonia1 ,athens1 ,rome1 ,islam1 ,england1 and ,france have successively believed and tried to accomplish in practice4 ,united ,germany has for forty years been putting into practice1 at home and abroad1 the doctrine of force as the source of all personal and national greatness and all worthy human achievements4 ,in the support of this doctrine1 educated ,germany has developed and accepted the religion of valor and the dogma that might makes right4 ,in so doing it has rejected with scorn the ,christian teachings concerning humility and meekness1 justice and mercy1 brotherhood and love4 ,the objects of its adoration have become ,strength1 ,courage1 and ruthless ,will-power2 let the weak perish and help them to perish2 let the gentle1 meek1 and humble submit to the harsh and proud2 let the shiftless and incapable die2 the world is for the strong1 and the strongest shall be ruler4 ,this is a religion capable of inspiring its followers with zeal and sustained enthusiasm in promoting the national welfare at whatever cost to the individual of life1 liberty1 or happiness1 and also of lending a religious sanction to the extremes of cruelty1 greed1 and hate4 ,it were incredible that educated people who have been brought up within earshot of ,christian ethics and within sight of gentle men and women should all be content with the religion-of-valor plan4 ,accordingly1 the finer ,german spirits have invented a supplement to that ,stone ,age religion4 ,they have set up for worship a mystical conception of the ,state as a majestic and beneficent entity which embraces all the noble activities of the nation and guides it to its best achievements4 ,to this ideal ,state every ,german owes duty1 obedience1 and complete devotion4 ,the trouble with this supplement to the religion of valor is that it dwells too much on submission1 self-sacrifice1 and discipline1 and not enough on individual liberty and self-control in liberty4 ,accordingly1 when the valiant men got control of the ,government and carried the nation into a ferocious war1 they swept away with them all the devotees of this romantic and spiritual ,state4 ,the modern ,german is always a controlled1 directed1 and drilled person1 who aspires to control and discipline his inferiors2 and in his view pretty much all mankind are his inferiors4 ,he is not a freeman in the ,french1 ,english1 or ,american sense2 and he prefers not to be4 ,what ,german ,domination ,would ,mean4 ,the present war is the inevitable result of lust of empire1 autocratic government1 sudden wealth1 and the religion of valor4 ,what ,german domination would mean to any that should resist it the experience of ,belgium and ,northern ,france during the past three months aptly demonstrates4 ,the civilized world can now see where the new ,german morality--be efficient1 be virile1 be hard1 be bloody1 be rulers--would land it4 ,to maintain that the power which has adopted in practice that new morality1 and in accordance with its precepts promised ,austria its support against ,servia and invaded ,belgium and ,france in hot haste1 is not the responsible author of the ,european war1 is to throw away memory1 reason1 and common sense in judging the human agencies in current events4 ,the real cause of the war is this gradually developed barbaric state of the ,german mind and will4 ,all other causes--such as the assassination of the heir to the throne of ,austria-,hungary1 the sympathy of ,russia with the ,balkan ,states1 the ,french desire for the recovery of ,alsace-,lorraine1 and ,great ,britain's jealousy of ,german aggrandizement--are secondary and incidental causes1 contributory1 indeed1 but not primary and fundamental4 ,if any one ask who brought the ruling class in ,germany to this barbaric frame of mind1 the answer must be ,bismarck1 ,moltke1 ,treitschke1 ,nietzsche1 ,bernhardi1 the ,german ,emperor1 their like1 their disciples1 and the military caste4 ,germany ,never ,dreaded ,russia4 ,many ,german apologists for the war attribute it to ,german fear of ,russia4 ,they say that1 although ,germany committed the first actual aggression by invading ,belgium and ,luxemburg on the way to attack ,france with the utmost speed and fierceness1 the war is really a war of defense against ,russia1 which might desirably pass over1 after ,france has been crushed1 into a war against ,great ,britain1 that perfidious and insolent obstacle to ,germany's world empire4 ,the answer to this explanation is that1 as a matter of fact1 ,germany has never dreaded1 or even respected1 the military strength of ,russia1 and that the recent wars and threatenings of war by ,germany have not been directed against ,russia1 but against ,denmark1 ,austria1 ,france1 and ,england4 ,in her colonization enterprises it is not ,russia that ,germany has encountered1 but ,england1 ,france1 and the ,united ,states4 ,the friendly advances made within the last twenty years by ,germany to ,turkey were not intended primarily to strengthen ,germany against ,russia1 but ,germany against ,great ,britain through access by land to ,british ,india4 ,in short1 ,germany's policies1 at home and abroad1 during the last forty years have been inspired not by fear of ,russia1 or of any other invader1 but by its own aggressive ambition for world empire4 ,in the present war it thinks it has staked its all on empire or downfall4 ,germany ,should ,be ,defeated4 ,those nations which value public liberty and believe that the primary object of ,government is to promote the general welfare by measures and policies founded on justice1 good-will1 and respect for the freedom of the individual cannot but hope that ,germany will be completely defeated in its present undertakings2 but they do not believe that ,germany is compelled to choose between a life of domination in ,europe and the world and national death4 ,they wish that all her humane culture and her genius for patient and exact research may survive this hideous war and guide another ,germany to great achievements for humanity4 ,if the causes of the present immense catastrophe have been have correctly stated1 the desirable outcomes of the war are1 no world empire for any race or nation1 no more subjects1 no ,executives1 either permanent or temporary1 with power to throw their fellow-countrymen into war1 no secret diplomacy justifying the use for a profit of all the lies1 concealments1 deceptions1 and ambuscades which are an inevitable part of war and assuming to commit nations on international questions1 and no conscription armies that can be launched in war by ,executives without consulting independent representative assemblies4 ,there should come out from this supreme convulsion1 a federated ,europe1 or a league of the freer nations1 which should secure the smaller ,states against attack1 prevent the larger from attempting domination1 make sure that treaties and other international contracts shall be public and be respected until modified by mutual consent1 and provide a safe basis for the limitation and reduction of armaments on land and sea1 no basis to be considered safe which could fail to secure the liberties of each and all the federated ,states against the attacks of any outsider or faithless member4 ,no one can see at present how such a consummation is to be brought about1 but any one can see already that this consummation is the only one which can satisfy the lovers of liberty under law1 and the believers in the progress of mankind through loving service each to all and all to each4 ,extreme pacificists shrink from fighting evil with evil1 hell with hell1 and advise submission to outrage1 or at least taking the risk of being forced into resigned submission4 ,the believers in the religion of valor1 on the other hand1 proclaim that war is a good thing in itself1 that it develops the best human virtues1 invigorates a nation become flaccid through ease and luxury1 and puts in command the strong1 dominating spirit of a valid nation or race4 ,what is the just mean between these two extremes8 ,is it not that war is always a hideous and hateful evil1 but that a nation may sometimes find it to be the least of two evils between which it has to choose8 ,the justifiable and indeed necessary war is the war against the ravager and destroyer1 the enemy of liberty1 the claimant of world empire4 ,more and more the thinkers of the world see1 and the common people more and more believe instinctively1 that the cause of righteous liberty is the cause of civilization4 ,in the conference which will one day meet to settle the terms of peace1 and therefore the future conditions of life in ,europe1 the example of the ,american ,republic in regard to armaments and war1 the publicity of treaties1 and public liberty1 security and prosperity may reasonably have some influence4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,nov4 #ad1 #aiad4 ,,dr4 ,,eliot',s ,,fifth ,,letter4 ,a ,hopeful ,road to ,lasting ,peace ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,the great war has now been going on long enough to enable mankind to form approximately correct views about its vast extent and scale of operations1 its sudden interference with commerce and all other helpful international intercourse1 its unprecedented wrecking of family happiness and continuity1 its wiping out1 as it proceeds1 of the accumulated savings of many former generations in structures1 objects of art1 and industrial capital1 and the huge burdens it is likely to impose on twentieth century ,europe4 ,from all these points of view1 it is evidently the most horrible calamity that has ever befallen the human race and the most crucial trial to which civilization has been exposed4 ,it is1 and is to be1 the gigantic struggle of these times between the forces which make for liberty and righteousness and those which make for the subjection of the individual man1 the exaltation of the ,state1 and the enthronement of physical force directed by a ruthless collective will4 ,it threatens a sweeping betrayal of the best hopes of mankind4 ,each of the nations involved1 horrified at the immensity of the disaster1 maintains that it is not responsible for the war2 and each ,government has issued a statement to prove that some other ,government is responsible for the outbreak4 ,this discussion1 however1 relates almost entirely to actions by monarchs and ,cabinets between ,july #bc and ,aug4 #d--;a short period of hurried messages between the ,chancelleries of ,europe--actions which only prove that the monarchs and ,ministers for ,foreign ,affairs could not1 or at least did not1 prevent the long-prepared general war from breaking out4 ,the assassination of the ,archduke and ,duchess of ,hohenberg on the #bhth of ,june was in no proper sense a cause of the war1 except as it was one of the consequences of the persistent aggressions of ,austria-,hungary against her southeastern neighbors4 ,neither was ,russian mobilization in four military districts on ,july #bi a cause of the war2 for that was only an external manifestation of the ,russian state of mind toward the ,balkan peoples1 a state of mind well known to all publicists ever since the ,treaty of ,berlin in #ahgh4 ,no more was the invasion of ,belgium by the ,german ,army on ,aug4 #d a true cause of the war1 or even the cause1 as distinguished from the occasion1 of ,great ,britain's becoming involved in it4 ,by that action ,germany was only taking the first step in carrying out a long-cherished purpose and in executing a judicious plan of campaign prepared for many years in advance4 ,the artificial panic in ,germany about its exposed position between two powerful enemies1 ,france and ,russia1 was not a genuine cause of the war2 for the ,general ,staff knew they had crushed ,france once1 and were confident they could do it again in a month4 ,as to ,russia1 it was1 in their view1 a huge nation1 but very clumsy and dull in war4 ,the real causes of the war are all of many years' standing2 and all the nations now involved in the fearful catastrophe have contributed to the development of one or more of these effective causes4 ,the fundamental causes are3 7#a7 ,the maintenance of monarchical ,governments1 each sanctioned and supported by the national religion1 and each furnished with a ,cabinet selected by the monarch--,governments which can make war without any previous consultation of the peoples through their elected representatives2 7#b7 the constant maintenance of conscript armies1 through which the entire able-bodied male population is trained in youth for service in the army or navy1 and remains subject to the instant call of the ,government till late in life1 the officering of these permanent armies involving the creation of a large military class likely to become powerful in political1 industrial1 and social administration2 7#c7 the creation of a strong1 permanent bureaucracy within each nation for the management of both foreign and domestic affairs1 much of whose work is kept secret from the public at large2 and1 finally1 7#d7 the habitual use of military and naval forces to acquire new territories1 contiguous or detached1 without regard to the wishes of the people annexed or controlled4 ,this last cause of the war is the most potent of the four1 since it is strong in itself1 and is apt to include one or more of the other three4 ,it is the gratification of the lust for world empire4 ,of all the nations taking part in the present war1 ,great ,britain is the only one which does not maintain a conscript army2 but1 on the other hand1 ,great ,britain is the earliest modern claimant of world empire by force1 with the single exception of ,spain1 which long since abandoned that quest4 ,every one of these nations except little ,servia has yielded to the lust for empire4 ,every one has permitted its monarch or its ,cabinet to carry on secret negotiations liable at any time to commit the nation to war1 or to fail in maintaining the peace of ,europe or of the ,near ,east4 ,in the crowded diplomatic events of last ,july1 no phenomenon is more striking than the exhibition of the power which the ,british people confide to the hands of their ,foreign ,secretary4 ,in the interests of public liberty and public welfare no official should possess such powers as ,sir ,edward ,grey used admirably--though in vain--last ,july4 ,in all three of the empires engaged in the war there has long existed a large military caste which exerts a strong influence on the ,government and its policies1 and on the daily life of the people4 ,these being the real causes of the terrific convulsion now going on in ,europe1 it cannot be questioned that the nation in which these complex causes have taken strongest and most complete effect during the last fifty years is ,germany4 ,her form of government has been imperialistic and autocratic in the highest degree4 ,she has developed with great intelligence and assiduity the most formidable conscript army in the world1 and the most influential and insolent military caste4 ,three times since #ahfd she has waged war in ,europe1 and each time she has added to her territory without regard to the wishes of the annexed population4 ,for twenty-five years she has exhibited a keen desire to obtain colonial possessions2 and since #ahif she has been aggressive in this field4 ,in her schools and universities the children and youth have been taught for generations that ,germany is surrounded by hostile peoples1 that her expansion in ,europe and in other continents is resisted by jealous powers which started earlier in the race for foreign possessions1 and that the salvation of ,germany has depended from the first1 and will depend till the last1 on the efficiency of her army and navy and the warlike spirit of her people4 ,this instruction1 given year after year by teachers1 publicists1 and rulers1 was first generally accepted in ,prussia1 but now seems to be accepted by the entire empire as unified in #ahga4 ,the attention of the civilized world was first called to this state of the ,german mind and will by the triumphant policies of ,bismarck2 but during the reign of the present ,emperor the external aggressiveness of ,germany and her passion for world empire have grown to much more formidable proportions4 ,although the ,german ,emperor has sometimes played the part of a peacemaker1 he has habitually acted the war lord in both speech and bearing1 and has supported the military caste whenever it has been assailed4 ,he is by inheritance1 conviction1 and practice a ,divine-right sovereign whose throne rests on an invincible army1 an army conterminous with the nation4 ,in the present tremendous struggle he carries his subjects with him in a rushing torrent of self-sacrificing patriotism4 ,mass fanaticism and infectious enthusiasm seem to have deprived the leading class in ,germany1 for the moment1 of all power to see1 reason1 and judge correctly--no new phenomenon in the world1 but instructive in this case because it points to the grave defect in ,german education--the lack of liberty and1 therefore1 practice in self-control4 ,the twentieth century educated ,german is1 however1 by no means given over completely to material and physical aggrandizement and the worship of might4 ,he cherishes a partly new conception of the ,state as a collective entity whose function is to develop and multiply1 not the free1 healthy1 and happy individual man and woman1 but higher and more effective types of humanity1 made superior by a strenuous discipline which takes much account of the strong and ambitious1 and little of the weak or meek4 ,he rejects the ethics of the ,beatitudes as unsound1 but accepts the religion of valor1 which exalts strength1 courage1 endurance1 and the ready sacrifice by the individual of liberty1 happiness1 and life itself for ,germany's honor and greatness4 ,a nation of #fj1jjj1jjj holding these philosophical and religious views1 and proposing to act on them in winning by force the empire of the world1 threatens civilization with more formidable irruptions of a destroying host than any that history has recorded4 ,the rush of the ,german ,army into ,belgium1 ,france1 and ,russia and its consequences to those lands have taught the rest of ,europe to dread ,german domination1 and--it is to be hoped--to make it impossible4 ,the real cause of the present convulsion is1 then1 the state of mind or temper of ,germany1 including her conception of national greatness1 her theory of the ,state1 and her intelligent and skillful use of all the forces of nineteenth century applied science for the destructive purposes of war4 ,it is1 therefore1 apparent that ,europe can escape from the domination of ,germany only by defeating her in her present undertakings2 and that this defeat can be brought about only by using against her the same effective agencies of destruction and the same martial spirit on which ,germany itself relies4 ,horrible as are the murderous and devastating effects of this war1 there can be no lasting peace until ,europe as a whole is ready to make some serious and far-reaching decisions in regard to ,governmental structures and powers4 ,in all probability the sufferings and losses of this widespread war must go further and cut deeper before ,europe can be brought to the decisions which alone can give securities for lasting peace against ,germany on the one hand and ,russia on the other1 or to either of these nations1 or can give security for the future to any of the smaller nations of ,continental ,europe4 ,there can1 indeed1 be no security for future peace in ,europe until every ,european nation recognizes the fact that there is to be no such thing in the world as one dominating nation--no such thing as world empire for any single nation--,great ,britain1 ,germany1 ,russia1 ,japan1 or ,china4 ,there can be no sense of security against sudden invasion in ,europe so long as all the able-bodied men are trained to be soldiers and the best possible armies are kept constantly ready for instant use4 ,there can be no secure peace in ,europe until a federation of the ,european ,states is established1 capable of making public contracts intended to be kept1 and backed by an overwhelming international force subject to the orders of an international tribunal4 ,the present convulsion demonstrates the impotence toward permanent peace of secret negotiations1 of unpublished agreements1 of treaties and covenants that can be broken on grounds of military necessity1 of international law if without sanctions1 of pious wishes1 of economic and biological predictions1 and of public opinion unless expressed through a firm international agreement1 behind which stands an international force4 ,when that international force has been firmly established it will be time to consider what proportionate reductions in national armaments can be prudently recommended4 ,until that glorious day dawns1 no patriot and no lover of his kind can wisely advocate either peace in ,europe or any reduction of armaments4 ,the hate-breeding and worse than brutal cruelties and devastations of the war1 with their inevitable moral and physical degradations1 ought to shock mankind into attempting a great step forward4 ,europe and ,america should undertake to exterminate the real causes of the catastrophe4 ,in studying that problem the coming ,european conference can profit by the experience of the three prosperous and valid countries in which public liberty and the principle of federation have been most successfully developed--,switzerland1 ,great ,britain1 and the ,united ,states4 ,switzerland is a democratic federation which unites in a firm federal bond three different racial stocks speaking three unlike languages1 and divided locally and irregularly between the ,catholic ,church and the ,protestant4 ,the so-called ,british ,empire tends strongly to become a federation2 and the methods of ,government both in ,great ,britain itself and in its affiliated ,commonwealths are becoming more and more democratic in substance4 ,the war has brought this fact out in high relief4 ,as to the ,united ,states1 it is a strong federation of forty-eight heterogeneous ,states which has been proving for a hundred years that freedom and democracy are safer and happier for mankind than subjection to any sort of autocracy1 and affords far the best training for national character and national efficiency4 ,republican ,france has not yet had time to give this demonstration1 being incumbered with many survivals of the ,bourbon and ,napoleonic rgimes1 and being forced to maintain a conscript army4 ,it is an encouraging fact that every one of the political or ,governmental changes needed is already illustrated in the practice of one or more of the civilized nations4 ,to exaggerate the necessary changes is to postpone or prevent a satisfactory outcome from the present calculated destructions and wrongs and the accompanying moral and religious chaos4 ,ardent proposals to remake the map of ,europe1 reconstruct ,european society1 substitute republics for empires1 and abolish armaments are in fact obstructing the road toward peace and good-will among men4 ,that road is hard at best4 ,the immediate duty of the ,united ,states is presumably to prepare1 on the basis of its present army and navy1 to furnish an effective quota of the international force1 servant of an international tribunal1 which will make the ultimate issue of this most abominable of wars not a truce1 but a durable peace4 ,in the meantime the ,american peoples cry with one voice to the ,german people1 like ,ezekiel to the ,house of ,israel3 ,turn ye1 turn ye from your evil ways2 for why will ye die8 ,,charles ,w4 ,,eliot4 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,dec4 #h1 #aiad4 ,,the ,,lord ,,of ,,hosts4 ,by ,,joseph ,b4 ,,gilder4 ,he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh4 ,the warring hosts that gather ,to ravage1 burn1 and slay1 ,turn first to that dread ,father ,to whom the nations pray3 ,o ,god1 our hearts ,thou knowest1 ,our minds ,thou readest clear2 ,where we go1 there ,thou goest-- ,with ,thee we have no fear4 ,the folk that harm and hate us-- ,thy enemies1 ,o ,lord-- ,thou knowest how they bait us3 ,make brittle their strong sword6 ,against the foe that goaded ,we heed ,thy call to fight3 ,our guns are primed and loaded1 ,our swords1 how keen and bright6 ,make strong our hearts to serve ,thee1 ,uphold our lifted hands2 ,let no petition swerve ,thee ,to succor alien bands4 ,so shall we burn and slaughter1 ,spread desolation wide1 ,if still1 by land and water1 ,thou fightest on our side4 ,the ,lord of ,hosts had listened-- ,had heard the rivals' prayer1 ,upraised where bayonets glistened ,and banners dyed the air2 ,and as ,his people waited ,an answer to their cry1 ,two bolts with lightning freighted ,flashed from the angry sky4 ,to left1 to right they darted1 ,impartially they fell3 ,the hosts in terror started ,as they envisaged hell4 ,for wide their ranks were riven1 ,night blotted out the sky1 ,as prostrate1 dazed or driven1 ,they caught their ,god's reply4 ,then1 as the blinding levin's ,twin bolts were buried deep1 ,who dwelleth in the heavens ,was heard to laugh--and weep6 ,a ,war of ,dishonor ,by ,david ,starr ,jordan4 ,late ,president of ,leland ,stanford ,junior ,university1 now its ,chancellor2 ,chief ,director of the ,world ,peace ,foundation since #aiaj4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,in this war what of right and what of wrong8 ,not much of right1 perhaps1 and very much of wrong4 ,but there are degrees in wrong1 and sometimes1 by comparison1 wrong becomes almost right4 ,the armed peace1 the peace of guns and dreadnoughts and sabre rattlers1 has come to its predestined end4 ,its armaments were made for war4 ,its war makers and war traders1 the ,pan-,germanists in the lead1 have done their worst for the last nine years4 ,they have been foiled time after time1 but they have their way at last4 ,their last and most fatal weapon was the ultimatum4 ,if ,servia had not given them their chance they would have found their pretext somewhere else4 ,when a nation or a continent prepares for war it will get it soon or later4 ,to prepare for war is to breed a host of men who have no other business1 and another host who find their profits in blood4 ,when the war began it had very little meaning4 ,it was the third ,balkan war1 brought on1 as the others were1 by intrigues of rival despotisms4 ,the peoples of ,europe do not hate each other4 ,the springs of war come from a few men impelled by greed and glory4 ,diplomacy in ,europe has been for years the cover for robbery in ,asia or ,africa4 ,of all the nations concerned not one had any wish to fight1 and ,belgium alone could fight with clean hands4 ,and this fact gave the war its meaning4 ,the invasion of ,belgium changed the whole face of affairs4 ,as by a lightning flash the issue was made plain3 the issue of the sacredness of law2 the rule of the soldier or the rule of the citizen2 the rule of fear or the rule of law4 ,germany stands for army rule4 ,this was made clear when1 a year ago1 she passed under the yoke at ,zabern4 ,however devious her diplomacy in the past1 ,britain stands today for the rule of law4 ,the ,british soldier is the servant of the ,british people1 not their master4 ,the highest conception of human relations is embodied in the word law4 ,law is the framework of civilization4 ,law is the condition of security1 happiness1 and progress4 ,war is the denial of all law4 ,it makes scrap paper of all the solemn agreements men and nations have established for their mutual good4 ,the rape of ,belgium made scrap paper of international law4 ,the sowing of mines in the fairways of commerce made scrap paper of the rights of neutral nations4 ,the torture of the ,belgian people made scrap paper of the rights of non-combatants4 ,war may be never righteous1 but it is sometimes honorable4 ,in honorable war armies fight against armies1 never against private citizens4 ,if armies give no needless provocation1 they will receive none4 ,the sacking of ,malines1 ,aerschot1 ,dinant--these are not acts of honorable war4 ,the wreck of ,louvain1 historic ,louvain1 the venerable centre for #ejj years of ,catholic erudition1 at the hands of blood-drunk soldiers was an act of dishonorable war4 ,it marks a stain on the record of ,germany which the ages will not efface4 ,a needed example1 say the apologists for this crime4 ,the ,duke of ,alva gave the same needed example to these same people in his day4 ,for centuries the words ,spanish blood struck terror into peoples' hearts throughout the ,netherlands4 ,for centuries to come the word ,prussian will take its hated place4 ,the good people of ,germany do not burn universities4 ,neither do they make war for war's sake4 ,they are helpless in the hands of a monster of their own creation4 ,the affair at ,zabern a year ago testifies to their complete subjugation4 ,all the virtues are left to them1 save only the love of freedom4 ,this the mailed fist has taken away4 ,the ,germany of today is an anachronism4 ,her scientific ideals are of the twentieth century4 ,her political ideals hark back to the sixteenth4 ,her rulers have made her the most superb fighting machine in a world which is soul-weary of fighting4 ,for a nation in shining armor the civilized ,world has no place4 ,it will not worship them1 it will not obey them4 ,it will not respect those who either worship or obey4 ,it finds no people good enough to rule other people against their will4 ,a great nation which its own people do not control is a nation without a ,government4 ,it is a derelict on the international sea4 ,it is a danger to its neighbors1 a greater danger to itself4 ,of all the many issues1 good or bad1 which may come from this war1 none is more important than this1 that the ,german people should take possession of ,germany4 ,,david ,,starr ,,jordan4 ,berkeley1 ,cal41 ,sept4 #ai1 #aiad4 ,might or ,right ,by ,john ,grier ,hibben4 ,president of ,princeton ,university2 author of works on logic and philosophy4 ,the address printed below was delivered by ,president ,hibben at the opening of the ,laymen's ,efficiency ,convention in ,new ,york ,city1 ,oct4 #af1 #aiad4 ,we are all of us sadly conscious of our failure to realize in any adequate measure the standards of right conduct which we set for ourselves4 ,attainment falls far short of purpose and desire4 ,through want of courage1 or it may be of inclination1 or of sheer inertia1 we fail to obey perfectly the law of duty which we recognize as imperatively binding upon us4 ,there is1 however1 a more subtle kind of failure as regards our moral endeavor and achievement which is due to the unconscious shifting of these standards of right and wrong themselves4 ,it is not merely that we fail to do that which we know to be right1 but at times the very idea of right itself is strangely altered4 ,the good insensibly assimilates to itself certain elements of evil which we allow and accept without full realization of the significance of this moral alchemy to which the most fundamental of our ideas are often times subjected4 ,the idea of right no longer stands in its integrity1 but is compromised and even neutralized by conflicting thoughts and sentiments4 ,the things which at one time held first place in our estimate of life become secondary4 ,our attitude toward men1 and manners1 and affairs experiences a radical change4 ,this in most cases takes place unconsciously1 or if conscious of it1 we refrain from confessing it even to ourselves4 ,there are some1 however1 who are both frank enough and bold enough to announce their belief in the radical doctrine which demands a complete transformation of essential values4 ,for them1 good is evil and evil good1 and they seem not ashamed to avow it4 ,the conspicuous ,german philosopher of later years1 ,nietzsche1 with a nave simplicity insists that the great need of our modern civilization is that which he designates as the transvaluation of all values4 ,by this he means the complete transformation of certain ideas of supreme value into their direct opposites4 ,he declares1 for instance1 that the central virtues of ,christianity1 such as those of self-sacrifice1 pity1 mercy1 indicate an inherent weakness of the human race1 and that the strong man dissipates his energies through the offices of kindness and helpfulness4 ,thus the law which commands us to bear one another's burdens must be regarded as obsolete4 ,every man should be strong enough to bear his own burdens4 ,if not1 he is a drag to the onward progress of humanity1 and to assist him is to do evil and not good4 ,if you help the weak1 you so far forth assist in perpetuating an inferior type of manhood4 ,nietzsche's ,moralic ,acid4 ,from this point of view1 the definition of religion given in the ,old ,testament should be revised1 ,do justice1 love mercy1 and walk humbly before thy ,god4 ,in doing justice we must first be just to self2 in loving mercy it must not be at the expense of our own interests and advantage1 and we must not walk so humbly before our ,god as to give to the world the appearance of weakness or lack of independence4 ,as ,nietzsche insists1 ,the man who loves his neighbor as himself must have an exceedingly poor opinion of himself4 ,if the race is to be perfected1 everything and every person must be sacrificed in order to produce and preserve the strong man at all hazards4 ,there is a kind of moralic acid1 as ,nietzsche styles it1 which is corroding the strength of humanity in our modern day4 ,we have discoursed too much of character1 too little of power2 too much of self-sacrifice and too little of self-assertion2 too much of right1 too little of might4 ,conscience not only interferes with success1 but also prevents the evolution of a superior type of man1 that superman who is not constrained by duty nor limited by law1 living his life beyond good and evil4 ,the serious question which presents itself to our minds at this time is whether our modern world has not been unconsciously incorporating these ideas into its living beliefs--that is1 those beliefs which reveal themselves in actual living and doing1 in daily purpose1 in the adaptation of means to ends1 in the deeds which the world honors1 and in the achievements which it crowns with glory4 ,there are many persons who would not have the frankness of ,nietzsche to say that might makes right1 and that a moral sense is the great obstacle to progress1 and that in vigorous eras noble civilizations see something contemptible in sympathy1 in brotherly love1 in the lack of self-assertion and self-reliance4 ,our modern world may not explicitly subscribe to such doctrines in their extreme and exaggerated expression1 but nevertheless may be unconsciously influenced by them4 ,our real opinions1 however1 are to be tested by our sense of values as revealed by the things which we crave1 which we set our hearts upon1 which we strive early and late to gain1 and sacrifice all else in order to secure4 ,have we not offered our prayers to the ,god of might rather than the ,god of righteousness1 to the ,god of power rather than the ,god of justice1 the ,god of mercy and of love8 ,the time has come1 in my opinion1 for us to take account of the things which we really believe1 and of the ,god ,whom we really worship4 ,if we have been following false gods1 let us honestly endeavor to re-establish fundamental and essential values1 to discover anew what is of supreme worth and set our faces resolutely toward its realization4 ,the need of our modern world today is the same as that of the ancient world at the time of the coming of ,christ4 ,his message to the world as indicated by ,his teaching1 and ,his life was an arraignment of the ancient rgime as regards three crucial points4 ,the ,brotherhood of ,man4 ,first1 the religious and moral beliefs of that age had become purely formal4 ,there was the letter of conviction1 but not the spirit of it4 ,the creed1 the ritual1 the ceremony were there1 but the life had departed4 ,and so today our beliefs have lost vitality to a large extent because we have been content to indulge in formulas oft repeated1 which have ceased to have significance for our thoughts or for our feelings4 ,we have allowed ourselves to be betrayed by words which are mere sounds without substance4 ,we have verbalized our beliefs1 and have depotentialed them of vital significance4 ,take1 for instance1 the phrases1 ,the fatherhood of ,god and ,the brotherhood of man4 ,they have been so often upon our lips as to become trite2 their real meaning has disappeared4 ,it is easy to repeat the words1 and to be satisfied with the repetition1 and nevertheless remain wholly insensible to their profound import1 and under no compulsion whatsoever to obey their sublime command4 ,we assent to the formula3 but it does not become a determining factor in our purposes and plans4 ,there is perhaps no age in the history of the world which has so emphasized the idea of the brotherhood of man as our own1 and never in all history has there been such a denial of this idea as by the present ,european war4 ,if the brotherhood of man had been the living1 dominant idea of our civilization1 could this present tragedy of the nations have occurred8 ,if the world had believed profoundly in the idea of ,god1 would we now be daily reading of the ghastly scenes where human life is no longer sacred1 where love gives place to hate1 where the constructive forces of the world are superseded by the destructive1 and all the passions of man's brute inheritance are given full play and scope8 ,second--,in the teachings of ,christ there was a remarkable expansion of the idea of ,god4 ,instead of the tribal ,god worshipped as the ,god of ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 ,he substituted the idea of ,god1 as the ,god of all peoples and all races1 the ,god of the ,jew and ,gentile1 of the ,greek and barbarian1 of the bond and the free4 ,it was the great apostle of the ,gentiles who at the centre of ,greek civilization announced this fundamental conception of ,christianity to the old world3 ,god hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth4 ,this was the sublime idea of the ,god of a united humanity4 ,the ,god of the tribe had given place to the ,god of the whole world4 ,that conception was very foreign to the popular religious notions current at the time of ,christ1 and it seems still further away from our ideas of the present day4 ,it is a very narrow and circumscribed view of ,god to regard ,him as concerned merely for our little insular affairs1 to regard ,him simply as a ,god of the individual or of the home1 or even one's nation4 ,he transcends all these limitations of particular interests and particular needs4 ,he is not merely our ,god but the ,god of all mankind4 ,the children of ,israel called ,him the ,god of battle1 the ,god of hosts1 that is1 the one who would give victory to them in their battles1 and who would prove the leader of their hosts4 ,but ,christ came to the world in ,god's name to universalize this narrow tribal idea of ,god1 proclaiming peace on earth and good will to men4 ,it was the dawn of a new era1 the ,christian era4 ,that light which shone upon the old world is darkened by the cloud hanging low over ,europe at the present time4 ,we cannot think1 however1 that it is permanently extinguished4 ,to that light the nations of the earth must again return4 ,the ,area of ,moral ,obligation4 ,third--,christ gave to the world of ,his day an enlarged idea of the area of moral obligation4 ,he insisted most stoutly upon the expansion of the scope of individual responsibility4 ,this freeing of the idea of duty from the limitations of race prejudice is a natural corollary to the idea of the universality of ,god's relation to the world4 ,corresponding to the tribal view of ,god there is always an accompanying idea of the restricted obligation of the individual4 ,to care for one's own family or one's own clan or tribe and present a hostile front to the rest of mankind has always been the characteristic feature of primitive morality4 ,it was peculiarly the teaching of ,christ which brought to the world the idea that the area of moral obligation is co-extensive with the world itself4 ,there are no racial or national lines which can limit the extent of our responsibility4 ,the world today needs to learn this lesson anew1 and it is evident that it must acquire this knowledge through bitter and desperate experiences4 ,we must interpret in this large sense the great moral dictum of the ,german philosopher1 ,kant1 that every one in a particular circumstance should act as he would wish all men to act if similarly circumstanced and conditioned4 ,this is the complete universalizing of our moral obligations--stripping our sense of duty of everything that is particular and local and isolated4 ,the natural tendency of human nature is to particularize our relations to ,god and bound our relations to our fellow-men2 to narrow our relations to ,god so as to embrace only our direst needs1 and to circumscribe our relations to man so as to include in the field of responsibility only those who are our kin or our own kind4 ,the time has certainly come for us to take larger views of the world1 of man1 and of ,god4 ,after the great calamity of this present war is passed there must necessarily follow a period of reconstruction4 ,it will not be merely the reconstruction of national resources and international relations1 but it must be also a reconstruction of our fundamental conceptions of man and of the relation of man to man the world over1 and of the relation also of man to ,god4 ,we must ask anew the question1 ,who is our neighbor8 ,in this great moral enterprise you will naturally play a large and significant part1 for you belong to the class of men who are expected to have strong and decided opinions in the face of a great world crisis1 and are capable of leading others toward the goal of a regenerated humanity4 ,to know the right and to maintain it1 to fight against the wrong1 to impart courage to the timid1 strength to the weak1 and hope to the faint-hearted2 to forget self in the service of others and extend a human sympathy to the ends of the earth1 this is your vocation4 ,it is the call of the world1 it is the voice of one calling to you out of a distant past across the nineteen ,christian centuries2 it is the spirit of the years to come1 summoning you to establish the ,kingdom of ,god upon earth4 ,,jeanne ,d',,arc--#aiad4 ,by ,,alma ,,durant ,,nicolson4 ,rise from the buried ages1 ,o thou ,maid1 ,rise from thy glorious ashes1 unafraid1 ,and wheresoe'er thy ,brothers need thee most1 ,arise again1 to lead thy tireless host4 ,france calls thee as she called in days gone by6 ,she calls thy spirit where her soldiers die2 ,she knows thy courage and thy sacrifice1 ,and wills today to pay the selfsame price1 ,all-confident that when the work is done1 ,she shall behold her ,honor saved and ,victory won4 ,god calls thee1 ,maid1 from out the ,past-- ,the ,past of ,france where thy strange lot was cast-- ,and bid'st thee fling about this fearful hour ,thy dauntless ,faith1 that was thy magic ,power4 ,and ,freedom calls1 with all-impelling voice1 ,she calls the ,sons of ,france1 and leaves no choice1 ,no waver and no alternating will2 ,where ,freedom calls1 all other calls are still1 ,all-confident that when her work is done ,ye shall behold your ,country saved and ,victory won4 ,the ,kaiser and ,belgium ,by ,john ,w4 ,burgess4 ,dean of the ,faculties of ,political ,science1 ,philosophy1 ,pure ,science1 and the fine ,arts at ,columbia ,university2 ,roosevelt ,professor of ,american ,history and ,institutions at ,friedrich ,wilhelms ,university1 ,berlin1 #aijf-g2 ,visiting ,american ,professor to ,austrian ,universities1 #aiad-ae2 ,decorated1 ,order of ,prussian ,crown by the ,german ,emperor and ,order of the ,albrechts by the ,king of ,saxony4 ,,first ,,article4 ,it is often said by historians that no truly great man is every really understood by the generation1 and in the age1 for which he labors4 ,many instances of the truth of this statement can be easily cited4 ,two of the most flagrant have come within the range of my own personal experience4 ,the first was the character of ,abraham ,lincoln as depicted by the ,british press of #ahfj-fd and as conceived by the ,british public opinion of that era4 ,mr4 ,henry ,adams1 son and private secretary of ,mr4 ,charles ,francis ,adams1 our ,minister ,plenipotentiary to ,great ,britain during that critical era in our history1 writes1 in that fascinating book of his entitled ,the ,education of ,henry ,adams1 that ,london was altogether beside itself on one point1 in especial2 it created a nightmare of its own1 and gave it the shape of ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,behind this it placed another demon1 if possible more devilish1 and called it ,mr4 ,seward4 ,in regard to these two men ,english society seemed demented4 ,defense was useless3 explanation was vain4 ,one could only let the passion exhaust itself4 ,one's best friends were as unreasonable as enemies1 for the belief in poor ,mr4 ,lincoln's brutality and ,seward's ferocity became a dogma of popular faith4 ,adams relates further that the last time he saw ,thackeray at ,christmas of #ahfc they spoke of their mutual friend ,mrs4 ,frank ,hampton of ,south ,carolina1 whom ,thackeray had portrayed as ,ethel ,newcome1 and who had recently passed away from life4 ,thackeray had read in the ,british papers that her parents had been prevented by the ,federal soldiers from passing through the lines to see her on her deathbed4 ,adams writes that in speaking of it ,thackeray's voice trembled and his eyes filled with tears4 ,the coarse cruelty of ,lincoln and his hirelings was notorious4 ,he never doubted that the ,federals made a business of harrowing the tenderest feelings of women--particularly of women--in order to punish their opponents4 ,on quite insufficient evidence he burst into reproach4 ,had he 7,adams7 carried in his pocket the proofs that the reproach was unjust he would have gained nothing by showing them4 ,at that moment ,thackeray1 and all ,london society with him1 needed the nervous relief of expressing emotions2 for if ,mr4 ,lincoln was not what they said he was1 what were they8 ,mr4 ,lincoln sent over our most skillful politician1 ,thurlow ,weed1 and our most able constitutional lawyer1 ,william ,m4 ,evarts1 and later our most brilliant orator1 ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 followed1 for the purpose of bringing the ,british people to their senses and correcting ,british opinion1 but all to little purpose4 ,gettysburg and ,vicksburg did far more toward modifying that opinion than the persuasiveness of ,weed1 the logic of ,evarts1 or the eloquence of ,beecher1 and it took ,chattanooga1 the ,march to the ,sea1 and ,appomattox to dispel the illusion entirely4 ,today we are laboring under a no less singular illusion than were the ,english in #ahfb4 ,the conception prevailing in ,england and in this country concerning the physical1 mental1 and moral make-up of the ,german ,emperor is the monumental caricature of biographical literature4 ,i have had the privilege of his personal acquaintance now for nearly ten years4 ,i have been brought into contact with him in many different ways and under many varying conditions1 at ,court and ,state functions1 at university ceremonies and celebrations1 at his table1 and by his fireside surrounded by his family1 when in the midst of his officials1 his men of science1 and his personal friends1 and1 more instructive than all1 alone in the imperial home in ,berlin and at ,potsdam and in the castle and forest at ,wilhelmshhe4 ,with all this experience1 with all this opportunity for observation at close range1 ,i am hardly able to recognize a single characteristic usually attributed to him by the ,british and ,american press of today4 ,in the first place1 the ,emperor is an impressive man physically4 ,he is not a giant in stature1 but a man of medium size1 great strength and endurance1 and of agile and graceful movement4 ,he looks every inch a leader of men4 ,his fine gray-blue eyes are peculiarly fascinating4 ,i saw him once seated beside his uncle1 ,king ,edward ,,vii41 and the contrast was very striking1 and greatly in his favor4 ,in the second place1 the ,emperor is an exceedingly intelligent and highly cultivated man4 ,his mental processes are swift1 but they go also very deep4 ,he is a searching inquirer1 and questions and listens more than he talks4 ,his fund of knowledge is immense and sometimes astonishing4 ,he manifests interest in everything1 even to the smallest detail1 which can have any bearing upon human improvement4 ,i remember a half hour's conversation with him once over a cupping glass1 which he had gotten from an excavation in the ,roman ruin called the ,saalburg1 near ,homburg4 ,he always appeared to me most deeply concerned with the arts of peace4 ,i have never heard him speak much of war1 and then always with abhorrence1 nor much of military matters1 but improved agriculture1 invention1 and manufacture1 and especially commerce and education in all their ramifications1 were the chief subjects of his thought and conversation4 ,i have had the privilege of association with many highly intelligent and profoundly learned men1 but ,i have never acquired as much knowledge1 in the same time1 from any man whom ,i have ever met1 as from the ,german ,emperor4 ,and yet1 with all this real superiority of mind and education1 his deference to the opinions of others is remarkable4 ,arrogance is one of the qualities most often attributed to him1 but he is the only ruler ,i ever saw in whom there appeared to be absolutely no arrogance4 ,he meets you as man meets man and makes you feel that you are required to yield to nothing but the better reason4 ,a ,man of ,warm ,affections4 ,in the third place1 the ,emperor impressed me as a man of heart1 of warm affections1 and of great consideration for the feelings and well-being of others4 ,he can not1 at least does not1 conceal his reverence for1 and devotion to1 the ,empress1 or his love for his children1 or his attachment to his friends4 ,he always speaks of ,queen ,victoria and of the ,empress ,friedrich with the greatest veneration1 and once when speaking to me of an old ,american friend who had turned upon him he said that it was difficult for him to give up an old friend1 right or wrong1 and impossible when he believed him to be in the right4 ,his manifest respect and affection for his old and tried officials1 such as ,lucanus and zu ,eulenburg and von ,studt and ,beseler and ,althoff1 give strong evidence of the warmth and depth of his nature4 ,his consideration for ,americans1 especially1 has always been remarkable4 ,it was at his suggestion that the exchange of educators between the universities of ,germany and of the ,united ,states was established1 and it has been his custom to be present at the opening lecture of each new incumbent of these positions at the ,university of ,berlin1 and to greet him and welcome him to his work4 ,he is also the first to extend to these foreign educators hospitality and social attention4 ,to any one who has experienced his hearty welcome to his land and his home the assertion that he is arrogant and autocratic is so far away from truth as to be ludicrous4 ,again ,i must say that ,i have never met a ruler1 in monarchy or republic1 in whom genuine democratic geniality was a so predominant characteristic4 ,illustration3 ,,franklin ,h4 ,,giddings 7,photo by the ,misses ,selby47 ,see ,page #ebf ,illustration3 ,,rudolf ,,eucken ,see ,page #ecd ,but the characteristic of the ,emperor which struck me most forcibly is his profound sense of duty and his readiness for self-sacrifice for the welfare of his country4 ,this is a general ,german trait4 ,it is the most admirable side of ,german nature4 ,and the ,emperor is1 in this respect especially1 their ,princeps4 ,i remember sitting beside him one day1 when one of the ladies of his household asked me if ,i were acquainted with a certain wealthy ultra-fashionable ,new ,york social leader4 ,i replied1 by name only4 ,she pressed me to know why not more nearly1 why not personally4 ,and to this1 ,i replied that ,i was not of her class2 that ,i could not amuse her1 and that ,i did not approve of the frivolous and demoralizing example and influence of one so favorably circumstanced for doing good4 ,the ,emperor had heard the conversation1 and he promptly said3 ,you know in ,germany we do not rate and classify people by their material possessions1 but by the importance of the service they render to country1 culture1 and civilization4 ,one of his sons once told me that from his earliest childhood his father had instilled into his mind the lesson that devotion to duty and readiness for sacrifice were the cardinal virtues of a ,german1 especially of a ,hohenzollern4 ,his days are periods of constant labor and severe discipline4 ,he rises early1 lives abstemiously and works until far into the night4 ,there is no day laborer in his entire empire who gives so many hours per diem to his work4 ,his nature is manifestly deeply religious and1 in every sentence he speaks1 evidence of his consciousness that the policeman's club cannot take the place of religious and moral principle is revealed4 ,his frequent appeal for ,divine aid in the discharge of his duties is prompted by the conviction that the heavier the duty the more need there is of that aid4 ,his ,passion for ,german ,greatness4 ,he undoubtedly has an intense desire1 almost a passion1 for the prosperity and greatness of his country1 but his conception of that prosperity and greatness is more spiritual and cultural than material and commercial4 ,more than once have ,i heard him say that he desired to see ,germany a wealthy country1 but only as the result of honest and properly requited toil1 and that wealth acquired by force or fraud was more a curse than a blessing1 and was destined to go as it had come4 ,his conception of the greatness of ,germany is as a great intellectual and moral power rather than anything else4 ,its physical power he values chiefly as the creator and maintainer of the conditions necessary to the production and influence of this higher power4 ,i have often heard him express this thought4 ,and in spite of this terrible war1 the responsibility for which is by so many erroneously laid at his door1 ,i firmly believe him to be a man of peace4 ,i am absolutely sure that he has entered upon this war only under the firm conviction that ,great ,britain1 ,france1 and ,russia have conspired to destroy ,germany as a world power1 and that he is simply defending1 as he said in his memorable speech to the ,reichstag1 the place which ,god had given the ,germans to dwell on4 ,for seven years ,i myself have witnessed the growth of this conviction in his mind and that of the whole ,german ,nation as the evidences of it have multiplied from year to year until at last the fatal hour at ,serajevo struck4 ,i firmly believe that there is no soul in this wide world upon whom the burden and grief of this great catastrophe so heavily rest as upon the ,german ,emperor4 ,i have heard him declare with the greatest earnestness and solemnity that he considered war a dire calamity2 that ,germany would never during his reign wage an offensive war1 and that he hoped ,god would spare him from the necessity of ever having to conduct a defensive war4 ,for years he has been conscious that ,british diplomacy was seeking to isolate and crush ,germany by an alliance of ,latin1 ,slav1 and ,mongol under ,british direction1 and he sought in every way to avert it4 ,he visited ,england himself frequently4 ,he sent his ,ministers of ,state over to cultivate the acquaintance and friendship of the ,british ,ministers1 but rarely would the ,british ,king go himself to ,germany or send his ,ministers to return these visits4 ,more than once have ,i heard him say that he was most earnestly desirous of close friendship between ,germany1 ,great ,britain1 and the ,united ,states1 and had done1 was doing1 and would continue to do1 all in his power to promote it2 but that while the ,americans were cordially meeting ,germany half way1 the ,british were cold1 suspicious1 and repellent4 ,i know that the two things which are giving him the deepest pain in this world catastrophe1 excepting only the sufferings of his own kindred and people1 are the enmity of ,great ,britain and the misunderstanding of his character1 feelings1 and purposes in ,america4 ,to remedy the first we here can do nothing1 but to dispel the second is our bounden duty2 and ,i devoutly hope that other evidence may prove sufficient to do this to the satisfaction of the minds of my countrymen than was necessary to convince the ,british ,nation that the great-hearted ,abraham ,lincoln was not a brute nor the urbane ,william ,h4 ,seward a demon of ferocity4 ,reply to ,prof4 ,burgess ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,the ,burgess ,kaiser is a truly admirable person4 ,every right-minded man will be only too glad to believe all that ,prof4 ,burgess affirms of him4 ,to be sure1 there is a lurking sense that the professor doth protest too much4 ,but let that go4 ,in the present topsy-turvy state of the world it is refreshing to hear of a man who loves his wife and children in the good1 old way4 ,but just now the world is not interested in the private1 personal1 peculiarly ,german characteristics of the ,kaiser4 ,we outsiders must take him as he is known to the international world4 ,we of course trust that he is an able1 cultivated1 attractive gentleman4 ,there are many such in the world4 ,but this gentleman happens to be the head of one of the great nations4 ,our interest in him centres in his relations to his neighbor nations4 ,an ,english friend of mine was appointed to duty in a tribe of savages in ,africa4 ,i dislike to call them savages after the testimony of my friend4 ,but they were just plain1 naked folk1 living in primitive simplicity in their native land4 ,the chief of this little tribe was1 as my friend asserts1 a superior man1 and1 in spite of his undress1 a good deal of a gentleman4 ,in physique he was superb4 ,a sculptor's heart would have leaped for joy at sight of him4 ,my friend said to see him teaching his young son to throw a spear was a sort of physical music4 ,he himself could throw a spear to an incredible distance with the precision of a rifle shot4 ,he ruled his little kingdom with surprising wisdom and fairness4 ,he was welcomed everywhere among his people as the friend and counselor4 ,his family relations were unimpeachable4 ,the same was true throughout the tribe4 ,he was devoutly pious4 ,in short1 he was a ,burgess ,kaiser in the small4 ,but he was the war lord of all that region4 ,he was fiercely jealous of all the neighboring tribes4 ,he kept his own people armed and drilled to the top of efficiency1 ready for attack or defense4 ,he was noted for his hatred and contempt for his people except his own4 ,his forays were marked by savage cruelty4 ,his military necessities stopped at nothing4 ,need it be said that the surrounding tribes were in nowise interested in this chief's physique or domestic virtues1 or in his fidelity to his own people8 ,it is safe to affirm that the ,british ,government did not ask whether he had the body of a ,michael ,angelo's ,david or of a baboon from the jungle4 ,it did not ask whether he was good to his wife and children4 ,most animals are4 ,it did not care how devoted he was to his fetich4 ,the sole question was1 ,what sort of public citizen is he8 ,how does he stand related to surrounding peoples8 ,on what terms does he propose to live with them8 ,that precisely is what we want to know about the ,kaiser4 ,fortunately1 we do not have to ask ,prof4 ,burgess1 or any group of savants1 or the ,german people4 ,the ,kaiser's record is known and read of all men4 ,,james ,h4 ,,ecob1 ,american ,institute of ,social ,service4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #ba1 #aiad4 ,,prof4 ,,burgess',s ,,second ,,article4 ,the ,guarantee of ,belgian ,neutrality ,so much has been said about ,belgian neutrality1 so much assumed1 and it has been such a stumbling block in the way of any real and comprehensive understanding of the causes and purposes of the great ,european catastrophe1 that it may be well to examine the basis of it and endeavor to get an exact idea of the scope and obligation4 ,of course1 we are considering here the question of guaranteed neutrality1 not the ordinary neutrality enjoyed by all ,states not at war1 when some ,states are at war2 the difference between ordinary neutrality and guaranteed neutrality being that no ,state is under any obligation to defend the ordinary neutrality of any other ,state against infringement by a belligerent1 and no belligerent is under any special obligation to observe it4 ,guaranteed neutrality is1 therefore1 purely a question of specific agreement between ,states4 ,on the #aith day of ,april1 #ahci1 ,belgium and ,holland1 which from #ahae to #ahcj had formed the ,united ,kingdom of the ,netherlands1 signed a treaty of separation from1 and independence of1 each other4 ,it is in this treaty that the original pledge of ,belgian neutrality is to be found4 ,the clause of the treaty reads3 ,belgium in the limits above described shall form an independent neutral ,state and shall be bound to observe the same neutrality toward all other ,states4 ,on the same day and at the same place1 7,london17 a treaty1 known in the history of diplomacy as the ,quintuple ,treaty1 was signed by ,great ,britain1 ,france1 ,prussia1 ,austria1 and ,russia1 approving and adopting the treaty between ,belgium and ,holland4 ,a little later1 ,may #aa1 the ,german ,confederation1 of which both ,austria and ,prussia were members1 also ratified this treaty4 ,in the year #ahff the ,german ,confederation was dissolved by the war between ,austria and ,prussia1 occasioned by the ,schleswig-,holstein question4 ,in #ahfg the ,north ,german ,union was formed1 of which ,prussia was the leading ,state1 while ,austria and the ,german ,states south of the ,river ,main were left out of it altogether4 ,did these changes render the guarantees of the ,treaty of #ahci obsolete and thereby abrogate them1 or at least weaken them and make them an uncertain reliance8 ,the test of this came in the year #ahgj1 at the beginning of hostilities between ,france and the ,north ,german ,union4 ,great ,britain1 the power most interested in the maintenance of ,belgian neutrality1 seems to have had considerable apprehension about it4 ,mr4 ,gladstone1 then ,prime ,minister1 said in the ,house of ,commons3 ,i am not able to subscribe to the doctrine of those who have held in this ,house what plainly amounts to an assertion that the simple fact of the existence of a guarantee is binding on every party to it1 irrespective altogether of the particular position in which it may find itself when the occasion for acting on the guarantee arises4 ,a ,one-,year ,treaty4 ,proceeding upon this view1 the ,british ,government then sought and procured from the ,french ,government and from the ,government of the ,north ,german ,union separate but identical treaties guaranteeing with the ,british ,government the neutrality of ,belgium during the period of the war between ,france and the ,north ,german ,union1 the so-called ,franco-,prussian war1 which had just broken out1 and for one year from the date of its termination4 ,in these treaties it is also to be remarked that ,great ,britain limited the possible operation of her military force in maintaining the neutrality of ,belgium to the territory of the ,state of ,belgium4 ,these treaties expired in the year #ahgb1 and the present ,german ,empire has never signed any treaty guaranteeing the neutrality of ,belgium4 ,moreover1 between #ahgb and #aiad ,belgium became what is now termed a world power2 that is1 it reached a population of nearly #i1jjj1jjj people1 it had a well-organized1 well-equipped army of over #bjj1jjj men and powerful fortifications for its own defense2 it had acquired and was holding colonies covering #a1jjj1jjj square miles of territory1 inhabited by #ae1jjj1jjj men1 and it had active commerce1 mediated by its own marine1 with many1 if not all1 parts of the world4 ,now1 these things are not at all compatible in principle with a specially guaranteed neutrality of the ,state which possesses them4 ,the ,state which possesses them has grown out of its swaddling clothes1 has arrived at the age and condition of maturity and self-protection1 and has passed the age when specially guaranteed neutrality is natural4 ,from all these considerations1 ,i think it extremely doubtful whether1 on the first day of ,august1 #aiad1 ,belgium should have been considered as possessing any other kind of neutrality than the ordinary neutrality enjoyed by all ,states not at war1 when some ,states are at war4 ,in fact1 it remains to be seen whether ,belgium itself had not forfeited the privilege of this ordinary neutrality before a single ,german soldier had placed foot on ,belgian soil4 ,a few days ago ,i received a letter from one of the most prominent professors in the ,university of ,berlin1 who is also in close contact with the ,prussian ,ministry of ,education1 a man in whose veracity ,i place perfect confidence1 having known him well for ten years4 ,he writes3 ,our violation of the neutrality of ,belgium was prompted in part by the fact that we had convincing proof that there were ,french soldiers already in ,belgium and that ,belgium had agreed to allow the ,french ,army to pass over its soil in case of a war between ,france and us4 ,moreover1 in the ,british ,white ,paper itself1 ,no4 #abb1 is to be found a dispatch from the ,british ,ambassador in ,berlin1 ,sir ,e4 ,goschen1 to ,sir ,edward ,grey1 containing these words3 ,it appears from what he the ,german ,secretary of ,foreign ,affairs said that the ,german ,government consider that certain hostile acts have already been committed by ,belgium4 ,as an instance of this1 he alleged that a consignment of corn for ,germany had been placed under an embargo already4 ,the date of this dispatch is ,july #ca1 days before the ,germans entered ,belgium4 ,but placing these two things entirely aside1 as well as the new evidence1 said to have just been found in the archives at ,brussels1 that ,belgium had by her agreements with ,great ,britain forfeited every claim to even ordinary neutrality in case of a war between ,germany and ,great ,britain1 ,i find in the ,british ,white ,paper itself1 ,no4 #abc1 not only ample justification1 but absolute necessity1 from a military point of view1 for a ,german army advancing against ,france1 not only to pass through ,belgium1 but to occupy ,belgium4 ,this number of the ,white ,paper is a communication dated ,aug4 #a from ,sir ,edward ,grey to ,sir ,e4 ,goschen1 ,british ,ambassador in ,berlin4 ,in it ,sir ,edward ,grey informed ,sir ,e4 ,goschen that the ,german ,ambassador in ,london asked him whether1 if ,germany gave a promise not to violate ,belgian neutrality1 we1 ,great ,britain1 would remain neutral1 and that he ,grey replied that he could not say that1 that he did not think ,great ,britain could give a promise of neutrality on that condition alone2 further1 ,sir ,edward ,grey says3 ,the ,ambassador pressed me as to whether ,i could not formulate conditions on which we would remain neutral4 ,he even suggested that the integrity of ,france and her colonies might be guaranteed4 ,i said that ,i felt obliged to refuse definitely any promise to remain neutral on similar terms1 and ,i could only say that we must keep our hands free4 ,the ,necessary ,invasions4 ,after this ,sir ,edward ,grey declared in ,parliament1 according to newspaper reports1 that ,great ,britain stood1 as to ,belgian neutrality1 on the same ground as in #ahgj4 ,with all due respect1 ,i cannot so understand it4 ,in #ahgj ,great ,britain remained neutral in a war between the ,north ,german ,union and ,france1 and1 with the ,north ,german ,union1 guaranteed ,belgium against invasion by ,france1 and1 with ,france1 guaranteed ,belgium against invasion by the ,north ,german ,union4 ,on ,aug4 #a1 #aiad1 the ,german ,empire asked ,great ,britain to do virtually the same thing1 and ,great ,britain refused4 ,it is1 therefore1 ,germany who stood in #aiad on the same ground1 with regard to ,belgium neutrality1 as she did in #ahgj1 and it is ,great ,britain who shifted her position and virtually gave notice that she herself would become a belligerent4 ,it was this notice served by ,sir ,edward ,grey on the ,german ,ambassador in ,london on ,aug4 #a1 #aiad1 which made the occupation of ,belgium an absolute military necessity to the safety of the ,german armies advancing against ,france4 ,otherwise they would1 so far as the wit of man could divine1 have left their right flank exposed to the advance of a ,british army through ,belgium1 and there certainly was no ,german commander so absolutely bereft of all military knowledge or instinct as to have committed so patent an error4 ,belgium has ,great ,britain to thank for every drop of blood shed by her people1 and every franc of damage inflicted within her territory during this war4 ,with a million of ,german soldiers on her eastern border demanding unhindered passage through one end of her territory1 under the pledge of guarding her independence and integrity and reimbursing every franc of damage1 and no ,british force nearer than ,dover1 across the ,channel1 it was one of the most inconsiderate1 reckless1 and selfish acts ever committed by a great power when ,sir ,edward ,grey directed1 as is stated in ,no4 #aee of the ,british ,white ,paper1 the ,british ,envoy in ,brussels to inform the ,belgian ,government that if pressure is applied to them by ,germany to induce them to depart from neutrality1 his ,majesty's ,government expects that they will resist by any means in their power4 ,it is plain enough that ,great ,britain was not thinking so much of protecting ,belgium as of ,belgium protecting her1 until she could prepare to attack ,germany in concert with ,russia and ,france4 ,she was willing to let ,belgium1 yea almost to command ,belgium1 to take the fearful risk of complete destruction in order that she might gain a little time in perfecting the co-operation of ,russia and ,france with herself for the crushing of ,germany1 and in order to hold the public opinion of neutral powers1 especially of the ,united ,states of ,america1 in leash under the chivalrous issue of protecting a weaker country1 which she has done little or nothing to protect1 but which she could have effectively protected by simply remaining neutral herself4 ,we ,americans have been greatly confused in mind in regard to the issues of this war4 ,we have confounded causes and occasions and purposes and incidents until it has become almost impossible for any considerable number of us to form a sound and correct judgment in regard to it4 ,but we shall emerge from that nebulous condition4 ,we are beginning to see more clearly now1 and it would not surprise me greatly if the means used for producing our confusion would some day come back1 if not to plague the consciences1 at least to foil the purposes of their inventors4 ,reply to ,prof4 ,burgess ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,prof4 ,burgess's amazing communication on ,belgian neutrality omits an essential piece of evidence4 ,granting1 for the sake of argument1 that the ,german ,empire might repudiate all treaty obligations of the earlier ,german confederations1 7very odd law1 this27 granting also the still more novel plea that ,belgium had outgrown the need1 and the privilege of neutralization1 ,germany had agreed to treat all neutral powers under the following provisions of ,the ,hague ,conventions of #aijg concerning the rights and duties of neutral powers3 #a4 ,the territory of neutral powers is inviolable4 #b4 ,belligerents are forbidden to move troops or either munitions of war or supplies across the territory of a neutral power4 99 99 99 99 99 #e4 ,a neutral power must not allow any of the acts referred to in ,articles #b to #d to occur on its territory4 ,this pledge the ,german ,empire had solemnly made only seven years ago4 ,it would seem that ,prof4 ,burgess may accept the distinction ably made by ,prof4 ,mnsterberg between pledges of national honor and mere routine agreements1 placing ,hague treaties in the latter category4 ,the allegation that ,france and ,england secretly did unneutral acts in ,belgium is as yet without proof of any sort1 and must be interpreted by the commonsense consideration that a neutral ,belgium was a defensive bulwark for ,france and ,england4 ,to have tampered with her neutrality would have been motiveless folly4 ,how much more decent and moral than ,prof4 ,burgess's meticulous weighing of national reincorporation as a means of evading national obligations is ,chancellor ,hollweg's robust plea of national necessity6 ,prof4 ,burgess's whole moral and mental attitude in this case seems to be that of a corporation lawyer getting a trust out of a hole under the ,statute of ,limitations or by some reorganizing dodge4 ,,frank ,,jewett ,,mather1 ,jr4 ,princeton1 ,n4,j41 ,nov4 #d1 #aiad4 ,america's ,peril in ,judging ,germany ,by ,william ,m4 ,sloane4 ,late ,seth ,low ,professor of ,history at ,columbia ,university2 ex-,president ,national ,institute of ,arts and ,letters and of the ,american ,historical ,association2 was secretary of ,george ,bancroft1 the historian1 in ,berlin1 #ahgc-e2 author of works on ,french ,history4 ,the ,american public has been carefully trained to avoid entanglement with foreign affairs4 ,this ,european war was so unexpected1 so entirely unforeseen1 that we were at first bewildered1 and then exasperated1 by our unreadiness to meet our own emergencies4 ,in our effort to fix responsibility we then became partisan to the verge of moral participation and had to be called to our senses by the wise proclamation and warning of our ,chief ,magistrate4 ,western ,europe is a nearer neighbor than either ,central or ,eastern1 and what stern censors permit us to know is nicely calculated to arouse our prejudice on one side or the other4 ,believing that1 owing to cable cutting and neutrality restrictions of wireless1 as yet the plain truth is not available1 we ask for a suspension of judgment on both sides in order that our ,government may enjoy the undivided support of all ,american citizens in its desire to secure a minimum of disturbance to the normal course of our commercial1 industrial1 and agricultural life by convulsions that are not of our making4 ,fairness to ourselves means justice in the formation and expression of opinion about not one or two but all the participants in a struggle for ,european ascendency1 with which we have nothing to do except as overwhelming victory for either side might bring on a struggle for world ascendency1 with which1 unhappily1 we might have much to do4 ,to contemplate such a terrible event should sober us2 the best preparation for it is absolute neutrality in thought1 speech1 and conduct4 ,our own history since independence is an unbroken record of expansion and imperialism4 ,our contiguous territories have been acquired by compulsion1 whether of war1 of purchase1 of occupation1 or of exchange4 ,we have taken advantage of others' dire necessity in the case of ,great ,britain1 ,france1 ,spain1 ,russia1 and ,mexico4 ,to rectify our frontier we compelled the ,gladsden ,purchase within the writer's lifetime4 ,as to our non-contiguous possessions1 we hold them by the right of conquest or revolution1 salving our consciences with such cash indemnity as we ourselves have chosen to pay1 and even now we are considering what we choose to pay1 not what a disinterested court might consider adequate1 for the good-will of the ,united ,states of ,colombia1 a good-will desired solely and entirely for an additional safeguard to the ,panama ,canal and a prop to the policy or doctrine substituted by the present ,administration for the moribund ,monroe ,doctrine4 ,in no single instance of virtual annexation or protectorate have we consulted by popular vote either the desires of those inhabiting the respective territories annexed or ,the ,hague ,tribunal4 ,in every case we have had one single plea and one only--self-interest4 ,the entire ,american continent south of our frontier we have closed to all ,european settlement1 thereby maintaining for more than a century in a magnificent territory an imperfect civilization which makes a sorry use of natural resources which could vastly improve the condition of all mankind if properly used4 ,this is the light in which ,european nations see us2 our identity in this policy from the dawn of our national existence onward they consider a proof of our national character4 ,it differs in no respect from their own policies except in one4 ,but for them this exception is basic4 ,we are a composite folk and they are homogeneous1 their blend being approximately complete4 ,they have one language1 one tradition1 one set of institutions and laws2 a unity of literature1 habits1 and method in life4 ,some ,european ,states are composite1 but each component part claims and cultivates its own style and its own principles2 each announces itself as a nationality with a life to be maintained and a destiny to be wrought out somehow1 either in peace or in conflict4 ,with perhaps a single exception1 they have an overflow of population1 due to natural generation1 for the comfort and happiness of which they seek either an expansion of territory or an improvement in the productivity of their home lands2 for those who must emigrate they passionately desire the perpetuation of their nationality1 with all it implies4 ,in these respects they do not differ from us1 except that perhaps we are more determined and imperious4 ,we cannot think politically in any other terms than those of democratic government1 either direct or representative4 ,at the present hour we are engaged in the very dubious experiment of direct popular legislation and administration4 ,we are trying to change our ,government radically1 discarding its representative form for that of delegation4 ,the remotest cause of this is the desire to amalgamate all our elements into homogeneity4 ,so far this policy has resulted in a demand1 not for equality of political and civil rights1 but for its overthrow1 substituting laws intended to create social and economic equality by means of class legislation4 ,these facts are not to the edification of other civilized ,states1 and subject us to harsh and contemptuous criticism4 ,it is likewise very interesting that apparently the ,american people believe in a monarchical democracy4 ,one of our typical first citizens has recently expressed his antipathy to the phrases ,my monarchy1 ,my loyal people1 ,my loyal subjects1 used by one of the ,german monarchs in summoning the nation to war1 as implying a dynastic or personal ownership of men4 ,averse from ,militarism4 ,the ,american masses dislike the sound of supreme war lord1 but gladly admit their own ,chief ,magistrate to be ,commander in ,chief of the army and navy4 ,to our ears the three ,german words are offensive1 and well they may be1 for in the treacherous literal translation they are willful perversion2 but the much stronger ,english words are a delight to our democracy4 ,the phrases of monarchy are constantly used in ,great ,britain by its ,king and its ,emperor1 but give no offense to his loyal subjects1 even the most radical1 who delight in them1 as apparently do our people of ,british origin4 ,why do they give such deep offense when employed by the ,german ,government through its ,king and ,emperor8 ,the social stratification of ,germany is not as marked as that of ,great ,britain2 its aristocracy is far less powerful2 and ,edward ,,vii4 proved that an adroit and willful ,english monarch could involve his loyal people deeper in harmful1 secret alliances than ,william ,,ii41 whose alliances and policies were and are unconcealed4 ,one of our greatest historians has earned a brilliant reputation in the conclusive proof that oceans are the world's highways1 while its continents are its barriers4 ,to the term militarism we attach an opprobrious meaning2 militarism is the more infamous in exact proportion to its efficiency4 ,we have been at little pains to define it1 and as to certain of its aspects are curiously complacent4 ,the basic principle of our own nationality has long been the very vague ,monroe ,doctrine1 by the assertion of which we have prevented the establishment on our nearest and remotest frontiers of strong military powers1 which might in certain events compel us to maintain a powerful and numerous standing army1 or even introduce the compulsory military service of all voters1 7women1 of course1 excepted47 ,yet we propose to fight if necessary in order to prevent fighting1 and to this end maintain the second strongest and1 for its size1 the most efficient fleet in the world4 ,this is our militarism2 that of ,great ,britain has been to maintain a fleet double our own or any other in size1 for it is her basic principle to maintain an unquestioned supremacy on the highways of commerce4 ,to this we have meekly assented1 while other nations absorb our carrying trade and our flag waves over a fleet of perhaps a dozen respectable oceangoing trading and passenger ships4 ,it is under her rather patronizing protection that we fight our foreign wars and by pressure from her that we manage the ,panama ,canal with nice and honorable attention to her interpretation of a treaty capable of quite a different one4 ,whether or not this be militarism of the utmost efficiency by sea is not difficult to decide4 ,but we have never styled it infamous4 ,while ,i am writing1 ,germans1 whose basic principle is the most efficient militarism by land1 are publishing all abroad that the militarism of ,france must be forever stamped out1 so that they may dwell at peace in the lands which are their home4 ,within a generation ,france has accumulated a colonial empire second only to that of ,great ,britain1 while she has incessantly demanded the reintegration of ,german lands1 and especially a ,german city which she arbitrarily annexed and held by militarism for about five generations4 ,the militarism of a republic and a democracy which retains the essential features of ,napoleonic administration has been quite as efficient as that of a monarchical democracy like ,great ,britain1 and may easily prove more efficient than that of a monarchy like ,germany4 ,why should it be more infamous or barbarous in one case than the other8 ,and with what is this efficient military democracy allied in the closest ties8 ,with ,russia1 an ,oriental despotism which by the aid of ,french money has developed a militarism by land so portentous in numbers1 dimension1 and efficiency that its movements are comparable to those of ,attila's ,huns4 ,escaped ,russians in ,western lands are denouncing ,german militarism as the incubus of the world4 ,which of the two should ,americans regard as the greater danger8 ,menaces to ,our ,neutrality4 ,it has wrung our hearts to consider the violation of ,belgian neutrality1 for which both ,france and eventually even ,great ,britain have long been prepared1 but the latter has with little or no protest arranged with the bear that walks like a man to disregard contemptuously the neutrality of ,persia in arranging spheres of influence1 exactly as ,japan1 another ally1 is contemptuously disregarding the neutrality of ,china1 the new republic we were in such haste to recognize that we had to use the cable4 ,and what about ,korea8 ,it is a ,japanese province in contravention of the most solemn guarantees of its integrity4 ,leaving aside for the moment certain considerations like these1 and they might easily be indefinitely amplified1 which should compel ,americans to unbiased consideration for others and preclude a dangerous partiality1 let us ask ourselves how in the event of mediation we could be an impartial pacificator1 behaving as we have hitherto done4 ,the attitude of our ,government has been strictly neutral1 neutral to the verge of utter self-abnegation2 and1 as some regard it1 timidity4 ,but rock-fast as any democratic magistrate may be1 public opinion must and does influence him4 ,rightly or wrongly his agents would be even more completely dominated1 and rightly or wrongly they would be suspect in view of our terrific partisanship on both sides since the commencement of hostilities4 ,the efficiency of ,government organs in producing the goods1 the terrific power of organization on one side and mass on the other1 have been considered a menace to world equilibrium4 ,whichever way the decision falls1 the scrutiny of ,europe will be turned to us4 ,unless observation and instinct be utterly at fault1 we have for more than a decade been1 after ,germany1 the worst-hated nation of all that are foremost4 ,it is pre-eminently our affair to mind our own business1 as others have minded theirs4 ,without cessation of noise and fury in ,america this is impossible4 ,indeed1 our emotional storms have already furnished proof of how we are incapacitated from either enforcing our rights as neutrals or seizing by the forelock the opportunity afforded to us as neutrals and from enjoying the unquestioned privileges of neutrality4 ,it is not altogether edifying to think that the close of the ,european struggle1 be it long or short1 will probably find our ocean commerce substantially where it was at the beginning1 and that conflicts which were not of our making will have been fought out before we are able to secure our share of the world markets4 ,apparently the leaders in commerce1 industry1 and trade1 like the lawmakers and administrators1 are paralyzed by the imperative necessity of aiding panicstricken tourists and panicstricken stay-at-homes4 ,apparently1 too1 our people are suffering more in purse and general comfort than the actual combatant nations4 ,clamorous for ,american sympathy and cash1 we have on our shores embassies from the belligerents1 pleading their respective virtues and sorrows4 ,why1 after all1 should our chiefest concern be with them8 ,surely we may be good ,samaritans without a total disregard of our own interests and a blindness to opportunity verging on impotency4 ,there is no immorality in the proper play of self-interest4 ,it is the conflict of interests which creates morality4 ,but the spectators1 even the maddest baseball fans1 do not play the game nor train for it4 ,it is high time we ceased wasting our energies in emotions and vain babble4 ,at this writing the first line of defense against the ,oriental deluge is endangered4 ,the ,slav individually and in his primitive culture is altogether charming4 ,he is a son of the soil1 picturesque in life and creative2 he is minstrel and poet1 seer4 ,but so far he is the carrier of a low civilization1 the prophet1 priest1 and king of autocracy and absolutism4 ,never has there been a time in history when the higher civilization was not in a savage struggle for existence4 ,it is almost the first time in three centuries that the highest civilizations were in alliance with the lowest2 not since the pugnacious ,western powers of ,europe sued for favor at the ,sublime ,porte4 ,in ,peril of the ,whirlwind4 ,this ought to be a very sobering spectacle1 but it seems to arouse the delighted enthusiasm of an ,american majority4 ,for such an aberration there is but a single and efficient remedy3 absorption in our own affairs1 the discriminating study of efficient methods to prevent our being caught up by a whirlwind1 even the outer edges of which may snatch us into the vortex4 ,to change the metaphor1 we revel in the pleasant propulsion of the maelstrom's rim1 unaware that every instant brings us closer to dangers1 escape from which would demand herculean effort4 ,irresponsible emotions are1 like those of the novel and the stage1 when intensified to excess utterly incompatible with action4 ,and just such a paralysis seems for six long weeks to have lamed the highest powers of ,america4 ,the proportionate increase in population among the ,european powers is overwhelmingly in favor of the ,slavs4 ,their rate of increase by natural generation is nearly three times that of even the ,germans1 with the result that by the introduction of enforced military service into ,eastern ,europe1 7excepting ,hungary and perhaps ,rumania17 the military balance of power has been completely changed4 ,the wars among the ,balkan ,states1 including ,turkey1 have put on foot armies of a dimension hitherto undreamed of among the ,south ,slavs1 and the army of ,russia is probably two and a half times larger than it could have been thirty-five years ago4 ,the method by which ,eastern ,europe has succeeded in financing itself is rather mysterious4 ,we know1 of course1 that the original ,franco-,russian ,alliance was based on reciprocal interests1 and that large sums of ,french money flowed into ,russia1 which partly developed the natural resources of ,russia and were partly in the shape of loans that in all likelihood were used for war material4 ,slavs in ,germany4 ,the conflict between the ,slavs and the ,teutons all along the line on which they border has therefore been in two ways intensified4 ,in the first place1 just in proportion as ,germany has become an industrial ,state1 the field work has been intrusted to immigrant ,slavs1 some of whom come only for the season and return1 but a very large number of them--estimated at the present moment at close to a million--have substantially settled within the borders of the ,german ,empire4 ,that is to say1 there is a constant injection of #a-a_/b per cent4 of ,slavic blood into the territories of the ,german ,empire4 ,suppose now that ,russia should succeed in establishing the protectorate over all ,slavs which she desires1 and at the same time should press back the ,germans on that border line1 something very closely approximating a new migration of peoples in ,europe will take place4 ,as far as ,i know the ,german feeling1 expressed both privately and publicly1 officially and unofficially1 they have hoped to maintain their complete consanguinity1 if not homogeneity1 within the lands they regard as their home2 and their preparations for war1 their increase of their military strength1 have been made1 professedly at least1 solely in the interest of defense4 ,americans can simply not realize--it is impossible for them to realize--the difference in the degree of civilization and culture on either side of a purely artificial boundary line4 ,very fortunately it has entered the minds of several people lately to write to the newspapers about the unhappy confusion that comes from the use of words in a meaning which at home they do not connote at all4 ,take1 for example1 the whole question of militarism4 ,as we see it1 it is a matter altogether of degree4 ,for defense against what the ,german considers the most terrible danger that he personally has to confront1 it has been necessary from time to time to change both the size and the composition of his forces1 whether offensive or defensive1 and they therefore have introduced compulsory military service1 an idea which has always been very offensive to ,anglo-,saxons1 but which in cases of dire necessity they have been compelled to utilize themselves1 as1 for example1 during our own civil war1 the abandonment of voluntary enlistment and the introduction of the draft4 ,now1 the compulsory military service of the ,german means that every man is for a period of his life drafted and trained as a soldier4 ,forty years ago there were a great many men who escaped by reason of one or another provision of the law4 ,that number was steadily diminished until within eighteen months1 when finally it was proclaimed that every ,german who could endure the severity of that training must undergo it1 and that was due to the fact that the military balance of power of which ,i spoke had been so completely changed by the re-armament of ,russia and by the formation of the ,south ,slav armies in the ,balkan ,peninsula4 ,as a parallel we might imagine1 not one troublesome neighbor1 but four4 ,we might imagine a tremendous military power developed in ,canada1 and we might imagine a hostile military power on the ,atlantic side and another one on the ,pacific side1 in which case we would beyond a question have to expand our inchoate militarism1 just in proportion as we came to feel the necessity for a strong physical defensive or offensive in the way of a great standing army1 and we probably would do it without any hesitation4 ,now1 ,germany has not any really bitter foe on the north1 although there is no love lost between the ,germans and the ,scandinavians2 but it has an embittered foe on the east1 and another one on the west1 and what has proved to be an embittered foe upon the water and a very lukewarm neutral ,state on the south1 a ,state which had joined in alliance with her4 ,italy had joined what ,italy considered a defensive alliance1 but not an offensive alliance1 and chose to regard the outbreak of this war as an offensive movement on the part of ,germany1 and for that reason has refused to participate in the struggle4 ,i say for that reason because1 having been accustomed to reading1 all my life1 long diplomatic documents1 really having been trained1 you might say1 almost in the school of ,ranke1 who was the inaugurator of an entirely new school of historical writing based on the criticism of historical papers1 ,i have come to realize that the dispatches of trained diplomats are for the most part purely formal1 and that while these respective publications of ,great ,britain and of ,germany have a certain value1 yet nevertheless the most important plans are laid in the embrasures of windows1 where important men stand and talk so that no one can hear1 or they are arranged and often times amplified in private correspondence which does not see the light until years afterward1 and that the most important historical documents are found in the archives of families1 members of which have been the guiding spirits of ,european policy and politics4 ,so that what the secret diplomacy of the last years may have been is as yet utterly unknown1 and certainly will not be known for the generation yet to come and perhaps for several generations4 ,the student in almost any ,european capital is given complete access to everything on file in the archives1 including secret documents1 only down to a certain date4 ,that date differs in various of these storehouses1 but ,i think in no case is it later than #ahcj4 ,if you ask why1 there are the sensibilities of families to be considered1 there is the question of hidden policies which they do not care to reveal1 and then there is the whole matter of who the examining student is4 ,for instance1 certain very important papers were absolutely denied to me1 as an ,american1 in ,great ,britain--or at least excuses were made if they were not absolutely denied--which were opened to an ,englishman who was working upon the same subject at about the same time4 ,the reason for such observations at the present hour is plain enough4 ,public opinion is formed upon what the public is permitted to know1 and is not formed upon the actual facts which the public is not permitted to know4 ,and for that reason ,americans1 remote as we are from the sources of information1 and especially remote from that most delicate of all indications1 the pulse of public opinion in foreign countries1 ought to be extremely slow to commit themselves to anything4 ,attack on ,sir ,edward ,grey4 ,now1 we have just had a very interesting incident4 ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times printed recently what the ,british call their ,white ,paper1 as well as the ,german ,white ,paper4 ,the editors of our most important journals announced that they had read and studied those papers with care1 and that on the face of those papers1 beyond any peradventure1 ,germany was the aggressor4 ,german militarism had flaunted itself as an insult in the face of ,europe4 ,germany had violated neutrality1 ,germany had committed almost every sin known to international law1 and therefore the whole ,german procedure was to be reprobated4 ,within a very short time a ,labor member of ,parliament1 ,j4 ,ramsay ,macdonald1 rises in his place1 able and fearless1 and1 on the basis of the ,white ,paper1 as published and put in the hands of the ,british public1 attacks ,sir ,edward ,grey for having so committed ,great ,britain in advance to both ,russia and ,france that1 in spite of the representations of the ,german ,ambassador1 he dared not discuss the question of neutrality4 ,this member of ,parliament manifestly belongs to the powerful anti-war party of ,great ,britain1 a party two of whose members1 ,john ,burns and ,lord ,morley1 resigned from the ,cabinet rather than condone iniquity2 a party which before the outbreak of the war made itself heard and felt1 and protested against the participation of ,great ,britain1 desiring localization of the struggle4 ,mr4 ,macdonald says that in his opinion this talk about the violation of ,belgian neutrality1 from the point of view of ,british statesmen1 is absurd1 because as long ago as #ahgj the plans for the use of ,belgium1 both by ,france and by ,germany--in other words1 the violation of its neutrality--were in the ,british ,war ,office1 and that ,mr4 ,gladstone rose in his place and said he was not one of those whose opinion was that a formal guarantee should stand so far in thwarting the natural course of events as to commit ,great ,britain to war2 and that has been the announced and avowed policy of ,great ,britain all the way down since #ahgj1 and that therefore talk about the violation of ,belgian neutrality is a mere pretext4 ,that is another instance of this secret agreement that goes on1 which so commits a man like ,sir ,edward ,grey that in the pinch1 when the ,german ,ambassador substantially proposed to yield everything to him and asked him for his proposition1 he cannot make any4 ,these facts are in the ,white ,paper4 ,as far as ,i know1 no editor in the ,united ,states who claims to have studied thoroughly that ,white ,paper has ever brought this out1 and they had not been published in that paper at the time when ,sir ,edward ,grey and ,mr4 ,asquith made their respective speeches and committed the ,british ,nation to the war4 ,another unhappy use of language which has been noted in the public press is due to the literal translation of words4 ,americans simply do not know what the word ,emperor means4 ,to most of them it connotes the later ,roman ,emperors1 or the autocratic ,czar of ,russia1 or the short-lived but autocratic quality of ,napoleon ,,iii41 so that when we use the word ,emperor we are thinking of an absolutely non-existing personage1 unless it be the ,czar of ,russia4 ,we like very much to make sport of phrases from languages unfamiliar to us1 and we enjoy the jokes of ludicrous translations1 and so we take the term ,oberster ,kriegsherr and we translate it ,supreme ,war ,lord4 ,what conception the average ,american forms of that is manifest4 ,whereas1 as a matter of fact--and this has already been pointed out both in conversation and in public prints--the term means nothing in the world but ,commander in ,chief of the ,german ,empire1 has not any different relation whatsoever in the substance of its meaning than that which ,presidents of the ,united ,states have been in time of supreme danger to the country4 ,mr4 ,lincoln was just as much an ,oberster ,kriegsherr at one period of his term as the ,german ,emperor could ever be2 in fact1 rather more4 ,sherman's ,march to the ,sea4 ,in truth1 the sense of outrage which ,americans feel over the horrors of war1 while most creditable to them1 is very often based upon an ignorance of the rules and regulations of so-called civilized warfare1 and upon a sentimentality1 which1 though also very creditable1 is unfortunately not one of the factors in the world's work4 ,it would not hurt ,americans occasionally to recall ,sherman's march to the sea1 during which every known kind of devastation occurred1 or to recall ,gen4 ,hunter's boast that he had made the ,valley of ,virginia such a desert that a crow could not find sustenance enough in it to fly from one side to the other1 and yet at that time1 in what we considered the supreme danger to our country1 the conduct of those men was approved1 and they themselves were almost deified for their actions4 ,while parallels are dangerous and the existence of one wrong does not make another action right1 yet at the same time a very considerable amount of open-mindedness must be exercised in a neutral country when regarding the passionate devotions of combatant nations to their culture1 to their safety1 to their interest2 and it should be recalled that in the heats and horrors of war it is extremely difficult1 however trained or disciplined troops may be1 to prevent outrages1 and that so far as we have gone in accurate information the least that can be said is that it is slowly dawning upon us that horror for horror and outrage for outrage there has been no overwhelming balance on either side4 ,the ,allies 7this interview was received ,tuesday morning7 firmly believe that the struggle on the west is so indecisive up to this time that what will count for them is the duration of the war4 ,lloyd ,george has just said1 not in the exact language1 but virtually1 what ,disraeli said in #ahgh3 ,we don't want to fight2 but1 by jingo1 if we do we have got the ships1 we have got the men1 we have got the money1 too4 ,those are the words that brought into use the expression jingoists4 ,now1 ,lloyd ,george said the other day that it was the money which in the long run would count and that ,great ,britain had that2 and the meetings that are held to induce ,englishmen to enlist are addressed by speakers who meet with lots of applause when they say3 ,we may not be able to put the same number of men into the field immediately that ,germany was able to put or ,russia was able to put1 but in the long run1 considering the attitude of all the different parts of our empire1 we will be able to put just as many men1 and therefore time is on our side both as regards force in the field and money to sustain it4 7,the ,london ,times confesses that enlistment in ,ireland is a failure47 ,lloyd ,george says that for a comparatively short time ,england's enemies can finance themselves and be very efficient1 but that as time passes they unquestionably will exhaust not only their pecuniary means but their resources of men as well4 ,that is his position at this time4 ,therefore1 it does appear as if the long duration of the war was a thing desired1 at least in ,great ,britain1 as being their hope of victory4 ,both ,great ,britain and ,france are wealthy countries4 ,just how wealthy ,germany is ,i do not think they realize1 nor do we know1 nor what its ultimate resources can be4 ,now1 looking at the allied line as a whole1 we will suppose that the ,german forces were overwhelmingly triumphant in ,france1 and suppose1 likewise1 which is by no means as strong a hypothesis1 that ,russia is overwhelmingly victorious against ,austria and the ,eastern ,german ,army2 then1 of course1 you have the situation in which that one of the ,allies which is triumphant will assert its leadership in the terms of peace that will be reached1 and would have the hegemony1 as we call it1 of all ,europe4 ,russia's ,position4 ,so that the defeat of the ,allies in the west and their overwhelming success in the east would compel the acceptance1 in any peace that might be made1 of such terms as ,russia chose to dictate4 ,she would have to be satisfied1 otherwise there would only be one outcome of it2 that is1 of course1 if ,great ,britain and ,france could not accept those terms1 there would be a rupture1 and stranger things have been seen than ,germany1 ,france1 and ,great ,britain fighting against ,russia4 ,stranger things than that have been seen2 such changes in the alliances between ,states have occurred at intervals from the seventeenth century onward in ,europe1 a phase of the subject that is too lengthy to discuss here1 but which every student of history knows all about4 ,and it is thinkable that they might occur again4 ,suppose1 on the other hand1 that the ,germans should imitate ,frederick the ,great1 which is not so preposterous as appears on the face of it1 because of comparatively easy means of transportation1 and should be able to make successive victorious dashes1 first in the east and then in the west1 backward and forward2 leadership would be hers1 and ,france would be a minor power for years to come4 ,probably peace might come more quickly if neither side should be absolutely victorious than otherwise4 ,but for the moment ,i think that the agreement among the ,allies is a very portentous thing1 as far as the duration of the war is concerned4 ,do you think that any secret agreement may exist2 that ,france even now may have made an agreement with ,germany8 ,mr4 ,sloane was asked4 ,i cannot think so4 ,i think it very evident there is no such secret agreement4 ,if one existed it would be much more likely to be between ,russia and ,germany4 ,you remember the development of ,prussia1 which is1 of course1 the commanding ,state in the ,german ,empire1 occurred by its careful conservation of the policy which was laid down in the political will of ,frederick the ,great1 that of keeping friends with ,russia4 ,the fact of the matter is1 ,prussia was saved in the ,napoleonic wars by the act of ,gen4 ,yorck at ,tauroggen1 when he suddenly abandoned the ,french and went over to the ,prussians1 and while ,russia has within half a generation become intensely bitter against ,germany1 yet it is true that the ,baltic ,provinces1 in which the gentry and the burghers are ,germans1 have furnished most important administrators to the ,russian ,empire1 a fact that causes much of the jealousy in ,russia on the part of the native-born ,russians against the ,germans of the ,baltic ,provinces4 ,nevertheless1 self-interest is a very important thing1 and if ,russia thought for a moment that ,france was going to abandon her ,i think she would turn to ,germany right away4 ,as time has developed the nations of today1 it has come to be understood by hard-headed statesmen that those who conduct their respective affairs can have no other guiding principle than the interest of their own ,state1 no other4 ,there is a persistent feeling throughout the world that there is an analogy between the individual man and organized society4 ,there are books written to show that ,states must and do pass through the various stages through which an individual passes1 namely1 infancy1 childhood1 youth1 middle age1 old age1 decay4 ,by a perfectly natural parallel the majority of men apply the same morality to the ,state which they apply to the individual1 and they insist upon it that a ,state must be moral in every respect2 that it must have a conscience2 that it must have virtue2 that it must practice self-denial2 that it must not lay its hands on what does not belong to it4 ,in short1 that it must as a ,state or as a nation be good1 in exactly the same sense in which a person is good4 ,in other words1 they personify the ,state4 ,i have never heard of any speaker or writer who would not approve of that as an ideal1 and who would not desire that the millennium should come upon earth now1 and that exactly the same virtues that are held up for personal ideals should be held up for national ideals4 ,i think we all believe that1 but1 as a matter of fact1 in a world constituted as ours is1 the one test of a good ,government1 applied by every individual1 is the material prosperity of the people who live under it1 and for that reason if the people do not at first put in power men who can give them material prosperity they will put such failures out and try another set of rulers1 and they will go on and on that way until necessarily the policies of statesmen must be based upon the interest of that ,state whose destinies are in their hands4 ,so that the only hope of relations between nations similar to those that exist between good men and good women is that the individuals of that nation1 its population1 its inhabitants1 should consent to exercise the self-denying virtues2 and until that point is reached there can be no good ,state in the sense in which there can be a good man4 ,we ought all to work for it1 but it is not here now1 and there are no signs on the horizon of its approach4 ,in a war1 therefore1 every statesman studies the resources of his nation1 and when the time comes that it is manifestly his duty to put an end to warfare1 it is only by the public approval that he dares do it1 by showing that it is to their advantage to give up the things for which they went to war1 in greater or less degree4 ,armed ,peace ,not ,disarmament4 ,and the man of shrewd insight1 who knows when that point is reached1 is the leader who saves the face1 so to speak1 of these nations and steps in and says3 ,now1 the whole moral force of the civilized world must be brought to bear upon you to make a peace1 the terms of which1 if possible1 shall not discredit any of you1 but at the same time shall be as elastic and as proportionate to your respective gains and losses as will insure at least a considerable period of peace1 not an armistice1 not an armed armistice1 though it may be an armed peace4 ,we see no signs anywhere in ,europe that disarmament has any substantial body of advocates in any nation4 ,the basic principle hitherto of the ,german people has been to have1 not the largest1 but the strongest army2 the basic principle of ,great ,britain1 which sneers at militarism1 has been not only to have the most powerful fleet1 but twice the most powerful fleet4 ,and what is the basic principle of the ,united ,states8 ,the ,monroe ,doctrine1 to have no armed neighbor which shall compel us to violate by its presence our dislike for compulsory military service or to expend great sums for armament4 ,these are basic principles in each of us4 ,now1 we have been able to maintain the ,monroe ,doctrine by simply showing our teeth1 but whether we could maintain it in the future without an armed force sufficient to give it sanction ,i think is doubtful1 and for that reason the ,monroe ,doctrine has undergone quite a number of modifications which ,i do not need to explain here4 ,but this basic principle of ours that from ,patagonia to the ,mexican frontier we will suffer no armed nation of ,europe to make permanent settlement and endanger our peace is exactly the same sort of principle that the ,german holds when he says1 ,we must have the strongest army1 and the same which the ,englishman holds when he says1 ,we must have the strongest fleet4 ,i want it distinctly understood that ,i am not a partisan4 ,i am not pro this or pro that or pro anything except pro-,american1 and the principal impulse ,i have in trying to clarify my mind is my hope that there may be an end to these hysterical exhibitions of partisanship1 in which 7throughout this neutral nation7 men indulge who still hold too strongly1 as ,i think1 to the glory1 honor1 dignity1 and traditions of the lands of their origin4 ,an ,answer by ,prof4 ,ladd ,emeritus ,professor of ,mental and ,moral ,philosophy at ,yale ,university2 ,lecturer on ,philosophy in ,india and ,japan2 has received numerous decorations in ,japan1 where he was guest and unofficial adviser of ,prince ,ito2 ex-,president of ,american ,psychological ,association4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,it seems strange to me that a student of history with the training and acumen of ,prof4 ,sloane should overlook or minimize the important distinction that must hold the chief place in enabling us to understand the issues and appreciate the merits of the war now raging in ,europe4 ,this distinction is that between the ,german people and ,germanic civilization1 on the one hand1 and1 on the other1 the present ,constitution and cherished ambitions of the ,german ,empire under the dominance of ,prussia4 ,the ,german people1 by genuine processes of self-development1 have worked out for themselves a veritable spiritual unity which manifests itself in language1 laws1 customs1 and a large measure of substantial uniformity in moral and religious ideals4 ,germanic civilization1 with its love of order1 its high estimate of education1 its notable additions to science1 philosophy1 and art1 constitutes one of the most noble and beneficent contributions to the welfare of mankind4 ,but the case is not at all the same with the ,german ,empire as at present constituted4 ,it is not a historical development1 a truly national affair1 as are the ,empire of ,great ,britain1 the ,republics of ,france and the ,united ,states1 or the ,empires of ,russia and ,japan4 ,it is a modern combination of politically divergent unities1 forced by the ruthless but infinitely shrewd policy of ,bismarck and his coadjutors1 misdirected and perhaps driven to ruin by the man and his entourage1 who1 even if he is ,king of ,prussia by the grace of ,god1 is only ,emperor of ,germany by the will of the ,princes4 ,we are diligently given to understand that all these ,princes and all the ,german people have entered heart and soul into this war1 and without the slightest doubt as to its righteousness and as to the destiny of the empire1 this modern military autocracy1 ultimately to be completely victorious4 ,this is hard to believe1 although it must be admitted that the cowardice of the ,socialists and the obsession of the professors are remarkable phenomena4 ,as to the latter1 however1 we must remember their dependence on the ,government1 not only for their information and their call to speak1 but also for their positions in the ,government system of education4 ,as to the significance of the two names most prominently quoted in this connection1 ,i am not at all impressed1 as so many of my colleagues appear to be4 ,an intimate friend of mine some twenty years ago was several weeks en pension in the same house where ,haeckel had his apartment1 and even then he was notorious for his hatred of foreigners and of women4 ,those of us who have followed closely his career know how often he has written with more than ,german professorial virulence against those who differed from his theory of evolution1 and that he is at present scarcely more abusive of ,england than he has several times been of his own ,government and of the ,state ,church because his system was not made a matter of compulsory teaching4 ,as to ,eucken1 the reasons for his obsession are quite different4 ,in his case the feeling and the utterance are due to intellectual weakness rather than to virulence of passion4 ,after all1 however1 the temper of military and imperial ,germany under the dominance of ,prussia has been essentially the same from the beginning4 ,in illustration of this1 let me quote for your readers from a poem of ,heine1 written as long ago as #ahdb4 ,i do this the more readily because ,i have recently seen1 to my astonishment1 ,heine placed beside ,goethe as representing the better temper of the ,germanic civilization as opposed to the blinded judgment and immoral hatred of the modern ,german ,empire3 ,germany's still a little child1 ,but he's nursed by the sun1 though tender2 ,he is not suckled on soothing milk1 ,but on flames of burning splendor4 ,one grows apace on such a diet2 ,it fires the blood from languor2 ,ye neighbor's children1 have a care1 ,this urchin how ye anger6 ,he is an awkward infant giant1 ,the oak by the roots uptearing2 ,he'll beat you till your backs are sore1 ,and crack your crowns for daring4 ,he is like ,siegfried1 the noble child1 ,that song-and-saga wonder1 ,who1 when his fabled sword was forged1 ,his anvil cleft in sunder6 ,to you1 who will our ,dragon slay1 ,shall ,siegfried's strength be given2 ,hurrah6 how joyfully your nurse ,will laugh on you from heaven6 ,the ,dragon's hoard of royal gems ,you'll win1 with none to share it2 ,hurrah6 how bright the golden crown ,will sparkle when you wear it6 ,but it would not be stranger than many other things which have happened in human history if the defeat of ,german military imperialism should result in restoring to ,europe and spreading more widely over the world the beneficent influence of ,germanic civilization4 ,certainly they are not the same thing1 and they do not stand or fall together4 ,,george ,,trumbull ,,ladd4 ,yale ,university1 ,oct4 #bj1 #aiad4 ,possible ,profits ,from ,war ,,interview ,,with ,,franklin ,h4 ,,giddings4 ,dr4 ,giddings is ,professor of ,sociology and the ,history of ,civilization at ,columbia ,university2 author of many works on sociology and political economy2 ,president of ,institut ,internationale de ,sociologie1 #aiac4 ,by ,edward ,marshall4 ,no man in the ,united ,states is better entitled to estimate the probable social and economic outcome of the present ,european debacle than ,prof4 ,franklin ,h4 ,giddings of ,columbia1 one of the most distinguished sociologists and political economists in the ,united ,states4 ,today all ,europe fights1 he said to me1 but1 also1 today all ,europe thinks4 ,that is an impressive sentence1 with which he concluded our long talk1 and with which ,i begin my record of it4 ,he believes that this thinking of the men who crouch low in the drenched trenches and of the women who tragically wait for news of them will fashion a new ,europe4 ,he agrees with the remarkable opinions of ,president ,butler1 that that new ,europe will be marked by the rise of democracy4 ,he sees the probability of broadened individual opportunity in it1 accompanied by the breaking down of international suspicions2 and he thinks that all these processes1 which surely make for peace1 will surely bring a lasting peace4 ,in the following interview1 which ,prof4 ,giddings has carefully reread1 will be found one of the most interesting speculative utterances born of the war4 ,the immediate economic cause of the war1 said ,prof4 ,giddings1 lay in the affairs of ,servia and ,austria4 ,servia had been shut in4 ,she had been able to get practically nothing from1 and sell practically nothing to1 the outside world1 save by ,austria's permission1 while ,austria1 with ,germany professing fear of ,slavic development1 for years had been taking every care to prevent the ,balkan peoples from having free access to the ,adriatic4 ,some financial profit arose from this interning of the little ,states1 but it is probable that the desire for this was all along entirely secondary to the fear of ,balkan1 especially ,servian1 political and economic development4 ,in the larger economic question ,germany felt especial interest4 ,in a comparatively few years she had made the greatest progress ever made by any nation in an equal time1 with the possible exception of that made by the ,united ,states in a similar period after our civil war1 and it is probable that not even our own advance has equaled hers in rapidity or extent1 if all could be tabbed up4 ,she had worked out a great manufacturing scheme1 she had developed an immense internal commerce by means of her railroads and her ,rhine and other waterways1 she had built up an enormous trade with ,eastern ,europe1 ,western ,asia1 ,south ,america1 and the ,united ,states4 ,she had highly specialized in and become somewhat dependent on the production of articles like dyestuffs and the commodities of the pharmacopoeia4 ,her shipping had advanced until it closely crowded ,england's2 her finances1 on the whole1 were well handled and her credit was excellent1 while her wonderful system of co-operation between the ,government and manufacturing producers and commercial distributers of all kinds had become the admiration of all nations4 ,the extent to which her ,government facilitated foreign trade through obtaining and distributing costly information might well be taken as the world's model4 ,whatever claims be made or contested about her contributions to culture and theoretical science1 there can be no argument about her material achievements4 ,german ,achievements4 ,along every line her social organization of co-operation between the ,government and the people successfully handled problems feared by all the outside world4 ,while1 as a result of the development of humane feeling1 ,england and the ,united ,states have been saying that ignorance1 vagabondage1 and misery ought to be abolished1 ,germany has said1 ',they shall be6' ,and1 saying it1 she had actually commenced to abolish them4 ,she had cut down enormous wastes of human energy and1 for the first time in the history of the world1 had established an economic minimum below which men and families were not permitted to sink4 ,the cost of this was large2 for insurance1 colonies for tramps and vagabonds1 employment agencies1 and the like2 but ,germany made it pay in the creation of a nation built of loyal and efficient people4 ,both their loyalty and their efficiency have been proved and reproved in the course of the present struggle4 ,they had accomplished marvels1 they were ready for amazing sacrifices4 ,now1 one of the principal reasons why ,germany was able to do these things1 although1 she probably ignored it and possibly would deny it1 is to be found in the free-trade policy of ,england4 ,at any time during the past twenty years ,england could have checked ,german progress effectively by the establishment of a protective tariff system designed to encourage her own colonies and other nations with whom she had long been on friendly and influential terms1 to the utmost development of exclusive trade privileges designed to shut out ,germany4 ,except for the long-established ,english policy of commercial freedom ,germany could not have accomplished for herself what she has4 ,germany has been growing rapidly4 ,her birth rate has been high1 but of late it has been falling1 and when the war began there were indications that she soon would approach the low ratio of population increase already characteristic of ,france1 of ,new ,england and the ,middle ,west in the ,united ,states1 and lately of ,england4 ,but ,germany's population was still a growing one and1 in a sense1 a restive one4 ,the ,malthusian theory has not worked out in the civilized world as ,malthus supposed it would1 for the application of science to manufacturing1 agriculture1 c41 has prevented increasing populations from pressing upon the means of subsistence2 but in all parts of the ,western ,world the standards of living have been raised1 the ambitions of the average man and woman have expanded4 ,they have lived better than their parents lived1 and they have wished their children to live better still4 ,however1 we can place no limit upon the probable expansion of human desires1 and it is true that a population unchecked by the intelligent action of the human will tends to increase at a rate more rapid than that at which it is possible to raise the actual plane of human living4 ,the speed of the working of the two rules is different1 perhaps1 but both are dynamic1 and the population of ,germany tended to grow more rapidly than betterment of conditions could be provided1 even under the nation's splendid governmental and commercial efficiency4 ,the natural yearning of the nation1 therefore1 was toward colonial expansion1 and1 although note that ,i make no charges against either the ,german ,government or ,german people1 the nation probably has wished sovereignty over ,western ,europe1 through ,belgium and ,holland to the sea4 ,its narrow outlet through ,hamburg and ,bremen was insufficient for its needs4 ,of course1 its trade and economic advance has sometimes conflicted with that of other nations4 ,it is natural for ,germany to suppose that ,england tried to block it4 ,however1 ,i think that all the evidence which ,germany has brought forward in proof of this is weak and improbable1 because ,england's great source of revenue has been her foreign trade1 and1 above all1 her carrying trade1 and ,i am not partisan but stating the obvious when ,i say that ,england prospers when the rest of the world prospers1 and that she has profited mightily through ,germany's commercial advance4 ,these facts point to the conclusion that ,germany really had everything to gain by avoiding war and continuing her prosperous expansion along commercial lines1 increasing the strength of her grip in foreign countries1 as1 for example1 in ,south ,america4 ,germany's ,prosperous ,commerce4 ,in ,south ,america we ,americans were not really competing with her4 ,she had studied the market and adopted the methods necessary to its satisfaction2 we had not4 ,england was relatively losing her hold there4 ,in another twenty years ,germany surely would have been one of the greatest commercial and manufacturing nations which the world has ever known4 ,so it was not economic necessity1 nor pressure approaching economic necessity1 which precipitated this war4 ,i think the ,german people1 as they professed to do1 did become greatly alarmed over a possibility1 magnified into a probability1 that ,russia1 taking up the cause of the ,balkan peoples1 would obtain ,constantinople1 that ,servia would make her way to the ,adriatic1 and that all possibility of the expansion of ,germany to the southeast would be blocked1 and ,germany probably became alarmed over ,england's intentions--there were many indications of something close to panic in ,germany after it was generally understood that ,king ,edward figured in the pact with ,france4 ,i1 for one1 do not believe that the ,german fears of ,england were well grounded2 ,i do not believe that in the excitement the ,german mind worked discriminatingly or that it is working with discrimination today4 ,i think that ,germany has presented an extraordinary example of nation-wide mobmindedness in a situation which offered nothing but ruin through war and boundless advantages if she sat tight and waited for some one else to strike the first blow1 which1 then1 probably never would have been struck4 ,so1 although ,i have outlined what ,i think may fairly be regarded as some of the economic conditions contributing to the war1 ,i do not think that it is entirely to be explained by economic causes4 ,they fail to account for the actual precipitation of the conflict4 ,i think that there is no explanation of that1 short of recognition of an abnormal reaction of the ,german mind to a situation the nature of which was mistaken1 or1 at least1 exaggerated4 ,and1 of course1 there were other factors concerning which we shall not know the truth for years1 such as the personal influence of individual minds in the ,german and other ,governments4 ,it will be long before the complete history of the acts and negligence of diplomats and other responsible ,ministers will be written4 ,i asked ,prof4 ,giddings if1 in his opinion1 the struggle is likely to result in any wide and profound change in the economic life of the world4 ,yes1 he replied1 ,i think it is sure to4 ,in the first place1 for at least half a generation1 and perhaps longer1 the producing capital of the world will be much smaller than it was before the war4 ,but in this speculation we must be cautious1 because1 so far1 the costly war material which has been consumed1 such as fortresses destroyed1 guns worn out1 ammunition consumed1 soldiers' clothing1 and in general food1 were principally accumulated and paid for long ago4 ,they have come out of the world's past production1 and their cost already has been written off4 ,the real loss1 the new waste1 over and above the devastation of ,belgium and other lands1 has been of labor1 productive activity which would have been carried on during the period of the war had the struggle been avoided1 the destruction of the lives of men in their economic prime1 the maiming of others to the depletion of their future usefulness and the loss to ,european fatherhood4 ,but if the war lasts a long time1 necessitating the general renewal of ships1 fortresses1 weapons1 and stores1 the waste will be enormous1 for the actual money expenditure will then come out of funds newly accumulated or charged against the future1 and not out of those set aside in the past for war purposes4 ,one ,great ,change ,occurring4 ,thus one great economic change already is occurring--the devastation wrought1 the destruction of hoarded funds and supplies and of useful human life4 ,there are others which are probable1 but also problematical1 although ,i think we fairly may take them into account4 ,will the ,european nations1 in settlement of their differences through final terms of peace1 simply endeavor to restore the old order1 drawing their lines of demarkation very strictly1 enacting1 for example1 higher tariffs1 thinking that along that line will lie the easiest way of re-establishing national finances8 ,if so1 the old contentions will be perpetuated4 ,it will be the old order of things over again4 ,we shall again have the spirit of exclusiveness fostered and the old suspicions bred4 ,the old intense competition of nation with nation for trade to the exclusion of other nations from the markets of the world will return with its attendant inefficiency4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the world will be an immense gainer through the war if it is followed by a broad and rational review of the whole situation and an adjustment of the map of ,europe with due regard to the ambitions and legitimate economic opportunities and capabilities of the various peoples4 ,this war may be the greatest good the world has ever known if it leaves ,europe in a mental state disposed to ,broaden opportunity1 to break down suspicions1 to eliminate barriers1 and make commerce much freer than it has been4 ,then ,europe's economic recovery will be rapid1 animosities will die quickly away1 and every nation which is now involved will progress with a new speed1 seeing that opportunity is created only through superiority in fair competition4 ,the next possibility1 one far more nearly a probability1 ,i think1 than the somewhat ,utopian speculation in which ,i have just indulged1 is that after the war the world will have been deeply impressed by the tremendous activity of ,germany1 whether she be victor or vanquished4 ,what is the secret of her efficiency as manifested in the mobilization of her vast army1 in her use of science in new military devices1 in her holding of the elements of her national life together during the struggle1 in her keeping her industries going in the face of unprecedented difficulties--all to a degree never before dreamed of8 will be a general query4 ,other nations will study the ,german plan1 asking whether it is true1 as has been taught in ,america1 that that ,government is best which governs least4 ,it may be that this war will result1 entirely apart from the urgency of the labor problem which it will magnify1 and wholly on the grounds of general efficiency1 in a general inquiry as to whether or not the time has come for quasi-socialistic national developments4 ,i think it unlikely that the war will give impetus to that proletarian socialism which is founded on class consciousness and class struggle2 but it may urge forward a socialistic movement based upon the large and fruitful idea that the best hope for the future is offered by the most complete and highly organized co-operation of all elements1 all interests1 all agencies which in their combination make up national structures4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i am an optimist1 and ,i believe that this is about what will come after this war ends4 ,to put my theory in slightly different terms1 ,i believe that the conflict will greatly further the development of what perhaps may be called 'public socialism1' and ,i mean by that the highest attainable organization of whole peoples for the production of commodities1 the furtherance of enterprise1 and the promotion of the general well-being4 ,i think that when the world sobers up it will ask3 ',how did ,germany do it8' ,whether she wins or loses that must be the universal query1 for whether she wins or loses her achievement has been in many ways unprecedented4 ,there can be but one answer to this query3 ,she did it by an organization which brought together in efficient co-operation the individual1 the quasi-private corporation1 the public corporation1 and the ,government upon a scale never before seen4 ,the world is bound to take notice of this4 ,will ,fear ,loss of ,liberty4 ,i asked ,prof4 ,giddings to go beyond economics and to consider the war's probable results in their broader sociological aspects4 ,if what ,i have predicted happens1 he replied1 the democratic elements of society in all nations will become apprehensive of the loss of liberty4 ,they will fear that in the interests of efficiency the perfected social order will impose minute and unwelcome regulations upon individual life and effort1 and that a degree of coercive control will be established which will end by making individuals mere cogs in the machine1 diminishing their importance1 curtailing their usefulness and initiative far more than is done by the great industrial corporations against which the working classes already are protesting so loudly4 ,and not only the working people but a large proportion of all other classes will develop these fears1 especially in those nations which1 during the last century1 have built up popular sovereignty and democratic freedom1 as the terms are understood in ,england and ,america4 ,we shall hear the argument that the loss of individual initiative and personal self-reliance is too great a price to pay even for supreme efficiency and the maximum production of material comforts4 ,the problem which such a conflict of interests and opinions will present may be speculatively defined as that of trying to find a way to reconcile a maximum of efficiency organization with a maximum of individual freedom4 ,so stating it1 we have to recognize that this has been the biggest problem1 in fact the comprehensive problem1 that man1 has faced throughout human history1 and the one which1 really1 he has been trying to solve by the trial and error method in all his social experiments4 ,it is the sociological as distinguished from the merely economic problem4 ,human society exists because early in his career man discovered that mutual aid1 or team work1 is1 on the whole1 in the struggle for existence and the pursuit of happiness1 a more effective factor than physical strength or individual cleverness4 ,natural selection has acted not only upon individuals1 but1 in the large sense1 upon groups and aggregates of groups4 ,the restrictions upon individual life have developed in the interests of groups1 or collective efficiency4 ,on the other hand1 collective efficiency has no meaning1 it serves no purpose apart from the amelioration of individual life and the development of individual personality4 ,so long as groups fear one another and fight with one another the restrictions upon individual liberty must be extreme in the interests of the collective fighting efficiency of each group as a whole4 ,all the possibilities of personal development1 of individual freedom1 are involved in the larger possibilities of friendly relations between nation and nation4 ,already the co-operative instinct has so grown that if war and the fear of war could be eliminated1 mankind would have relatively little difficulty in working out ways and means of combining ,governmental action with individual initiative for purposes of economic production1 education1 the promotion of the public health1 and the administration of justice4 ,all those principles and rules which we call ,morality are1 in fact1 mere rules of the game of life4 ,we play the game or do not play it2 we are fair or unfair4 ,on the whole1 most of us try to be fair because it has been found that playing the game with a sense of fairness is the only way in which we can succeed in working together for common ends without the necessity of imposing upon ourselves coercive rules to hold our organization together for possible mass attack upon the end in view4 ,social life1 in this sense of playing the game fairly1 has made man the superior of the brutes he sprang from4 ,there is nothing mysterious or recondite about it4 ,in order to work together men must understand one another4 ,therefore1 natural selection has picked out the intelligent for survival in the social world2 and in order to work together intelligent men must depend on one another1 abiding by their covenants4 ,therefore1 again1 natural selection has picked out what we call ,morality for survival in the social world4 ,the whole further progress of mankind would seem to hang upon the possibility that we can find a way to limit and1 if possible1 to terminate wars between nations1 for only in that contingency can we hope to develop a social system in which a supreme efficiency with a maximum of individual liberty can be combined upon a working basis4 ,application of the ,facts4 ,these are incontrovertible facts1 and they find their application to the existing ,european situation in various ways1 the most important of which will appear in the discovery that1 valuable as conventions and covenants of nation with nation may be1 and intolerable as any violation of them surely is1 we cannot hope for general and unfailing observance of them until the feeling of mankind and the whole attitude of the world in respect to international as well as private conduct shall be that the covenants and conventions shall become1 in a degree1 unnecessary4 ,already it is apparent that the entire world1 including the peoples of the nations at war as well as the peoples of the nations remaining happily at peace1 have1 begun to think these thoughts and reflect upon their momentous importance4 ,shocked and stunned as never before by a calamity for which we find no measure in past human experience1 mankind is bound to take at this moment a more sober view1 a broader and more rational view1 of the problems of responsibility and collective conduct than it hitherto has been able even to attempt4 ,the world is sure to ask what things make for sobriety of judgment and integrity of purpose4 ,it is sure in future more carefully to weigh relative values1 and will be disposed to count as unimportant many things for which hitherto the armed men of nations have rushed into war4 ,in a word1 this war has made the whole world think as no one thing ever has made it think before1 and1 after all1 it is upon the habit of thought that we must depend for all rational progress4 ,other wars and other great events have fostered sentiment1 much of which has been hopeful and useful2 they have accomplished far-reaching economic changes1 many of them necessary4 ,but the reactions of this war will surely go beyond all previous experience4 ,they already are and must be1 in a far greater measure1 profoundly intellectual1 and one of the consequences of this fact inevitably will be the broadening and deepening of the democratic current4 ,when peace returns it will be seen that democracy has received a hitherto unimagined impetus4 ,then it will be understood that democracy1 in one of its most important aspects1 is popular thinking1 that it is the widest possible extension of the sense of responsibility4 ,a democratic world will be1 all in all1 a peace-loving world4 ,we may confidently expect far-reaching changes in the internal political organization of the nations now involved4 ,in every nation of ,europe the people are asking3 ,what1 after all1 is this conflict all about8 ,they will ask this many times1 and however they may answer it they will1 by consequence1 follow the question with another3 ,shall we go on fighting wars about the necessity1 expedience1 and righteousness of which we have not been consulted8 ,and to this query they will find only one answer--an emphatic negative4 ,sooner or later there will be a comprehensive political reorganization of ,europe1 and when its day comes the rearrangement will be along the lines of a republic rather than along the lines of any monarchy1 however liberal4 ,then international agreements will be unnecessary and there will be no treaties to be broken--no 'scraps of paper' to be disregarded4 ,apparently ,germany has been as successful in training her people to think accurately along economic lines as she has been in training them to work efficiently along such lines2 and that accurate thought undoubtedly is bearing startling fruit among the men today crouched in the trenches on the firing lines4 ,era of ,individual ,thought4 ,england1 on the other hand1 and ,france have encouraged the free and spontaneous life of democratic peoples4 ,france and ,england1 like the ,united ,states1 have been training their peoples to think efficiently of and to appreciate and use liberty and initiative4 ,and the men of these two nations are1 in turn1 exercising that ability as they crouch in their trenches4 ,in other words1 this war has precipitated an era of sober individual thought about the individual's rights and responsibilities4 ,it will everywhere bring about a wider political organization of mankind1 a greater freedom of trade and opportunity1 a more serious and thorough education1 a more earnest attention and devotion to the higher interests of life1 giving such thought preference above that overemphasis of material comforts which has been so marked a feature of recent human history4 ,all these things will make for peace2 and another and potent influence will be the exhaustion of the weakened nations which will follow the conflict4 ,because of that very weakness ,europe will turn its unanimous attention to the things of peace rather than to the things of war4 ,the new ,europe is being fashioned by those questioning men who now are lying in the trenches4 ,they are searching in the universe for answers to such inquiries as they never dreamed about before1 and the women1 worrying at home--they1 too1 are busy with a search for answers to hitherto undreamed-of questions4 ,they all are pondering great things for the first time4 ,their pondering will be fruitful4 ,today all ,europe fights1 but1 also1 today all ,europe thinks4 ,and1 thinking1 perhaps it may devise a better order1 so that it may not ever fight again4 ,illustration ,to ,americans ,leaving ,germany ,a ,,farewell ,,word4 ,,americans6 ,citizens of the ,united ,states6 ,in this earnest moment in which you are leaving the soil of ,germany and ,berlin1 take with you from ,german citizens1 from representatives of trade and industry1 who are proud to entertain friendly commercial relations with the ,united ,states1 a hearty farewell coupled with the desire of a speedy return4 ,together with this farewell we beg you to do us a favor4 ,as our guests1 whom we have always honored and protected1 we ask you to take this paper with you as a memorial and to circulate the same among your authorities1 press1 friends1 and acquaintances4 ,for1 we are well aware that the enemies of ,germany are at work to make you the instruments to lower ,germany's people and army in the face of the whole world in order to deceive foreign nations as to ,germany's policy and economical power4 ,we ask you1 as free citizens face to face with free citizens1 to circulate the real truth about ,germany among your people as compared to the lies of our enemies4 ,we beg you to take the following main points to heart3 #a4 ,the ,german ,emperor and the ,german ,nation wanted peace4 ,the cunning and breach of faith of our opponents have forced the sword into the hands of ,germany4 #b4 ,after war has been forced on us the ,german ,nation1 ,emperor1 and ,reichstag have granted everything in the most brilliant unanimity for the war4 ,no difference prevails in ,germany any longer1 no difference between party1 confession1 rank or position1 but we are a united nation and army4 #c4 ,our military organization and our mobilization has proceeded with splendid precision4 ,the mobilization was accomplished during the course of a few days4 ,in addition to those who are compelled to serve1 more than #a1bjj1jjj volunteers have offered their services4 ,all civil organizations1 from the head of industry and finance to the smallest man downward1 vie with each other in works of voluntary aid and welfare4 #d4 ,in the field ,german arms have had splendid successes in the first days of mobilization4 ,in the east the ,russian enemy has been driven from the ,german frontier1 in numerous small fights by our troops in conjunction with those of the ,austro-,hungarian monarchy4 ,by successful coup de mains our navy has been successful in damaging and alarming our ,russian opponent in her ,baltic naval ports4 ,the ,russian port of ,libau has been burned down and in ,russian ,poland revolution has already begun4 ,russian mobilization is a long way from being accomplished1 the troops are badly1 poorly nourished1 and many deserters sell their weapons and horses4 ,in the west the ,german ,army has gained imposing victories over ,belgium and ,france4 ,in ,belgium1 where the population unfortunately committed the most barbarous atrocities against peaceful ,germans before the war broke out1 comparatively weak ,german forces conquered the strong fortress of ,lige a few days after the mobilization1 inflicting severe damage on the enemy and opening up the way via ,belgium to ,france4 ,valuable victories have been obtained over ,france on the ,alsatian frontier toward the strong ,french fortress of ,belfort as well as in the direction of the fortress ,lunville4 ,at ,mlhausen one and a half ,french ,army divisions were overthrown and driven back over the frontier with heavy losses4 ,the strong and effective ,german fleet is on the watch against the ,english fleet4 ,england's risk is great in staking her reputation as the strongest naval power on one throw against the ,german fleet4 ,further1 ,england runs the danger that her large colonies1 such as ,india and ,egypt1 will seize a moment that has been long desired to revolt4 ,it is for the ,united ,states to utilize the present moment to frustrate by powerful initiative ,england's endeavors to keep down all nations1 including ,america1 in the trade and traffic of the world4 ,citizens of the ,united ,states6 ,take the conviction with you to your homes that ,germany will stake her last man and her last penny for victory4 ,germany must conquer and will conquer4 ,remember6 ,that after a successful victory ,germany will make new political and economical progress1 and that ,america1 as a shrewd businesslike ,state and as a friend of ,germany1 will participate in such progress4 ,today we beg you earnestly to convey to your fellow-citizens that the ,german ,nation1 as the safe refuge of civilization and culture1 has always protected the loyal citizens of its enemies in every manner in contrast to ,russia1 ,france1 and ,belgium4 ,by circulating this short memorial among your fellow-citizens you are likewise insuring that also in the future the ,united ,states will learn the truth about ,germany's battles and victories4 ,your friends here will always do the best in their power to supply you with genuine news4 ,we wish you a happy voyage toward your home1 so appreciated by all ,germans1 and hope to see you again in a victorious and prosperous ,germany4 ,,representatives ,,of ,,german ,,industry4 ,berlin1 ,aug4 #ac1 #aiad4 ,german ,declarations ,by ,rudolf ,eucken and ,ernst ,haeckel4 ,dr4 ,eucken is ,privy ,councilor and ,professor of ,philosophy in the ,university of ,jena2 won the ,nobel ,prize for ,literature in #aijh2 has received many foreign honorary degrees and his philosophy has been expounded in ,english4 ,ernst ,haeckel is ,privy ,councilor and late ,professor of ,zoology at the ,university of ,jena2 has written many works on evolution which have been translated into ,english4 ,the whole ,german world of letters is today filled with deep indignation and strong moral resentment at the present behavior of ,england4 ,both of us1 for many years bound to ,england by numerous scientific and personal ties1 believe ourselves prepared to give open expression to this inward revulsion4 ,in close co-operation with like-minded ,english investigators we have zealously exerted ourselves to bring the two great peoples closer together in spirit and to promote a mutual understanding4 ,a fruitful reciprocal interchange of ,english and ,german culture seemed to us worth while1 indeed necessary1 for the spiritual advance of mankind1 which today confronts such great problems4 ,gratefully we recall in this connection the friendly reception which our efforts received in ,england4 ,so great and noble were the traits of ,english character which revealed themselves to us that we were permitted to hope that in their sure growth they would come to be superior to the pitfalls and seamy sides of this character4 ,and now they have proved inferior1 inferior to the old evil of a brutal national egotism which recognizes no rights on the part of others1 which1 unconcerned about morality or unmorality1 pursues only its own advantage4 ,history furnishes in abundance examples of such an unscrupulous egotism2 we need recall here only the destruction of the ,danish fleet 7#ahjg7 and the theft of the ,dutch colonies in the ,napoleonic wars4 ,but what is taking place today is the worst of all2 it will be forever pointed at in the annals of world history as ,england's indelible shame4 ,england fights in behalf of a ,slavic1 half-,asiatic power against ,germanism2 she fights on the side not only of barbarism but also of moral injustice1 for it is indeed not forgotten that ,russia began the war because she would permit no radical reparation for a shameful murder4 ,it is ,england whose fault has extended the present war into a world war1 and has thereby endangered our joint culture4 ,and all this for what reason8 ,because she was jealous of ,germany's greatness1 because she wanted to hinder at any price a further growth of this greatness4 ,for there cannot be the least doubt on this point that ,england was determined in advance to cast as many obstacles as possible in the way of ,germany's great struggle for national existence1 and to hinder her as much as possible in the full development of her powers4 ,she 7,england7 was watching only for a favorable opportunity when she could break out suddenly against ,germany1 and she therefore promptly seized on the necessary ,german invasion of ,belgium in order that she might cover with a small cloak of decency her brutal national egotism4 ,or is there in the whole wide world any one so simple as to believe that ,england would have declared war on ,france also if the latter had invaded ,belgium8 ,in that event she would have wept hypocritical tears over the unavoidable violation of international law2 but as for the rest she would have laughed in her sleeve with great satisfaction4 ,this hypocritical ,pharisaism is the most repugnant feature of the whole matter2 it deserves nothing but contempt4 ,the history of the world shows that such sentiments lead the nations not upward but downward4 ,for the present1 however1 we trust firmly in our just cause1 in the superior strength and the unyielding victorious spirit of the ,german people4 ,yet we must at the same time lament deeply that the boundless egotism we have referred to has disturbed for an immeasurable period of time the spiritual co-operation of the two peoples which promised so much good for the development of mankind4 ,but they wished it so on their side--on ,england alone falls the monstrous guilt and the historical responsibility4 ,,rudolf ,,eucken4 ,,ernst ,,haeckel4 ,jena1 ,aug4 #ah1 #aiad4 ,a ,second ,appeal ,to the ,universities of ,america3 ,in a time when half of the world falls upon ,germany full of hatred and envy1 we ,germans derive great benefit from the idea of our being sure of the friendly feeling of the ,american universities4 ,if from any quarter in the world1 it must be from them that we expect the right comprehension of the present situation and present attitude of ,germany4 ,numerous ,american scholars who received their scientific training at our universities have convinced themselves of the quality and the peaceful tendency of ,german work1 the exchange of scientists has proved of deepening influence on the mutual understanding1 the lasting intercourse of scholarly research gives us the feeling of being members of one great community4 ,this is why we entertain the hope that the scientific circles of ,america will not give credit to the libels our enemies propagate against us4 ,these libels1 above all1 accuse ,germany of having brought about the present war1 she being responsible for the monstrous struggle which is extending more and more over the whole world4 ,the truth points to the contrary4 ,our foes have disturbed us in our peaceful work1 forcing the war upon us very much against our desire4 ,we are at a righteous war for the preservation of our existence and at the same time of sacred goods of humanity4 ,the murder of ,serajevo was not our work2 it was the outcome of a widely extending conspiracy pointing back to ,servia1 where for many years already a passionate agitation against ,austria had been carried on1 supported by ,russia4 ,it was ,russia1 therefore1 that took the assassins under her wings1 and some weeks already before the war broke out she promised her assistance to that blood-stained ,state4 ,nobody but ,russia has given the dangerous turn to the conflict2 nobody but ,russia is to blame for the outbreak of the war4 ,the ,german ,emperor1 who has proved his love of peace by a peaceful reign of more than twenty-five years1 in face of the imminent danger1 tried to intermediate between ,austria and ,russia with the greatest zeal1 but while he was negotiating with the ,czar ,russia was busy with the mobilization of a large army toward the ,german frontier4 ,this necessitated an open and decisive inquiry that led to the war4 ,this only happened because ,russia wanted it so1 because she wanted to raise the ,muscovites against the ,germans and the ,western ,slavs and to lead ,asia into the field against ,europe4 ,france1 too1 might have kept the peace1 the decision resting solely with her4 ,the security of ,germany demanded that she should inquire what ,france would do in the impending war2 the answer of ,france unmistakably betrayed her intention to join in the war4 ,as a matter of fact1 it was not ,germany but ,france who commenced the war4 ,england already before the war stood in close relations to ,france4 ,from the very beginning she has clearly shown that she by no means wanted to keep absolutely neutral4 ,from the very beginning she made endeavors to protect ,france against ,germany4 ,undoubtedly the ,german invasion in ,belgium served ,england as a welcome pretext to openly declare her hostility4 ,in reality1 before the ,german invasion1 already the neutrality of ,belgium had been given up in favor of the ,french4 ,it has been officially stated1 e4g41 that not only before but also after the outbreak of the war ,french officers have been at ,lige in order to instruct the ,belgian soldiers as to the fortification service4 ,england's complaints of the violation of international law1 however1 are the most atrocious hypocrisy and the vilest ,pharisaism4 ,at all times ,english politics have unscrupulously disregarded all forms of law as soon as their own interest was touched4 ,during the last few weeks the same method has been quite sufficiently manifested in the unlawful capture of the ,turkish warships1 and still more so in the instigation of the ,japanese to undertake the detestable raid upon the ,german territory in ,china1 which needs must end in strengthening the power of that ,mongolian nation at the costs of ,europeans and ,americans4 ,how it is possible for a nation that in such a way has betrayed precious interests of ,western culture as soon as it seems to benefit them1 how is it possible for these accomplices of the ,japanese robbery to put on the air of being the guardians of morality8 ,we ,germans did not want this war1 but as it has been forced upon us we shall carry it on bravely and vigorously4 ,in the face of all envy and hatred1 all brutality and hypocrisy1 ,germany feels unshakably conscious of serving a righteous cause and of standing up for the preservation of her national self as well as for sacred goods of humanity2 indeed1 for the very progress of true culture4 ,it is from this conviction that she draws her unrelenting force and the absolute certainty that she will beat back the assault of all her enemies4 ,this conviction does not stand in need of any encouragement from abroad2 our country absolutely relies upon itself and confides in the strength of its right4 ,nevertheless1 the idea of our ,american friends' thoughts and sympathies being with us gives us a strong feeling of comfort in this gigantic struggle4 ,we both of us feel especially justified in pronouncing this as being the conviction of all ,german scientists1 as so many scientific and personal relations connect us both with the universities of ,america4 ,these universities know what ,german culture means to the world1 so we trust they will stand by ,germany4 ,,rudolf ,,eucken4 ,,ernst ,,haeckel4 ,jena1 ,aug4 #ca1 #aiad4 ,the ,eucken and ,haeckel ,charges ,by ,john ,warbeke4 ,professor of ,philosophy and ,psychology at ,mount ,holyoke ,college4 ,a ,letter to the ,springfield ,republican4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,springfield ,republican3 ,the approval of ,president ,wilson for neutrality of language can hardly be construed into complacency in the face of monstrous evil4 ,if a judicial attitude of mind be not jeopardized a discussion of the issues raised by ,profs4 ,eucken and ,haeckel ought to help us in the attainment of impartial judgment4 ,a long acquaintance with both these men makes it hard for the present writer to give expression to such negative criticism as he is constrained to do4 ,but his plea can be only this3 ,not truth but only passion can separate1 and truth is greater even than friendship4 ,the charge of brutal national egoism is laid at ,england's door4 ,she is declared to be the instigator of the present world war4 ,upon her alone falls the monstrous guilt and the judgment of history4 ,such language from two benevolent philosophers1 one of them a winner of the ,nobel ,peace ,prize for ,idealistic ,literature1 seems to suggest a lack of information among the ,german people1 including its most enlightened exponents1 of not only their own published ,white ,paper dispatches1 but also of the events of the last two months4 ,it seems hardly possible that in the case of these two gentlemen a deliberate campaign of vituperation could have been inaugurated with determination to blind themselves to facts clearly stated in the reports of both contending parties-- ,first--,that ,servia1 in reply to ten urgent demands on the part of ,austria1 acquiesced in nine and proposed to submit the tenth1 as concerning her national integrity1 to ,the ,hague ,tribunal4 ,austria1 nevertheless1 declared war1 with ,germany's self-confessed assurances of support4 ,secondly--,germany was the second to declare war1 the mobilization of ,russia being assigned as the reason for this step4 ,the objection of ,germany's initial campaign1 as shown by events1 was not defense against the confessedly slowly mobilizing ,russians1 however1 but the humiliation and subjugation of ,france4 ,and the means employed to that end included the treaty-breaking invasion1 and more than invasion1 of ,belgium1 who is suffering because of this step so necessary for ,germany4 ,thirdly--,england1 as is repeatedly demonstrated by the official documents1 of both sides1 strained every means to bring about a common understanding4 ,the appeals of ,sir ,edward ,grey for more time in the ,servian ultimatum and for a council of ,ambassadors were met by the ,austrian and ,german ,governments respectively with evasion4 ,and ,england was the last of the great powers to enter the conflict1 her plea being the moral obligation of supporting treaties in which she guaranteed the integrity of a weak neighbor and undertook to defend her ally1 ,france1 when attacked4 ,the ,case of ,england4 ,we may justifiably ask1 then1 ,what basis is there for the charge that ,england's brutal1 national egoism provoked the world war8 ,the answer is a two-fold one4 ,historically1 ,england has exhibited aggression in the extension of her interests2 morally1 ,england supports the ,russian aggressor1 who declined to allow ,austria the thoroughgoing punishment of an ignominious murder1 cloaking her real intentions behind the mantle of a contemptible sanctimoniousness and hypocrisy concerning treaty obligations4 ,the first charge against ,england is unfortunately true4 ,history records instances of ,british aggression in the extension of her interests and the cases cited 7destruction of the ,danish fleet and the taking of ,dutch colonies7 are good examples4 ,the implication1 however1 involved in the statement is that such aggression is not to be found in the history of ,prussia4 ,this is clearly an error4 ,from the time of the ,markgrafen even unto the ,agadir incident it has been characteristic of ,prussia to extend her boundaries and interests under the plea of military necessity4 ,aggression is the only word to characterize ,frederick's seizure of ,silesia and part of ,poland4 ,south and ,east ,prussia were added by the same forcible means 7#agic-agie74 ,in the ,napoleonic wars ,swedish ,pomerania fell as the booty of military necessity4 ,schleswig-,holstein was filched from ,denmark 7#ahff7 by the same extension of her greatness4 ,once more it was the plea in ,alsace-,lorraine--so necessary for ,germany4 ,nor are we here urging immunity of criticism for ourselves4 ,it is sadly true that the history of many nominally ,christian ,states1 including that of the ,united ,states1 and not excluding the ,papacy1 includes chapters of aggression4 ,but the point involved1 namely1 the charge of ,england's aggression in the present instance1 is clearly an a priori one1 based on a presupposition of monopoly which lacks material support4 ,no evidence is presented to justify the statement1 nor do the facts seem to allow of any such construction4 ,the second argument1 ,england's support of ,russia's unwillingness to permit the expiation of an ignominious murder1 is a strange and unfortunate commentary on how even in philosophic minds a preconceived idea will distort the most unmistakable evidence4 ,for ,servia in her reply to the ,austrian demands agreed to have just punishment inflicted upon the murderers1 even going so far as to cause the arrest of those perhaps unjustly suspected by the ,austrian committee and to suggest an international court4 ,how1 then1 did ,russia stand in the way of the punishment8 ,austria declared war1 with the self-confessed assurances of ,german support1 all too obviously for reasons other than the ones mentioned in the ultimatum to which ,servia acquiesced4 ,the charge of ,russian mobilization in view of such a situation suggests the temper of the man who1 when caught in his own bear trap1 tries to find his neighbor at fault4 ,suppose ,germany had remained on the defensive1 would war have been likely8 ,suppose ,germany had not backed up the entirely unjustifiable military movement of ,austria1 would the general war have been probable8 ,where ,nietzsche ,comes ,in4 ,it seems more likely when one passes in review the extant data that at least one and a crucial cause for the present situation is the overwhelming power and unbending will to victory in the ,german people when confronted with an opportunity for the further expansion of their greatness4 ,that such phrases should be in the mouths of our apologists for the war is significant4 ,and that the invasion of ,belgium so necessary for the ,germans is treated by the spokesmen of morality solely and confessedly from the standpoint of military expediency seems to indicate the permeation of the ,nietzsche superman into the very stronghold of idealistic philosophy4 ,it would1 of course1 be as absurd to suppose ,nietzsche a direct cause of this war as it would be to regard the ,serajevo murderers as the sole cause4 ,nietzsche was and is an exponent of his time1 as well as one reciprocally fostering such movements as ,bernhardi militarism and the ,crown ,prince's war book4 ,perhaps it will not be inappropriate here to cite from ,war and the ,people of ,war1 in ,also ,sprach ,zarathustra1 7,pages #fg-fh17 the magnum opus of ,nietzsche3 ,you should love peace as a means to new war and brief peace more than a long one4 ,do you say1 ,it is a good cause by which a war is hallowed8 ,i say unto you1 ,it is a good war which hallows every cause4 ,war and courage have done greater things than the love of one's neighbor4 ,what1 then1 is good8 you ask4 ,to be brave is good4 ,let young maidens say1 ,good is to be pretty and touching4 ,but you are hateful8 ,well1 so be it1 my brethren6 ,cast about you a mantle of the sublimely hateful4 ,and when your soul has become great it will become wanton2 in your greatness there will be malice1 ,i know1 and in malice the proud heart will meet the weakling4 ,this1 we are told1 is not to be taken literally--all is symbolism and has a meaning other than the more direct one4 ,but the fact remains1 as can be testified by the present writer from three years' residence as a university student in ,germany1 that the rank and file as well as the aristocracy--from laborers and small shopkeepers1 petty officials1 and students to ,judges of the ,supreme ,court and university professors who have become secret councilors 7,geheimrat7--not only in ,berlin and ,bonn but in ,munich and ,heidelberg1 all have become ominously full of the doctrine of the survival of the fittest and the consequent expediency of power1 not only in intellectual rivalry but in ,krupps and high explosives4 ,the ,nietzsche fire may1 perhaps1 serve a purpose on the hearthstone of our inmost life if it be to rescue us from complacency and secure inanity1 but in the form of electrically connected lyddite stores and gasoline bombs it drives those who believe in a supernation to a literal interpretation of the above widely popular philosophy4 ,and1 as demonstrated at ,louvain and ,rheims1 it goes far to obliterate the memorials of a past which ,nietzsche thought so contemptible a check upon the prowess of the blonde ,bestie as he progressed toward--toward the superman4 ,it was wide of the mark1 therefore1 to attribute that which bears the stamp made in ,germany to ,england4 ,bernhardi and the ,crown ,prince with their thousands of officers and the multitudes in the ranks to whom ,nietzsche has become an inspiring motive are not to be construed as ,english surely4 ,nor does the ,english culture1 so far as the present writer is informed1 contain a superman1 unless it be ,bernard ,shaw6 ,english people have to import beyond good and evil philosophy1 and as historians of thought ,profs4 ,eucken and ,haeckel must know that it has never had a foothold there4 ,had it been brutal national egoism1 knowing no rights of others1 which motivated ,britain1 she would not now have gone to war--in order that she might profit finally by the inevitable exhaustion of the ,continent4 ,and having taken the clear stand she has1 what but good-will and the consciousness of a just cause brought support and sacrifice from the hands and lives of her grateful peoples all over the earth8 ,would brutality have done it8 ,the same question might be asked concerning ,france's empire from which she derives chiefly the consciousness of an extending civilization4 ,the ,claims of ,german ,culture4 ,a word more should be added concerning the condescending tone generally of the exponents of ,german culture and more specifically that of the distinguished writers of the circular letter4 ,they had up to the present continued to hope for growth in ,english literary and scientific development4 ,before this dismal egoism got the upper hand the ,english people really and truly possessed some noble traits and so forth4 ,as for ,russian culture1 supposedly including its science and literature1 music1 architecture and the rest1 it is all effaced by a single barbarism6 ,the implication of such an attitude and such words is that the ,kremlin or ,rheims1 ,shakespeare and ,rembrandt1 ,michaelangelo1 ,darwin1 ,spinoza and the treasures of ,louvain might be easily paralleled or surpassed by ,german cathedrals1 ,german sculpture1 ,german paintings1 ,german literature and so forth4 ,it is not our present purpose to dispute the claim1 but only to remind the ,teutons that in ,france and ,belgium they have declared war1 not indeed upon supermen1 but upon many gentlemen and some worthy fruits of their spirits1 and that they have destroyed much which formerly enriched the life of the world4 ,it is the claim of some objective ,german writers that a modicum of modesty would prove the most substantial contribution to ,teutonic civilization4 ,defeat of ,german arms might1 therefore1 prove a blessing to the self-lauded culture as well as call a halt to the brutal science of ,krupps4 ,as instances of authors mentioned above1 a passage from the lamented ,friedrich ,paulsen's ,system der ,ethic 7,page #ehb7 may1 justly1 be cited3 ,insolence still continues to impress the average ,german4 ,the spirit of ,english scientific intercourse forms a highly pleasing contrast to the ,german habit4 ,take such writers as ,mill and ,darwin2 they speak to the reader as though he did them a favor by listening to them1 and whenever they enter upon a controversy1 they do it in a manner which expresses respect and a desire for mutual understanding4 ,the ,german scholar believes that it will detract from the respect due him if he does not assume a tone of condescension or overbearing censure4 ,examine the first scientific journal you may happen to pick up2 even the smallest anonymous announcement breathes the air of infinite superiority4 ,a second passage is quoted from the great work of ,wilhelm ,scherer1 ,geschichte der ,deutschen ,litteratur 7,pages #bj-ba73 ,recklessness seems to be the curse of our spiritual development 444 obstinacy in good and in evil4 ,beauty we have not often served1 nor long at a time4 ,these are1 of course1 not the judgments of the present writer4 ,conviction does not flow from the argument concerning ,england's brutal egoism and reckless immorality under the cloak of sanctimoniousness2 nor is there strength in the appeal for ,teuton culture4 ,all has the tone of special pleading and makes doubly significant a sentence from ,nietzsche when he pleads for an overcoming of our ideals of veracity3 ',i have done this thing1' says my memory1 ',i could not have done this thing1' says my pride and remains inexorable4 ,finally memory yields4 7,beyond ,good and ,evil1 ,page #id47 ,,john ,,warbeke4 ,mount ,holyoke ,college1 ,south ,hadley1 ,sept4 #bc1 #aiad4 ,illustration3 ,,brander ,,matthews 7,photo by ,brown ,bros47 ,see ,page #eda ,illustration3 ,,newell ,,dwight ,,hill ,see ,page #egc ,concerning ,german ,culture ,by ,brander ,matthews4 ,professor of ,dramatic ,literature at ,columbia ,university2 author of many works on literature and the development of the drama4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,in the earnest and sincere appeals of various distinguished ,germans1 ,prof4 ,eucken1 ,prof4 ,haeckel1 and the several authors of ,the ,truth ,about ,germany1 we find frequent references to ,german culture as though it was of a superior quality to the culture of every other nationality2 and we seem to perceive also a sustaining belief that ,germany is not only the defender of civilization1 but its foremost exponent4 ,we have no right to question the good faith of scholars of the high character of ,eucken and ,haeckel2 and we cannot doubt their being honestly possessed of the conviction that ,germany is the supreme example of a highly civilized ,state and the undisputed leader in the arts and sciences which represent culture4 ,it is plain that these ,german writers take this for granted and that they would be indignantly surprised if it should be questioned4 ,to an ,american who feels himself a sharer of the noble heritage of ,english literature1 and who has sat for more than forty years at the feet of the masters of ,french literature1 this claim cannot but come as a startling surprise4 ,the most obvious characteristic of a highly civilized man is his willingness to keep his word1 at whatever cost to himself4 ,for reasons satisfactory to itself1 ,germany broke its pledge to respect the neutrality of ,luxemburg and of ,belgium4 ,it is another characteristic of civilization to cherish the works of art which have been bequeathed to us by the past4 ,for reasons satisfactory to itself ,germany destroyed ,louvain1 more or less completely4 ,it is a final characteristic of civilized man to be humane and to refrain from ill-treating the blameless4 ,for reasons satisfactory to itself ,germany dropped bombs in the unbesieged ,city of ,antwerp and caused the death of innocent women and children4 ,here are three instances where ,german culture has been tested and found wanting4 ,the ,standard ,bearer of ,culture4 ,but it may be urged that war has its own exigencies and that these three instances of uncivilized conduct partook of the nature of military necessities4 ,turning from the outrages of war to the triumphs of peace1 let us make a disinterested attempt to find out just what foundation there may be for the implicit assertion that ,germany is the standard bearer of civilization4 ,perhaps it is too petty to point out that manners are the outward and visible sign of civilization1 and that in this respect the ,germans have not yet attained to the standard set by the ,french and the ,english4 ,but it is not insignificant to record that the ,germans alone retain a barbaric mediaeval alphabet1 while the rest of ,western ,europe has adopted the more legible and more graceful ,roman letter2 and it is not unimportant to note that ,german press style is cumbrous and uncouth4 ,taken collectively1 these things seem to show ,german culture is a little lacking in the social instinct1 the desire to make things easy and pleasant for others4 ,it is this social instinct which is the dominating influence in ,french civilization and which has given to ,french civilization its incomparable urbanity and amenity4 ,it is to the absence of this social instinct1 to the inability to understand the attitude of other parties to a discussion1 to the unwillingness to appreciate their point of view1 that we may ascribe the failure of ,german diplomacy1 a failure which has left her almost without a friend in her hour of need4 ,and success in diplomacy is one of the supreme tests of civilization4 ,the claim asserted explicity or implicitly in behalf of ,german culture seems to be based on the belief that the ,germans are leaders in the arts and in the sciences4 ,so far as the art of war is concerned there is no need today to dispute the ,german claim4 ,it is to the preparation for war that ,prussia has devoted its utmost energy for half a century--in fact1 ever since ,bismarck began to make ready for the seizing of unwilling ,schleswig-,holstein4 ,and so far as the art of music is concerned there is also no need to cavil4 ,but what about the other and more purely intellectual arts8 ,how many are the contemporary painters and sculptors and architects of ,germany who have succeeded in winning the cosmopolitan reputation which has been the reward of a score of the artists of ,france and of half a dozen of the artists of ,america8 ,since ,goethe1 ,who8 ,when we consider the art of letters we find a similar condition4 ,germany has had philosophers and historians of high rank2 but in pure literature1 in what used to be called belles-lettres1 from the death of ,goethe in #ahcb to the advent of the younger generation of dramatists1 ,sudermann and ,hauptmann and the rest1 in the final decade of the nineteenth century--that is to say1 for a period of nearly sixty years--only one ,german author succeeded in winning a worldwide celebrity--and ,heine was a ,hebrew1 who died in ,paris1 out of favor with his countrymen1 perhaps because he had been unceasing in calling attention to the deficiencies of ,german culture4 ,there were in ,germany many writers who appealed strongly to their fellow-countrymen1 but except only the solitary ,heine no ,german writer attained to the international fame achieved by ,cooper and by ,poe1 by ,walt ,whitman and by ,mark ,twain4 ,and it was during these threescore years of literary aridity in ,germany that there was a superb literary fecundity in ,great ,britain and in ,france1 and that each of these countries produced at least a score of authors whose names are known throughout the world4 ,even sparsely settled ,scandinavia brought forth a triumvirate1 ,bjrnsen1 ,ibsen1 and ,brandes1 without compeers in ,germany4 ,and from ,russia the fame of ,turgenef and of ,tolstoy spread abroad a knowledge of the heart and mind of a great people who are denounced by ,germans as barbarous4 ,it is probably in the field of science1 pure and applied1 that the defenders of the supremacy of ,german culture would take their last stand4 ,that the ,german contribution to science has been important is indisputable2 yet it is equally indisputable that the two dominating scientific leaders of the second half of the nineteenth century are ,darwin and ,pasteur4 ,it is in chemistry that the ,germans have been pioneers2 yet the greatest of modern chemists is ,mendeleef4 ,it was ,hertz who made the discovery which is the foundation of ,marconi's invention2 but although not a few valuable discoveries are to be credited to the ,germans1 perhaps almost as many as to either the ,french or the ,british1 the ,german contribution in the field of invention1 in the practical application of scientific discovery1 has been less than that of ,france1 less than that of ,great ,britain1 and less than that of the ,united ,states4 ,the ,germans contributed little or nothing to the development of the railroad1 the steamboat1 the automobile1 the aeroplane1 the telegraph1 the telephone1 the phonograph1 the photograph1 the moving picture1 the electric light1 the sewing machine1 and the reaper and binder4 ,even those dread instruments of war1 the revolver and the machine gun1 the turreted ship1 the torpedo1 and the submarine1 are not due to the military ardor of the ,germans4 ,it would seem as though the ,germans had been lacking in the inventiveness which is so marked a feature of our modern civilization4 ,in this inquiry there has been no desire to deny the value of the ,german contributions to the arts and to the sciences4 ,these contributions are known to all2 they speak for themselves2 they redound to the honor of ,german culture2 and for them1 whatever may be their number1 the other nations of the world are eternally indebted to ,germany4 ,but these ,german contributions are neither important enough nor numerous enough to justify the assumption that ,german culture is superior or that ,germany is entitled to think herself the supreme leader of the arts and of the sciences4 ,no one nation can claim this lofty position1 although few would be so bold as to deny the superior achievement of the ,french in the fine arts and of the ,english in pure science4 ,nations are never accepted by other nations at their own valuation2 and the ,germans need not be surprised that we are now astonished to find them asserting their natural self-appreciation1 with the apparent expectation that it will pass unchallenged4 ,the world owes a debt to modern ,germany beyond all question1 but this is far less than the debt owed to ,england and to ,france4 ,it would be interesting if some ,german1 speaking with authority1 should now be moved to explain to us ,americans the reasons which underlie the insistent assertion of the superiority of ,german civilization4 ,within the past few weeks we have been forced to gaze at certain of the less pleasant aspects of the ,german character2 and we have been made to see that the militarism of the ,germans is in absolute contradiction to the preaching and to the practice of the great ,goethe1 to whom they proudly point as the ultimate representative of ,german culture4 ,,brander ,,matthews4 ,columbia ,university in the ,city of ,new ,york1 ,sept4 #ah1 #aiad4 ,culture vs4 ,kultur ,by ,frank ,jewett ,mather1 ,jr4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,current discussion of the worth of ,german culture has been almost hopelessly clouded by the fact that when a ,german speaks of ,kultur he means an entirely different thing from what a ,latin or ,briton means by culture4 ,kultur means the organized efficiency of a nation in the broadest sense--its successful achievement in civil and military administration1 industry1 commerce1 finance1 and in a quite secondary way in scholarship1 letters1 and art4 ,kultur applies to a nation as a whole1 implying an enlightened ,government to which the individual is strictly subordinated4 ,thus ,kultur is an attribute not of individuals--whose particular interests1 on the contrary1 must often be sacrificed to it--but of nations4 ,culture1 for which nearest ,german equivalent is ,bildung1 is the opposite of all this4 ,it is an attribute not of nations as a whole but of accomplished individuals4 ,it acquires national import only through the approval and admiration of these individuals by the rest1 who share but slightly in the culture they applaud4 ,the aim of culture is the enlightened and humane individual1 conversant with the best values of the past and sensitive to the best values of the present4 ,the open-mindedness and imagination implied in culture are potentially destructive to a highly organized national ,kultur4 ,a cultured leader is generally too much alive to the point of view of his rival to be a wholly convinced partisan4 ,hence he lacks the intensity1 drive1 and narrowness that make for competitive success4 ,he keeps his place in the sun not by masterfully overriding others1 but by a series of delicate compromises which reconcile the apparently conflicting claims4 ,moreover1 he has too great a respect for the differences between men's gifts to formulate any rigid plan which1 requires for its execution a strictly regimented humanity4 ,he will sacrifice a little efficiency that life may be more various1 rich1 and delightful4 ,hence nations with cultured leaders have generally been beaten by those whose leaders had merely ,kultur4 ,the ,spartans and ,macedonians had abundant ,kultur2 they generally beat the ,athenians1 who had merely very high culture4 ,the ,romans had ,kultur1 and the ,hellenistic world wore their yoke4 ,germany unquestionably has admirable ,kultur1 and none of the mere cultured nations who are leagued against her could hope to beat her singly4 ,she ,does ,not ,desire ,culture4 ,on the other hand1 ,germany has singularly little culture1 has less than she had a hundred years ago1 does not apparently desire it4 ,she has willingly sacrificed the culture of a few leading individuals to the ,kultur of the empire as a whole4 ,thus it is not surprising that ,germany1 as measured by the production of cultured individuals1 takes a very low place today4 ,not only ,france and ,england1 ,italy and ,spain1 but also ,russia and ,america1 may fairly claim a higher degree of culture4 ,here the fetich of ,german scholarship should not deceive us4 ,culture--a balanced and humanized state of mind--is only remotely connected with scholarship or even with education4 ,a ,spanish peasant or an ,italian waiter may have finer culture than a ,german university professor4 ,and in the field of scholarship1 ,germany is in the main chiefly laborious1 accurate1 and small-minded4 ,her scholarship is related not to culture1 but is a minor expression of ,kultur4 ,such scholarly men of letters as ,darwin1 ,huxley1 ,renan1 ,taine1 ,boissier1 ,gaston ,paris1 ,menendez y ,pelayo1 ,francis ,j4 ,child1 ,germany used to produce in the days of the ,grimms and ,schlegels4 ,she rarely does so now4 ,her culture has been swallowed up in her ,kultur4 ,the claim of ,germany to realize her ,kultur at the expense of her neighbors is at first sight plausible4 ,her ,kultur is unquestionably higher than theirs4 ,she has a sharply realized idea of the ,state1 and she has justified it largely in practice4 ,in a certain patience1 thoroughness1 and perfection of political organization her pre-eminence is unquestionable4 ,the tone of her apologists shows amazement and indignation over the fact that the world1 so far from welcoming the extension of ,german ,kultur1 is actively hostile to that ambition4 ,yet1 even if it be conceded that ,germany's ,kultur is wholly good for herself--surely a debatable proposition--it does not follow that it is or would be a universal benefit4 ,nations may deliberately and legitimately prefer their culture1 with its admitted disadvantages1 to the ,kultur which pleases ,germany4 ,england is often mocked for the way in which she muddles through successive perils1 yet she may feel that the stereotyping of her people in a rigid administrative frame might be too high a price to pay for constant preparedness4 ,as for us ,americans1 we have made a virtue1 perhaps overdone it1 of avoiding a mechanical ,kultur4 ,we prefer the greatest freedom for the individual to the perfectly regimented state4 ,we will move toward culture and cheerfully assume the necessary risks of the process4 ,unlovely and ,impressive4 ,in a broader view1 the war may be regarded as a contest between the metallic1 half-mechanical ,kultur of ,prussianized ,germany and the more flexible civilizations of ,states that have inherited culture or aspire to it4 ,germany herself has rejected the humane and somewhat hazardous ideal of culture1 so she cannot wonder or complain when she sees that the culture of the world is almost unanimously hostile to her4 ,there is no quarrel with ,german ,kultur itself2 merely a feeling that it has its drawbacks1 that it is1 on the whole1 as unlovely as it is impressive1 that there is quite enough of it in the world already1 and that its broad extension would be disastrous4 ,meanwhile the nations of culture have much to learn from ,germany's ,kultur4 ,flexibility may mean weakness4 ,the ,united ,states1 for example1 could well have a standing army and an army reserve commensurate with its history and prospects without incurring any danger of militarism4 ,there is1 finally1 some disadvantage in being merely a culture nation1 for such a nation can add a large measure of ,kultur without belying itself4 ,on the contrary1 so highly developed a ,kultur nation as the ,german ,empire puts itself in a position where it is almost impossible to acquire any considerable degree of culture4 ,culture is the enemy of such a state--it must remain in the ,spartan or ,macedonian stage4 ,rome began to decline as soon as ,hellenistic culture got the ascendency over the old ,latin ,kultur4 ,kultur1 in short1 galvanizes2 culture liberates4 ,a survey of modern ,germany hardly warrants a desire for her world dominion4 ,if any reader is still unclear about the distinction between culture and ,kultur1 let him examine his most-gifted friends as to their sympathies in the present war1 choosing1 of course1 persons who have no racial reasons for taking sides4 ,almost without exception he will find they fall into two sharply defined classes4 ,the mental characteristics of his pro-,german friends will pretty certainly illustrate ,kultur quite concretely1 while he may read the meaning of culture in his more-gifted friends who favor the ,allies4 ,,frank ,,jewett ,,mather1 ,jr4 ,princeton1 ,nov4 #f1 #aiad4 ,the ,trespass in ,belgium ,by ,john ,grier ,hibben4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,some time ago ,i received with many others an appeal ,to the ,civilized ,world6 from certain distinguished representatives of ,german science and art4 ,i at once wrote to ,prof4 ,eucken1 whom ,i know1 and who is one of the signers of this document4 ,i wished to draw his attention particularly to the second statement of this appeal1 which is as follows3 ,it is not true that we trespassed in neutral ,belgium4 ,it has been proved that ,france and ,england had resolved on such a trespass1 and it has likewise been proved that ,belgium had agreed to their doing so1 and ,i stated to him that ,it is naturally to be expected of a group of scholars that where reference is made to proof1 some citation should be given both of the sources of the proof and of its nature4 ,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 made4 ,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 assertions4 ,in your appeal1 however1 the most important statement by far which you make1 and the one bearing most intimately upon the honor and integrity of your nation1 is left without even the attempt to support it1 save the bare assertion by you and your colleagues4 ,in the interests of a fair understanding of ,germany's position1 ,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 situation4 ,at the time of writing ,prof4 ,eucken1 ,i also wrote to a friend of mine1 ,dr4 ,a4,e4 ,shipley1 the ,master of ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge1 ,england1 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 trespass1 and it has likewise been proved that ,belgium had agreed to their doing so4 ,i have just received a letter from ,mr4 ,shipley1 stating that ,lord ,haldane had prepared a statement in answer to this question4 ,thinking that your readers would be interested in seeing this1 ,i am sending it to you4 ,faithfully yours1 ,,john ,,grier ,,hibben4 ,princeton1 ,n4,j41 ,nov4 #bd1 #aiad4 99 99 99 99 99 7,inclosure from ,lord ,haldane to the ,master of ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge47 #aj ,downing ,st41 ,whitehall1 ,s4,w41 ,nov4 #ad4 ,dear ,master of ,christ's3 ,the inclosed memoranda have been specially prepared for me by the ,foreign ,office in answer to your question4 ,yours truly1 ,,haldane4 99 99 99 99 99 7,,memorandum47 ,it is quite untrue that the ,british ,government had ever arranged with ,belgium to trespass on her country in case of war1 or that ,belgium had agreed to this4 ,the strategic dispositions of ,germany1 especially as regards railways1 have for some years given rise to the apprehension that ,germany would attack ,france through ,belgium4 ,whatever military discussions have taken place before this war have been limited entirely to the suggestion of what could be done to defend ,france if ,germany attacked her through ,belgium4 ,the ,germans have stated that we contemplated sending troops to ,belgium4 ,we had never committed ourselves at all to the sending of troops to the ,continent1 and we had never contemplated the possibility of sending troops to ,belgium to attack ,germany4 ,the ,germans have stated that ,british military stores had been placed at ,maubeuge1 a ,french fortress near the ,belgian frontier1 before the outbreak of the war1 and that this is evidence of an intention to attack ,germany through ,belgium4 ,no ,british soldiers and no ,british stores were landed on the ,continent till after ,germany had invaded ,belgium and ,belgium had appealed to ,france and ,england for assistance4 ,it was only after this appeal that ,british troops were sent to ,france2 and1 if the ,germans found ,british munitions of war in ,maubeuge1 these munitions were sent with our expedition to ,france after the outbreak of the war4 ,the idea of violating the neutrality of ,belgium was never discussed or contemplated by the ,british ,government4 ,the extract inclosed1 which is taken from an official publication of the ,belgian ,government1 and the extract from an official statement by the ,belgian ,minister of ,war1 prove that the ,belgian ,government had never connived1 or been willing to connive1 at the breach of the treaty that made the maintenance of ,belgian neutrality an international obligation4 ,the moment that there appeared to be danger that this treaty might be violated the ,british ,government made an appeal for an assurance from both ,france and ,germany1 as had been done in #ahgj by ,mr4 ,gladstone1 that neither of those countries would violate the neutrality of ,belgium if the other country respected it4 ,the ,french agreed1 the ,germans declined to agree4 ,the appeal made by the ,british ,government is to be found in our first ,white ,paper after the outbreak of the war4 ,the reason why ,germany would not agree was stated very frankly by ,herr von ,jagow1 the ,german ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs1 to ,sir ,edward ,goschen1 our ,ambassador in ,berlin2 and it is recorded in the second ,white ,paper that we published4 ,the attitude of the ,british ,government throughout has been to endeavor to preserve the neutrality of ,belgium1 and we never thought of sending troops to ,belgium until ,germany had invaded it and ,belgium had appealed for assistance to maintain the international treaty4 ,we have known for some years past that in ,holland1 in ,denmark1 and in ,norway the ,germans have inspired the apprehension that1 if ,england was at war with ,germany1 ,england would violate the neutrality of those countries and seize some of their harbors4 ,this allegation is as baseless as the allegation about our intention to violate the neutrality of ,belgium1 and events have shown it to be so4 ,but it seems to be a rule with ,germany to attribute to others the designs that she herself entertains2 as it is clear now that1 for some long time past1 it has been a settled part of her strategic plans to attack ,france through ,belgium4 ,a statement is inclosed1 which was issued by us on ,oct4 #ad last1 dealing with this point4 ,this memorandum and its inclosures should provide ample material for a reply to the ,german statements4 ,foreign ,office1 ,nov4 #i1 #aiad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,belgian ,official ,denials4 ,here is inclosed a copy of the note of ,aug4 #c sent by ,m4 ,davignon1 ,belgian ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 to ,herr von ,below ,saleske1 the ,german ,minister at ,brussels1 included in the ,belgian ,gray ,paper1 and printed in full in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times of ,oct4 #ah and reprinted in ,,the ,,times',s pamphlet of the war's diplomatic papers4 ,this is the note expressing the profound and painful surprise caused to ,king ,albert's ,government by the ,german invitation to it to abandon ,belgian neutrality and denying that ,france had1 as alleged by ,germany1 manifested any such intention4 ,a second inclosure gives this clipping from ,the ,london ,times of ,sept4 #cj3 ,,official ,,statement4 ,the ,german press has been attempting to persuade the public that if ,germany herself had not violated ,belgian neutrality1 ,france or ,great ,britain would have done so4 ,it has declared that ,french and ,british troops had marched into ,belgium before the outbreak of war4 ,we have received from the ,belgian ,minister of ,war an official statement which denies absolutely these allegations4 ,it declares1 on the one hand1 that before ,aug4 #c not a single ,french soldier had set foot on ,belgian territory1 and1 again1 it is untrue that on ,aug4 #d there was a single ,english soldier in ,belgium4 ,it adds3 ,for long past ,great ,britain knew that the ,belgian ,army would oppose by force a 'preventive' disembarkation of ,british troops in ,belgium4 ,the ,belgian ,government did not hesitate at the time of the ,agadir crisis to warn foreign ,ambassadors1 in terms which could not be misunderstood1 of its formal intention to compel respect for the neutrality of ,belgium by every means at its disposal1 and against attempts upon it from any and every quarter4 ,the ,agreement of #aijc4 ,the third inclosure is this ,british official communiqu3 #ad ,october1 #aiad4 ,the story of an alleged ,anglo-,belgian agreement of #aijf published in the ,german press1 and based on documents said to have been found at ,brussels1 is only a fresh edition of a story which has been reproduced in various forms and denied on several occasions4 ,no such agreement has ever existed4 ,as the ,germans well know1 ,gen4 ,grierson is dead and ,col4 7now ,gen47 ,barnardiston is commanding the ,british forces before ,tsing-tau4 ,in #aijf ,gen4 ,grierson was on the ,general ,staff at the ,war ,office1 and ,col4 ,barnardiston was ,military ,attach at ,brussels4 ,in view of the solemn guarantee given by ,great ,britain to protect the neutrality of ,belgium against violation from any side1 some academic discussions may1 through the instrumentality of ,col4 ,barnardiston1 have taken place between ,gen4 ,grierson and the ,belgian military authorities as to what assistance the ,british ,army might be able to afford to ,belgium should one of her neighbors violate that neutrality4 ,some notes with reference to the subject may exist in the archives at ,brussels4 ,it should be noted that the date mentioned1 namely1 #aijf1 was the year following that in which ,germany had1 as in #aiaa1 adopted a threatening attitude toward ,france with regard to ,morocco1 and1 in view of the apprehensions existing of an attack on ,france through ,belgium1 it was natural that possible eventualities should be discussed4 ,the impossibility of ,belgium having been a party to any agreement of the nature indicated or to any design for the violation of ,belgian neutrality is clearly shown by the reiterated declarations that she has made for many years past that she would resist to the utmost any violation of her neutrality from whatever quarter and in whatever form such violation might come4 ,it is worthy of attention that these charges of aggressive designs on the part of other powers are made by ,germany1 who1 since #aijf1 has established an elaborate network of strategical railways leading from the ,rhine to the ,belgian frontier through a barren1 thinly populated tract1 deliberately constructed to permit of the sudden attack upon ,belgium1 which was carried out two months ago4 ,apportioning the ,blame ,by ,arthur v4 ,briesen4 ,of the law firm of ,briesen ,knauth2 ,doctor of ,laws1 ,new ,york ,university2 philanthropist2 has served the ,american public as head of important civic bodies and ,governmental commissions4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,having been requested by you to express my views with reference to the war which is now lacerating ,europe1 ,i take pleasure to comply with your desire4 ,as an ,american citizen ,i am1 of course1 under obligations to be neutral and to send no ammunition to either belligerent4 ,at the same time the ,german blood in my veins naturally causes me to sympathize with ,germany in this conflict4 ,but even if we leave out of consideration any matter of sympathy1 if we look upon the situation in an entirely unbiased spirit1 the conclusion which ,i propose to lay before you appears to be irresistible4 ,the questions that seem to have agitated the ,american public mostly in connection with this awful conflict have been3 ,first--,who is to blame for bringing about this war1 and1 ,second--,assuming that ,germany was not to blame for beginning the war1 is she to blame for violating the neutrality of ,belgium8 ,if we should find the fault regarding the first question to lie primarily with ,england and secondarily with ,russia1 we should at once clear the ,german people and their ,government from the charge that has heretofore been brought against them for having incited the war4 ,and if we should find that the neutrality of ,belgium was not binding upon any country whose existence or whose interests were threatened by other countries1 that fact would then absolve either country from a charge which thus far seems to have been brought against one of them4 ,how was the war brought about8 ,as far back as #aijf it is known1 and can be proved by the files of ,new ,york papers1 to say nothing of official correspondence now found in ,brussels and elsewhere1 that measures were started by ,england to circumscribe or isolate the ,german ,empire1 and treaties were entered between ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia 7the ,triple ,entente7 to insure joint action against ,germany when necessary4 ,germany herself has been peaceful1 progressive1 and anxious to retain her position as a nation undisturbed by others1 as a nation that should advance in art1 in science1 in population1 and in all things that make happiness through peace4 ,what was the situation in other countries8 ,since #ahgj ,france had cried for revenge 7revanche74 ,its school books1 newspapers1 public speakers1 and political leaders were all charged with the one great idea of seeking revenge against ,germany for having retaken ,alsace and ,lorraine in #ahgj1 which ,france had wrongfully occupied since the time of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,alsace and ,lorraine had been ,german for centuries before2 they were wrested from ,germany without even a semblance of an excuse at the close of the seventeenth century1 and were largely ,german in language and in spirit in #ahgj4 ,goethe's studies in ,strassburg and his visits to ,frederica von ,sesenheim in the eighteenth century show that he was living in a ,german country whenever he was in ,alsace4 ,a united ,germany did not exist prior to #ahgj4 ,however1 the cry for revenge was there1 and ,france distinctly declared it to be her policy to take her revenge as soon as opportunity offered4 ,france was1 therefore1 a pronounced enemy of ,germany ever since #ahgj1 and when asked by the ,german ,government on ,july #ca1 #aiad1 whether she would remain neutral in a ,russian-,german war 7,annex #be1 ,german ,white ,paper7 she answered3 ,france would do that which might be required of her by her interests4 ,this answer was given on ,aug4 #a1 #aiad1 7,annex #bg1 ,german ,white ,paper47 ,today we may well ask ,france whether1 since ,aug4 #a1 #aiad1 she has done that which was required by her interests4 ,russia may next be looked at4 ,how did ,russia become involved in this contest8 ,the little kingdom of ,servia1 which had familiarized itself with the fine art of disposing of crowned heads by throwing its ,king and ,queen1 ,alexandra and ,draga1 out of the window of their castle1 caused through its officials and its followers to have the heir to the ,austrian throne and his wife cruelly assassinated on ,june #bh1 #aiad4 ,this assassination was an act of enmity toward ,austria and a step toward the enlargement of ,servia4 ,deeming her existence threatened and her national dignity offended1 ,austria sent a rather sharp demand under date of ,july #bc1 #aiad1 to ,servia1 requiring prompt and thorough satisfaction for the gross attack made upon her and her reigning family through ,servia's official directions4 ,strange to say1 however1 the ,british ,white ,book shows that three days before1 on ,july #bj1 #aiad1 ,sir ,edward ,grey1 7,paper #a1 ,british ,white ,book17 wrote to ,sir ,e4 ,goschen1 ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin1 a letter in which he states3 ,in fact1 the more ,austria could keep her demand within reasonable limits1 and the stronger the justification she could produce for making any demand1 the more chance there would be of smoothing things over4 ,i hated the idea of a war between any of the great powers1 and that any of them should be dragged into a war by ,servia would be detestable4 ,on ,july #bd1 #aiad1 the ,austrian message to ,servia became known to all countries1 and on the same day ,sir ,george ,buchanan1 ,british ,ambassador at ,st4 ,petersburg1 wrote that he had been asked by ,mr4 ,sazonof1 ,russian ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 to meet him at the ,french ,embassy to discuss matters1 as ,austria's step clearly meant that war was imminent4 ,he wrote that ,mr4 ,sazonof expressed himself as follows 7,british ,paper #f73 ,he hoped that his ,majesty's ,government would not fail to proclaim their solidarity with ,russia and ,france4 ,the ,french ,ambassador gave me to understand that ,france would fulfill all the obligations entailed by her alliance with ,russia1 if necessity arose1 besides supporting ,russia strongly in any diplomatic negotiations4 ,later1 on ,july #bi1 #aiad1 ,sir ,george ,buchanan wrote to ,sir ,edward ,grey 7,paper #gb1 ,english ,white ,book7 as follows3 ,i made it clear to his ,excellency that1 ,russia being thoroughly in earnest1 a general war could not be averted if ,servia were attacked by ,austria4 ,sir ,george ,buchanan would not have said that if he had not been authorized to do so4 ,he would not have said a general war could not be averted if ,servia were attacked by ,austria2 and by general war he meant1 and we all understand he meant1 a war between ,england1 ,france1 and ,russia on one side and ,germany and ,austria on the other4 ,servia's reply to the demand of ,austria1 which was dated ,july #be1 #aiad1 not being deemed satisfactory1 ,austria proceeded to a punitive expedition against ,servia1 and she repeatedly asserted and assured all the other powers that the expedition was merely punitive and that neither the independence nor the territorial integrity of ,servia were at all involved or in any danger4 ,but all this had no effect upon ,russia4 ,in fact1 when ,russia was first informed of the ,austrian demand 7,annex #d1 ,german ,white ,book7 ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs ,sazonof made wild complaints on ,july #bd1 #aiad1 against ,austria-,hungary4 ,what he said most definitely was this3 ,that ,russia could not possibly permit the ,servian-,austrian dispute to be confined to the parties concerned4 ,this was the keynote of the ,russian situation and of the ,russian intention4 ,russia wanted1 of course1 to expand its realm as far westward as possible1 and it wanted to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the necessary consequences of the dreadful insult and cruelty practiced by ,servia on ,austria1 not only to prevent the punishment of ,servia1 but also to proceed against ,germany1 for1 as ,paper #d says3 ,russia could not possibly permit the ,servian-,austrian dispute to be confined to the parties concerned4 ,who1 then1 was to blame for not allowing the war to be confined1 for not permitting ,austria to punish the murderers of her ,king1 but utilizing this opportunity for the purpose of bringing about the great war which ,russia and ,france had carefully prepared long ago8 ,the great war which should involve all the civilized nations in a conflict1 and threaten to extinguish ,austria and to carry barbarism into the heart of ,europe6 ,she did not permit the ,servian-,austrian dispute to be confined to the parties concerned4 ,again1 in ,paper #ef1 7,english ,white ,book17 we find the ,english ,ambassador to ,austria writing to ,sir ,edward ,grey on ,july #bg1 #aiad1 the following3 ,if actual war broke out with ,servia it would be impossible to localize it1 for ,russia was not prepared to give way again4 ,again1 in ,paper #gb1 7,english ,white ,book17 dated ,july #bh1 #aiad1 from the ,english ,ambassador in ,russia to ,sir ,edward ,grey3 ,i made it clear to his ,excellency 7,german ,ambassador7 that1 ,russia being thoroughly in earnest1 a general war could not be averted if ,servia were attacked by ,austria4 ,paper #aba1 7,english ,white ,book17 ,british ,ambassador in ,berlin to ,sir ,edward ,grey under date of ,july #ca1 #aiad3 ,he 7the ,german ,secretary of ,state7 again assured me that both the ,emperor ,william1 at the request of the ,emperor of ,russia1 and the ,german ,foreign ,office had even up till last night been urging ,austria to show willingness to continue discussions--and telegraphic and telephonic communications from ,vienna had been of a promising nature--but ,russia's mobilization had spoiled everything4 ,i could repeat1 ad infinitum1 quotations from these books to show that ,russia not only wanted this war if ,austria wanted to punish ,servia for her misdeeds1 but started it against the protest of ,germany1 and started it1 ,i sincerely believe1 largely because encouraged by ,great ,britain4 ,england3 ,the letter written by the ,belgian ,charg at ,st4 ,petersburg to his ,government on ,july #cj1 #aiad1 which letter was published in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times on ,oct4 #g1 #aiad1 and which letter1 nearly a month before1 had been published abroad and never disavowed by the ,belgian ,government1 states distinctly on the part of ,belgium3 ,what is incontestable is that ,germany has striven here1 as well as at ,vienna1 to find some means of avoiding a general conflict4444 ,m4 ,sazonof1 ,russian ,foreign ,minister1 has declared that it would be impossible for ,russia not to hold herself ready and to mobilize1 but that these preparations were not directed against ,germany4 ,this morning an official communiqu to the newspapers announces that the reserves have been called under arms in a certain number of ,governments4 ,knowing the discreet nature of the official communiqu one can without fear assert that mobilization is going on everywhere4 444 ,one can truly ask one's self whether the whole world does not desire war and is trying merely to retard its declaration a little in order to gain time4 ,england began by allowing it to be understood that she did not want to be drawn into a conflict4 ,sir ,george ,buchanan 7,british ,ambassador7 said that openly4 ,today one is firmly convinced at ,st4 ,petersburg--one has even the assurance of it--that ,england will support ,france4 ,this support is of enormous weight1 and has contributed not a little to give the upper hand to the war party4 ,the ,german ,emperor during these times believed ,england to be really and honestly striving to avoid the war2 he went so far as to announce in one of his letters published in the ,white ,book that he had shoulder to shoulder with ,england tried to bring about a peaceful solution4 ,it certainly now appears that all this while ,england had made her arrangements with ,france and with ,russia1 and had strengthened the war party in ,russia to such an extent that ,russia's desire to set ,europe afire was rendered possible4 ,belgian neutrality4 ,it is charged that ,germany violated an alleged treaty with ,belgium1 which treaty is supposed to have guaranteed the integrity of ,belgium4 ,when ,germany found her efforts to maintain peace frustrated1 ,russian troops having crossed the ,german frontier on the afternoon of ,aug4 #a1 while ,france opened hostilities on ,aug4 #b1 she announced to ,belgium on ,aug4 #b1 #aiad1 that she found herself under obligation1 to prevent a ,french attack through ,belgium1 to pass through ,belgian territory2 she expressed her readiness to guarantee the integrity of the kingdom and its possessions and to pay any damage caused if ,belgium would1 in a friendly way1 permit such a passage of troops through it4 ,the ,english ,white ,book contains1 ,paper #aea1 dated ,aug4 #c1 #aiad1 which paper we repeat in full3 7,british ,minister to ,belgium to ,sir ,edward ,grey47 ,french ,government have offered through their ,military ,attach the support of five ,french ,army corps to the ,belgian ,government4 ,following reply has been received today3 ,we are sincerely grateful to the ,french ,government for offering eventual support4 ,in the actual circumstances1 however1 we do not propose to appeal to the guarantee of the powers4 ,belgian ,government will decide later on the action which they may think it necessary to take4 ,in short1 ,belgium says in the foregoing notice to ,france1 that she does not propose to appeal to the guarantee of the powers4 ,was ,germany justified in disregarding any previous treaty which related to ,belgium if her interests required her so to do8 ,united ,states ,supreme ,court3 ,in its unanimous opinion in the ,chinese exclusion cases1 reported on ,pages #eha to #faa of ,vol4 #acj of ,united ,states ,reports1 the ,supreme ,court of the ,united ,states had this very question before it4 ,a treaty had been entered into by the ,united ,states and ,china1 allowing ,chinese subjects the right to visit and reside in the ,united ,states and to there enjoy the same privileges that are enjoyed by citizens of the ,united ,states4 ,after that treaty an act of ,congress was passed in violation of the treaty1 providing it to be unlawful thereafter for ,chinese laborers to enter the ,united ,states4 ,the question was1 whether we had the right to violate a treaty solemnly entered into with another country8 ,on this subject the court said 7,page #fjj73 ,the effect of legislation upon conflicting treaty stipulations was elaborately considered in ,,the ,,head ,,money ,,cases1 and it was there adjudged3 that so far as a treaty made by the ,united ,states with any foreign nation can become the subject of judicial cognizance in the courts of this country1 it is subject to such acts as ,congress may pass for its enforcement1 modification1 or repeal1 #aab ,u4,s4 #ehj1 #eii4 ,this doctrine was affirmed and followed in ,,whitney v4 ,,robertson1 #abd ,u4,s4 #aij1 #aie4 ,it will not be presumed that the legislative department of the ,government will lightly pass laws which are in conflict with the treaties of the country2 but that circumstances may arise which would not only justify the ,government in disregarding their stipulations1 but demand in the interests of the country that it should do so1 there can be no question4 ,unexpected events may call for a change in the policy of the country4 ,in the same opinion the ,supreme ,court calls attention to an act passed in #agih1 declaring that the ,united ,states were freed and exonerated from the stipulations of previous treaties with ,france4 ,this subject was fully considered by ,justice ,curtis1 who held1 as the ,supreme ,court says 7,page #fjb73 ,that whilst it would always be a matter of the utmost gravity and delicacy to refuse to execute a treaty1 the power to do so was a prerogative of which no nation could be deprived without deeply affecting its independence4 ,we observe1 therefore1 that under our own ideas of international law the ,united ,states claims the right to disregard its stipulations if the interests of the country should require it4 ,and the same right we should concede to other nations4 ,particularly to ,germany in the present instance1 when we find her battling for her very existence against enemies that seek to destroy her1 against enemies that surround her on all sides1 against enemies that do not hesitate to bring troops into the conflict from the wilds of ,africa and ,asia1 and who do not hesitate to drag ,japan into this war1 causing her to disregard ,chinese neutrality in her effort to capture a small settlement1 lawfully occupied in ,china by a handful of ,german soldiers4 ,in this connection ,i quote the ,british sentiment1 as expressed by ,gladstone regarding ,belgium neutrality in the year #ahgj3 ,but ,i am not able to subscribe to the doctrine of those who have held in this ,house1 what plainly amounts to the assertion that the simple fact of the existence of a guarantee is binding to every party to it1 irrespective altogether of the particular position in which it may find itself at the time when the occasion for acting on the question arises4 ,this shows that ,england herself reserved the right1 whenever her interests required her to do so1 to act in violation of the treaty with ,belgium4 ,that1 at least1 is my understanding of ,gladstone's language4 ,england did not respect ,danish neutrality a hundred years ago1 when she destroyed the ,danish fleet at ,copenhagen because her interests required1 and ,england does not now1 through its ,asiatic ally1 and directly1 respect ,chinese neutrality1 claiming the right primarily to consult her own interests4 ,should this right1 asserted by our own ,supreme ,court1 and actually assumed by ,england and ,japan1 be denied to ,germany8 ,finally1 ,i understand that ,the ,hague ,conference of #aijg drafted a convention which reads3 ,the territory of neutral powers is inviolable4 ,belligerents are forbidden to move troops or convoys of either munitions of war or supplies across the territory of a neutral power4 ,great ,britain1 ,germany1 ,austria-,hungary1 and ,italy refused to sign it and did not sign it4 ,russia was not represented4 ,,militarism4 ,there is one more subject which many people in this country have failed to understand1 and that is the matter of militarism4 ,german militarism is supposed to be something dreadful1 and many good people believe that it would be a great advance toward eternal peace if that militarism could be wiped out4 ,well1 now1 let us see4 ,if ,germany did not require every one of her sons to spend a year1 or at most two years1 in the army1 and if she had not provided for all these men sufficient arms and accoutrements for immediate use in case of war1 what would have happened when ,russia entered her territory1 or when ,france came on a like errand8 ,any one who lives among enemies is expected to be sufficiently prepared to defend himself should they attack him1 be he ever so peaceful4 ,at the time the ,united ,states of ,america was born there was no such thing as ,germany4 ,every country around it had a slice of it4 ,napoleon took the larger western part of ,germany as his property1 ,england held ,hanover1 the former ,kingdom of ,poland held ,saxony1 ,austria held ,silesia1 and so there was no ,germany4 ,the ,teutonic races had no home in which they could develop and live without interference by others4 ,to prevent such interference ,germany of all nations needed an army2 to prevent similar interference at sea ,england of all nations needed a navy4 ,that great ,british ,navy bears precisely the same relation to the protection of ,great ,britain at sea which the ,german ,army bears to the protection of ,germany on land4 ,to sum up1 what are the countries fighting for8 ,russia for her enlargement2 she has no grudge whatever against ,germany except that it exists4 ,france for revenge2 she has no grudge whatever against ,germany except that she wants revenge for #ahgj4 ,what grudge has ,england against ,germany1 except that ,germany has grown commercially1 financially1 and industrially to a position which threatens to crowd ,england into a second rank8 ,jealousy appears to control the ,english attitude4 ,the position apparently assumed by ,england is best expressed by the ,king of ,england in his telegram to ,prince ,henry of ,prussia1 dated ,july #cj1 #aiad3 ,my ,government is doing its utmost1 suggesting to ,russia and ,france to suspend further military preparations if ,austria will consent to be satisfied with occupation of ,belgrade and neighboring ,servian territory as a hostage for satisfactory settlement of her demands1 other countries meanwhile suspending their war preparations4 ,trust ,william will use his great influence to induce ,austria to accept this proposal1 thus proving that ,germany and ,england are working together to prevent what would be an international catastrophe4 ,on ,july #ca1 the very next day1 ,sir ,edward ,grey wrote the telegram1 ,no4 #aaa1 7,english ,white ,book17 to the ,british ,ambassador at ,berlin1 in which we find the following3 ,i would undertake to sound ,st4 ,petersburg1 whether it would be possible for the four disinterested powers to offer to ,austria that they would undertake to see that she obtained full satisfaction of her demands on ,servia1 provided that they did not impair ,servian sovereignty and the integrity of ,servian territory4 ,as your ,excellency is aware1 ,austria has already declared her willingness to respect them4 7,established by ,paper #c1 ,july #bd1 and ,paper #e1 ,july #bf1 ,german ,white ,book47 ,hence1 we find that all ,king ,george said he wanted had been granted1 and yet ,england entered into the war4 ,why8 ,probably because she thought1 as ,france had expressed it1 that she acted in pursuance of her interests4 ,and what is ,germany fighting for8 ,does she want anything from anybody8 ,she wants to be left alone2 she always wanted to be left alone2 she prospered while she was left alone2 she grew while she was left alone4 ,not being left alone she has to defend herself4 ,hence1 ,i bespeak for ,germany and for her side fair play1 just judgment on behalf of the ,american people4 ,,arthur v4 ,,briesen4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #ag1 #aiad4 ,,parting4 ,by ,,louise ,,von ,,wetter4 ,sodger lad1 ,o sodger lad1 ,the dawn will see ye marchin'-- ,the nicht drag's on--its dark is out ,wi' searchlichts1 shiftin'1 archin'4 ,sodger lad1 ,o sodger lad1 ,d'ye mind our ,summer meetin'8 ,and noo1 ye'll gang4 ,the heather's dead 444 ,i canna keep frae greetin'4 ,sodger lad1 my sodger lad-- ,d'ye mind1 my time is nearin'8 ,alone--alone--wi'out yer hand6 ,how shall ,i keep frae fearin'8 ,sodger lad1 ,o sodger lad1 ,far1 far awa' ye're goin'-- ,i'll not dare count the leagues an' days-- ,gude ,god6 ,the cocks are crowin'6 ,sodger lad1 my luve1 my dear1 ,awake6 ,the morn is grayin'6 ,e'en tho' my heart drags1 sick wi' dread1 ,i wouldna have ye stayin'4 ,french ,hate and ,english ,jealousy ,by ,kuno ,francke4 ,it is easy to see why ,american public opinion should have condemned by an overwhelming majority the diplomatic acts of ,austria and ,hungary which have been the immediate occasion of the terrific explosion which now shakes the foundations of the whole civilized world4 ,austria's break with ,servia and ,germany's violation of ,belgian neutrality--the one leading to war between ,russia and ,germany1 the other bringing ,england into the fray--must appear to the uninitiated as reckless and indefensible provocations and as wanton attacks upon the laws of nations4 ,the thoughtful observer1 however1 should look beyond the immediate occasion of this world conflict and try to understand its underlying causes4 ,by doing so he will1 ,i believe1 come to the conclusion that fundamental justice is to be found on the ,german side1 and that ,germany has been forced to fight for her life4 ,it is an unquestionable fact that the unification of ,germany and the establishment of a strong ,german ,empire1 half a century ago1 were brought about against the bitter opposition of ,france1 and that the defeat incurred by ,france in #ahgj1 in her attempt to prevent ,german unification1 is at the bottom of the constant irritation that has agitated ,europe during the last forty-three years4 ,germany's policy toward ,france during these forty-three years has been one of utmost restraint and forbearance1 and has been dictated by the one desire of making her forget the loss of the two provinces1 ,german until the seventeenth century and inhabited by ,german stock1 which were won back from ,france in #ahgj4 ,whether the acquisition of these provinces was a fortunate thing for ,germany may be doubted4 ,the possession of ,alsace-,lorraine has certainly robbed ,germany of the undivided sympathy of the world1 which she otherwise would have had4 ,but it is probably true that from the military point of view ,alsace-,lorraine was needed by ,germany as a bulwark against the repetition of the many wanton ,french invasions from which ,germany has had to suffer since the time of the ,thirty ,years' ,war and the age of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,sought to ,heal the ,breach4 ,however this may be1 ,germany has done her best during the last four decades to heal the wounds struck by her to ,french national pride4 ,she abetted ,french colonial expansion in ,cochin-,china1 ,madagascar1 ,tunis4 ,she yielded to ,france her own well-founded claims to political influence in ,morocco4 ,in ,alsace-,lorraine itself she introduced an amount of local self-government and home rule such as ,england has not accorded even now to ,ireland4 ,while ,ireland still is waiting for a ,parliament at ,dublin1 ,strassburg has been for years the seat of the ,alsace-,lorraine ,diet1 a provincial ,parliament based on universal suffrage4 ,and even in spite of the incessant and inflammatory ,french propaganda which last year led to such unhappy counter-strokes as the deplorable ,zabern affair1 there can be no reasonable doubt that the people of ,alsace-,lorraine have been gradually settling down to willing co-operation with the ,german administration--an administration which insures them order1 justice1 and prosperity4 ,nothing is a clearer indication of the peaceable trend which affairs have lately taken in ,alsace-,lorraine than the fact that the ,nationalists1 i4e41 ,french party1 in the ,strassburg ,diet has never been able to rise above insignificance1 and that1 on the other hand1 a considerable number of responsible officers in the civil administration1 including the highest ,governmental positions1 have been occupied by native ,alsatians4 ,while ,germany has thus repeatedly shown her willingness and desire to end the ancient feud1 ,france has remained irreconcilable2 and particularly the intellectual class of ,france cannot escape the charge that they have persistently and willfully kept alive the flame of discord4 ,it surely cannot be said that the restoration of ,alsace-,lorraine is a vital necessity to ,france4 ,without ,alsace-,lorraine ,france has recovered her prosperity and her prestige in a manner that has been the admiration of the world4 ,it is a mere illusion to think that the reconquest of ,alsace-,lorraine would add to her glory4 ,it would have been a demand of patriotism for the intellectual class to combat this illusion4 ,instead of this1 every ,french writer1 every ,french scholar1 every ,french orator1 except the ,socialists1 year in and year out1 has been dinning into the popular ear the one word revenge4 ,france to ,blame4 ,there can be little doubt that ,prof4 ,gustave ,lanson1 the distinguished literary historian1 voiced the sentiments of the vast majority of his countrymen when in a lecture1 delivered some years ago at ,harvard1 he stated that ,france could not and would not reorganize the peace of ,frankfurt as a final settlement1 and that the one aim of the ,french policy of the last forty years had been to force ,germany to reopen the ,alsace-,lorraine question4 ,if there were people in ,germany inclined to overlook or to minimize this constantly growing menace from ,france1 their eyes must have been opened when in #aiab the ,french ,government1 having previously abolished the one-year volunteers1 raised the duration of active military service for every ,frenchman from two years to three1 and1 in addition to this1 called out in the ,autumn of #aiac the recruits not only of the year whose turn had come1 namely1 the recruits born in #ahib1 but also those born in #ahic4 ,this was a measure nearly identical with mobilization2 it was a measure which clearly showed that ,france would not delay much longer striking the deadly blow4 ,for no nation could possibly stand for any length of time this terrific strain of holding under the colors its entire male population from the twentieth to the twenty-fourth year4 ,no wonder that the ,paris papers were speaking as long ago as the ,summer of #aiab of the regiments stationed in the ,eastern ,departments as the vanguard of our glorious army1 and were advocating double pay for them1 as being practically in contact with the enemy4 ,the second foe now threatening the destruction of ,germany is ,england4 ,can it truly be said that ,england's hostility has been brought about by ,german aggression8 ,true1 ,germany has built a powerful navy2 but so have ,japan1 the ,united ,states1 ,france1 and even ,italy4 ,has ,england felt any menace from these8 ,why1 then1 is the ,german ,navy singled out as a specially sinister threat to ,england8 ,has ,german diplomacy during the last generation been particularly menacing to ,england8 ,germany has acquired some colonies in ,africa and in the ,far ,east4 ,but what are ,kamerun and ,dar-es-,salaam and ,kiao-,chau compared with the colonial possessions of the other great powers8 ,where has ,germany pursued a colonial aggressiveness that could in any way be compared with the ,british subjugation of the ,south ,african republics or the ,italian conquest of ,tripoli or the ,french expansion in ,algiers1 ,tunis1 and ,morocco1 or the ,american acquisition of the ,philippines8 ,her ,open-,door ,policy4 ,wherever ,germany has made her influence felt on the globe she has stood for the principle of the open door4 ,wherever she has engaged in colonial enterprises1 she has been willing to make compromises with other nations and to accept their co-operation1 notably so in the ,bagdad railway undertaking4 ,and yet1 the colonial expansion of every other nation is hailed by ,england as beneficial to mankind1 as work for civilization2 the slightest attempt of ,germany to take part in this expansion is denounced as intolerable aggression1 as evidence of the bullying tendencies of the ,war ,lord4 ,what is the reason for this singular unfairness of ,england toward ,germany1 of this incessant attempt to check her and hem her in8 ,not so much the existence of a large ,german ,navy as the encroachment upon ,english commerce by the rapidly growing commerce of ,germany has made ,germany hateful to ,england4 ,the navy has simply added to this hate of ,germany the dread of ,germany4 ,but if there had been no ,german ,navy1 and consequently no dread of ,germany1 this hate of ,germany might have come to an explosion before now4 ,for the history of the last #cjj years proves that ,england has habitually considered as her mortal enemy any nation which dared to contest her commercial and industrial supremacy--first ,spain1 then ,holland1 then ,france1 and now ,germany4 ,as long as ,german firms1 by the manufacture of artificial indigo1 keep on ruining the ,english importation of indigo from ,india1 and as long as the ,german steamship lines keep on outstripping the prestige of the ,english boats1 there can be no real friendship between ,england and ,germany4 ,although ,england has repeatedly proposed to ,germany naval agreements1 these agreements were avowedly meant to perpetuate the overwhelming preponderance of ,england's fighting power1 so that she would at any moment be in a position to crush ,german commercial rivalry for all time4 ,she apparently thinks that this moment has now come4 ,that ,germany's third implacable enemy1 ,russia1 is clearly the aggressor1 and not the defender of her own national existence1 need hardly be demonstrated4 ,she poses as the guardian of the ,balkan ,states4 ,but is there any case on record where ,russia has really protected the independence of smaller neighboring countries8 ,has she not crushed out provincial and racial individuality wherever she has extended her power8 ,is it not the sole aim of her national policy to ,russianize forcibly every nationality under her sway8 ,in ,finland she has gone back on her solemnly pledged word to maintain the ,finnish ,constitution1 and is ruthlessly reducing one of her most highly developed provinces to the dead level of autocratic rule4 ,in her ,baltic provinces she is trying to destroy1 root and branch1 whatever there is left of ,german culture4 ,wherever the ,russian ,church holds dominion intellectual blight is sure to follow4 ,to think1 therefore1 that ,russia would promote the free development of a number of independent ,balkan ,states under her protectorate is to shut one's eyes to the whole history of ,russian expansion4 ,no1 ,russian expansion in the ,balkans means nothing less than the extinction of all local independence and the establishment of ,russian despotism from the ,black ,sea to the ,adriatic4 ,why ,germany ,supports ,austria4 ,not ,russia1 but ,austria1 is the natural protector of the equilibrium between the existing ,states on the ,balkan ,peninsula and their natural guardian against ,russian domination4 ,austria is their nearest neighbor2 indeed1 the possession of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina makes her a ,balkan ,state herself4 ,being herself more than half of ,slavic stock1 she has every reason for living on good terms with the various ,slav kingdoms south of her4 ,being herself forced1 through the conglomerateness of her population1 to constant compromises in her internal affairs between conflicting nationalities within her borders1 she could not possibly absorb a large additional amount of foreign territory4 ,she is bound to respect the existing lines of political demarkation in the ,balkans1 and her sole object can be through commercial treaties and tariff legislation to open up what used to be ,european ,turkey to her trade and her civilizing influence4 ,in this she must clearly be supported by ,germany4 ,for only if ,austria is left free to exercise her natural protectorate over the ,balkan ,states can the passage between ,germany and the ,near ,orient1 one of the most important routes of ,german commerce1 be kept open4 ,russia's unwillingness1 then1 to allow ,austria a free hand in her dealings with ,servia was an open menace to ,germany1 a challenge which had to be accepted unless ,germany was prepared to abdicate all her influence in the ,near ,orient and to allow ,russia to override the legitimate claims and aspirations of her only firm and faithful ally4 ,this formidable coalition of the three greatest ,european powers1 threatening the very existence of ,germany1 has now been joined by ,japan1 openly and boldly for the purpose of snatching from ,germany her one ,asiatic possession4 ,if any additional proof had been needed to make it clear that1 if ,germany wanted to retain the slightest chance of extricating herself from this worldwide conspiracy against her1 she had to strike the first blow1 even at the risk of offending against international good manners1 this stab in the back by ,japan would furnish such proof4 ,dr4 ,sanderson ,replies ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,although ,i hate to enter into a controversy with ,prof4 ,kuno ,francke1 who was once my excellent friend1 ,i cannot refrain from answering his article which appeared in last ,sunday's ,,new ,,york ,,times4 ,how can any one say1 in all fairness1 that ,germany's policy toward ,france during the last forty-three years has been one of the utmost restraint and forbearance1 and has been dictated by the one desire to make her forget the loss of the two provinces8 ,what are the facts8 ,we know that not once1 but again and again1 since #ahgh1 ,germany has tried to provoke ,france into war4 ,we know that on one occasion ,queen ,victoria herself threatened the ,kaiser with ,great ,britain's intervention if he did not desist from his intended attack on ,france4 ,and to cite only the two most recent instances1 the ,agadir affair and the enforced resignation of the ,french ,premier1 ,delcass6 ,would ,germany have swallowed such insults8 ,this may be the ,german conception of utmost restraint and forbearance1 but it appeared to the ,french1 as it did to the rest of the world1 that it required their utmost restraint and forbearance to remain calm under the affronts4 ,the fact that ,alsace-,lorraine was ,german up to the seventeenth century1 and inhabited by ,german stock1 cannot be brought forward today1 after more than #bjj years1 to justify the retaking of those provinces by the ,germans4 ,the whole world would be in a state of continual warfare if nations claimed provinces or ,states that belonged to them once upon a time4 ,richelieu's idea was that the ,rhine was the natural and geographical frontier between ,france and ,germany1 and the war was undertaken to carry out that plan4 ,since then the inhabitants have become ,french1 and the attempts to re-,germanize them have proved futile4 ,prof4 ,francke may well doubt if the acquisition of these provinces was a fortunate thing for ,germany4 ,it was undoubtedly the most unfortunate thing not only for ,germany but for ,france and the rest of ,europe1 for it kept open a wound which might have been healed either by a return of the lost provinces1 with or without compensation1 or by granting them autonomy1 or1 better still1 by leaving it to the inhabitants to choose for themselves1 as ,france did with ,nice and ,savoy4 ,the ruthless methods of a ,bismarck are no longer of this age4 ,they are too odious1 and the human conscience revolts at them4 ,what a preposterous idea1 in this twentieth century1 to compel by force millions of people to renounce their traditions and even their language6 ,if ,great ,britain had followed the same method in dealing with the ,french ,canadians1 instead of loyal subjects she would have made rebels of them all4 ,it is neither right nor just nor truthful to say that ,germany has done her best during the last four decades to heal the wounds struck by her to ,french national pride4 ,on the contrary1 ,germany's attitude has been all along one of studied provocation2 and if the instances already mentioned are not sufficient1 many others could be added4 ,germany abetted ,french colonial expansion4 ,well1 by what right should she have opposed it8 ,and if she yielded to ,france in ,morocco1 it was only after ,france had given ,germany part of her ,african possessions rather than go to war with her4 ,it will be news to the world to be informed that there can be no reasonable doubt that the people of ,alsace-,lorraine have been gradually settling down to willing co-operation with the ,german administration4 ,certainly such a statement is in violent contradiction with all we hear and read and know of the state of mind1 the feelings1 and aspirations of the inhabitants of those two provinces4 ,to argue that the restoration of ,alsace-,lorraine is not a vital necessity to ,france2 that without these provinces she has recovered her prosperity and her prestige1 and that it is mere illusion to think that the reconquest of ,alsace-,lorraine would add to her glory is pure sophistry4 ,it is just as if you said to a man whom you had robbed of some valuable property3 ,what does it matter8 ,you are just as well off without it4 ,yes1 ,prof4 ,larson did voice the sentiment of the vast majority of his countrymen when he stated that ,france could not and would not recognize the treaty of ,frankfurt4 ,if ,i have an enemy who takes me by surprise and with revolver leveled at my head compels me to sign a paper by which ,i despoil myself to his advantage1 what is the validity of such a document8 ,that is the way that all ,frenchmen of all classes look upon the treaty of ,frankfurt1 wrung from them under duress4 ,the term revanche is a slogan4 ,it simply typifies in one word the reconquest of ,alsace-,lorraine2 but it does not carry with it the idea of willfully laying waste the enemy's country1 burning and pillaging1 shooting inoffensive non-combatants1 and cleaning banks of all the gold they contain4 ,another statement which is misleading in ,prof4 ,francke's article is the one which refers to the growing menace from ,france1 in which he speaks of the increasing armament that has been going on in that country since #aiab4 ,but what is called in ,germany the menace from ,france is called in the latter country the menace from ,germany4 ,who started these enormous armaments8 ,each time ,germany increased her army ,france was forced to do the same2 and when ,france recently increased from two to three years the duration of military service1 it was her only way of meeting ,germany's increase of #ejj1jjj men4 ,the attempt to change the rles and present ,france to the world as the aggressor1 or even as premeditating an attack upon ,germany1 is futile4 ,it is a strange and yet not uncommon psychological fact that the hate of the conqueror is often greater than that of the conquered2 and it is ,german1 not ,french1 hate which has forced ,germany into this savage war4 ,france had recovered too rapidly from her disasters2 she was too rich2 her colonies were too vast and too prosperous2 she must be crushed4 ,what right had she to have large colonies when ,germany1 the superior nation1 had none worth mentioning8 ,there you have the key to the ,kaiser's repeated provocations and to his final attack4 ,in regard to ,england and ,russia1 the writer will simply confine himself to the statement that if the ,german ,imperial ,government can produce as clean a bill of health as the ,white ,paper of the ,british ,foreign ,office1 just published1 it will do more to convince ,american public opinion of the justice of its cause than anything that has yet been written in the press by ,germans and their sympathizers4 ,r4,l4 ,,sanderson4 ,yale ,university1 ,new ,haven1 ,conn41 ,sept4 #e1 #aiad4 ,in ,defense of ,austria ,by ,baron ,l4 ,hengelmuller4 ,late ,austro-,hungarian ,ambassador to the ,united ,states4 ,the following letter was written by ,baron ,hengelmuller to ,col4 ,theodore ,roosevelt4 ,,abbazia1 ,sept4 #be1 #aiad4 ,my ,dear ,mr4 ,roosevelt3 ,our correspondence has suffered a long interruption4 ,your last letter was from ,july of last year4 ,i do not know whether you ever received my answer1 by which ,i thanked you for your preface to my book4 ,you were in ,arizona when ,i wrote it1 and soon after your return you started for ,brazil4 ,at the occasion of your son's wedding ,i sent him a telegram to ,madrid1 but ,i had no chance to write to you because ,i had no information with regard to the length of your stay and your whereabouts in ,europe4 ,now ,i write to you at the time of a most momentous crisis in the world's history1 and ,i do so impelled by the desire to talk with you about my country's cause and to win your just and fair appreciation for the same4 ,i wish ,i could address my appeal to the ,american people1 but having no standing and no opportunity to do so1 ,i address it to you as to one of ,america's most illustrious citizens with whom it has been my privilege to entertain during many years the most friendly relations4 ,since the outbreak of the war our communications with ,america are slow and irregular4 ,in the beginning they were nil4 ,from the end of ,july to the middle of ,august we received neither letters1 telegrams1 nor papers4 ,i suppose it was the same with you concerning direct news from us4 ,our adversaries had the field all for themselves and they seem to have made the most of it4 ,to judge from what ,i have learned since and from what ,i could glean in our papers1 the ,new ,york press seem to have written about us and ,germany very much in the same tone and spirit as they did about you during your last ,presidential campaign4 ,i have seen it stated that ,the ,outlook published an article in which ,austro-,hungary was accused of having brought about the war through her greed of conquest and the overbearing arrogance of her behavior toward ,servia4 ,i do not know whether ,i cite correctly1 as ,i have not seen the article1 and ,i am aware that you have severed your connection with ,the ,outlook after your return from ,brazil4 ,i only mention the statement as an illustration of what ,i have said above1 for if a review of the standing of ,the ,outlook opens its columns to such a glaringly false accusation the daily papers have certainly not lagged behind4 ,it is natural that our adversaries should be anxious to win the sympathies of the ,american people4 ,so are we4 ,but it is not for this purpose that ,i now write to you4 ,sympathy is a sentiment and1 as a rule1 not to be won by argument4 ,what ,i want to discuss with you are the causes of this war and the issues at stake4 ,the ,cause of the ,war4 ,undoubtedly the war broke out over our conflict with ,servia1 but this conflict was not of our seeking4 ,we had no wish of aggrandizement or extension of power at the expense of ,servia1 but ,servia covets territory which belongs to us1 and for years has pursued her ends by the most nefarious and criminal means4 ,the assassination of our heir to the crown and his consort was not an isolated fact1 but only the most glaring link in a long chain of plotting and agitating against us4 ,this attitude of ,servia toward us dates back to the day when the gang of officers who murdered their own ,king came to power1 and when it became their policy to keep a hold over their own people by exciting their ambitions against us4 ,this policy reached its first climax when we declared the annexation of ,bosnia and ,herzegovina1 which we had occupied and developed for thirty years4 ,you were in office then1 and the events of the time are familiar to you4 ,the crisis ended then by ,servia's formal acknowledgment that our annexation violated none of her rights1 and by her promise to cultivate henceforth correct and friendly relations with us4 ,this promise was not kept4 ,the plotting continued1 lies were disseminated about a pretended oppression of our ,south ,slav population1 and associations were formed for the purpose of stirring them to discontent and if possible to treason4 ,things came to a second climax with the murder of ,archduke ,francis ,ferdinand4 ,the plot for this crime was hatched in ,servia1 the bombs and revolvers for its execution were furnished there1 and ,servian officers instructed the murder candidates in their use4 ,at last we could stand it no longer4 ,what we wanted from ,servia was the punishment of the plotters and accomplices and a guarantee for normal relations in the future4 ,this was the object of our ultimatum4 ,servia made a show of complying with some of our demands1 but in reality her answer was evasive4 ,these facts are exposed and authenticated in the note which we sent to the powers after having presented our ultimatum in ,belgrade and in the memorandum which accompanied it4 ,i do not know whether the ,american papers published these documents at the time4 ,today they are outstripped by greater events1 but for the just appreciation of our proceedings in regard to ,servia they are indispensable4 ,in reality1 however1 our conflict with ,servia was not the cause of the great war now raging1 but only the spark which brought the overloaded powder barrel to explosion4 ,who talks of ,servia today1 and who believes that ,france1 ,england1 and ,japan are making war on ,germany and on us because of ,servia8 ,the war broke out because ,russia decided to shield ,servia against the consequences of her provocations and because1 owing to preconcerted arrangements1 the situation in ,europe was such that the action of one great power was bound to bring all or nearly all the others into the field4 ,and again those preconcerted arrangements were the outcome of a mass of pent-up passions1 of hatred1 envy1 and jealousy1 the like of which--all ,hague conferences and pacific unions notwithstanding--the world has never seen before4 ,we are fully aware of the danger which threatened us from ,russia when we formulated our demands in ,belgrade4 ,russia's population is three times as large as ours and it was not with a light heart that our ,emperor-,king took his final resolution4 ,but our national honor and our very existence as a self-respecting power were at stake4 ,we could not hesitate4 ,now we are in a struggle for life or death and we mean to carry it through with full confidence in the rightfulness of our cause and in the force of our arms4 ,in one respect events have already belied the calculations of our enemies1 who counted on internal dissensions within our own borders4 ,i am happy to say that ,croatians1 ,slovenes1 and a large majority of our own ,servians are fighting in our ranks with the same valor and enthusiasm as ,czechs1 ,rumanians1 ,poles1 ,magyars1 and ,germans4 ,but why did ,russia decide to assail us8 ,during the whole nineteenth century she has shown herself a very shifty and unreliable protectress of ,servia4 ,she made use of the smaller country when it suited her own aggressive purposes against others1 and she dropped it whenever it served her ends4 ,it was so at the time of the ,turkish war of #ahgg and of the ,berlin ,congress1 and it remained so until with the advent of the present dynasty ,servia offered a sure prospect of becoming and remaining a permanent tool in ,russia's hands and a thorn in our flesh4 ,russia is an aggressive power4 ,for #bjj years she has extended her dominions at the cost of ,sweden first1 of ,poland and ,turkey afterward4 ,now she thinks our turn has come4 ,finding us to be in the way of her ultimate aims in the ,balkan ,peninsula1 she began to regard us as her enemy4 ,for years the propaganda for undermining the bases of our empire has been carried on in the name of ,pan-,slavism4 ,it seems that she judged that now the time had come to draw the consequences and to bring things to a final issue4 ,with what result remains to be seen4 ,germany ,bound to ,aid ,austria4 ,by the terms of our treaty of alliance ,germany was bound to come to our assistance if we were attacked by ,russia4 ,there was no secrecy about that treaty4 ,its text had been made public long ago and its purely defensive character brought to the knowledge of the world4 ,no more than we did ,germany entertain hostile intentions or nourish hostile feelings against ,russia4 ,there were no clashing interests to excite the first1 no historical reminiscences to justify the second4 ,if it is otherwise in ,russia1 it is because her present leaders find ,german power in the way of their conquering aspirations against us4 ,germany1 true to her obligations1 hastened to our side when she saw us menaced1 and when she declared war she did it because she had positive information that in spite of formal and solemn assurances to the contrary ,russia mobilization was proceeding4 ,the terms of the ,franco-,russian alliance have never been made public4 ,whether it was concluded merely for defensive or also for offensive purposes1 and whether ,france was obliged by her treaty to draw the sword in the present case1 remains therefore a matter of surmise4 ,but there is no mystery about the feelings of ,france with regard to ,germany1 and no doubt about the greed for revenge which during the last forty-four years has swayed the overwhelming majority of her people and been the dominant factor of her foreign policy4 ,it was for this object that she entered into her alliances and agreements1 and it is for this cause that she is fighting now4 ,it is simple hypocrisy to talk about ,german aggressiveness against ,france4 ,france stood in no danger of being attacked by ,germany if she had chosen to remain neutral in the latter's war with ,russia4 ,asked whether she would do so1 she replied that her actions would be guided by her interests4 ,the meaning of this reply was clear1 and left ,germany no choice4 ,the formal declaration of war became then a mere matter of political and military convenience1 and has no bearing on the moral issue of the case4 ,but why has ,england plunged into this war8 ,officially and to the world at large she has explained her resolution by ,germany's violation of ,belgian neutrality1 and in the royal message to ,parliament it was solemnly declared that ,england could not stand by and passively tolerate such a breach of international law and obligations4 ,no ,austrian can read this declaration otherwise than with a mournful smile4 ,its futility has been exposed by the question which ,englishmen of standing and renown have put to their ,government1 viz41 whether they would equally have declared war on ,france if that violation of neutrality had first come from her side4 ,in face of this question having remained unanswered1 and in face of what has come to light since about ,french preparations in ,belgium1 there is no need to expiate on this subject4 ,all that there is to be said about it has been said by the ,german ,chancellor in open session of the ,reichstag1 and all that may be added is the remark that1 considering ,england's history and what she did before ,copenhagen in #ahjg1 she of all nations should be the last to put on airs of moral indignation over the application of the principle that in time of war salus reipublicae suprema lex est4 ,the existence of a convention binding ,england to ,france in case of war has--as far as ,i know--never been admitted officially by ,england4 ,as ,i see now from manifestations of ,englishmen disapproving of their country's participation in the war1 the belief exists nevertheless that such a convention had been concluded4 ,but whether ,england's declaration of war was the consequence of previously entered obligations or the outcome of present free initiative1 the main fact remains that in the last resort it sprang from jealousy of ,germany's growing sea power and commercial prosperity4 ,this feeling was the dominant factor in ,english foreign policy1 just as greed for revenge was in ,france4 ,it was the propelling power for the agreements which ,england has made and for others which she endeavored but did not succeed in bringing about4 ,england claims the dominion over the seas as her native right1 and1 what is more1 she holds it4 ,her title is no better and no worse than that of the ,romans when they conquered the world1 or of the ,turkish ,sultans in the days of their power4 ,like them1 she has succeeded in making good her claim4 ,for three centuries the nations of ,continental ,europe have been hating1 fighting1 and devastating each other for the sake of strips of frontier land and a shadowy balance of power4 ,these centuries were ,england's opportunity1 and she has made the most of it4 ,that she should mean to keep what she has and hold to her maritime supremacy as to the apple of her eye is natural4 ,whether it is for the benefit of mankind that it should be so1 and whether the world in general would not be better off if there existed a balance of power on sea as well as on land1 does not enter into the present discussion4 ,what is more to the purpose is that in reality ,england's sea power stood in no danger at all4 ,to any thinking and fair-minded observer it must be clear that ,germany1 hemmed in by hostile neighbors in the east and west1 and obliged1 therefore1 to keep up her armaments on land1 would not have been able to threaten ,england's maritime superiority for generations to come4 ,if the issue has been thrown into the balance1 it has been done so by ,england's own doing4 ,but it is not only the nascent ,german ,navy that excited the distrust and envy of ,england4 ,german colonies and every trading ,german vessel seem equally to have become thorns in ,english eyes4 ,the wish to sweep those vessels from off the seas1 to destroy all ,german ports1 in one word1 to down ,germany1 has long been nourished and lately openly avowed in ,england4 ,norman ,angell's theories about the great illusion of the profitability of modern warfare seem to have made mighty small impression on his countrymen4 ,russian lust of conquest1 ,french greed of revenge1 and ,english envy were the forces at work in the ,european powder magazine4 ,the ,servian spark ignited it1 but the explosion was bound to come sooner or later4 ,what alone could have stopped it would have been ,england's stepping out of the conspiracy4 ,that she did not do so1 in fact became its really directing power1 will forever remain a blot on her history4 ,about ,japan's motives and methods ,i do not think it necessary to write4 ,american public opinion will hardly need any enlightenment on this subject4 ,america forced ,japan out of the isolation in which she had lived during centuries4 ,i hope the day may not come when she will wish that she had not done so4 ,the issues of the war stand in relation to its causes and the same attempts have been made to distort and falsify them in the eyes of the ,american public4 ,i have seen it stated in a ,new ,york paper that this war is a fight between civilization and barbarism1 and ,i have seen a member of the present ,english ,cabinet quoted as having said that the issue was one between militarism and freedom1 civilization and freedom standing1 of course1 in both cases on the side of our enemies4 ,not a ,war for ,civilization4 ,more idiotic rot--excuse the expression--,i have never read in my life4 ,what has civilization to do with ,servia's murderous plotting against us8 ,what with ,russia's desire to shield her from the consequences of her aggressions and to demonstrate to the world that we are of no account in the ,balkans and to establish her own--more or less veiled--protectorate there8 ,and if the case of civilization is advanced by ,japan's ousting ,germany from ,kiao-,chau1 why should it not be equally furthered if ,japan did the same to ,england in ,hongkong1 ,singapore1 or1 if the opportunity offered1 in ,india itself8 ,and a person must be indeed at his wits' end for arguments to proclaim ,russia as a standard bearer of freedom in her war against us4 ,compare her treatment of ,poles1 ,finns1 ,ukrainanians 7small ,russians7 and ,hebrews with the freedom which the different nationalities enjoy in our empire6 ,and ,england herself4 ,is it for freedom's sake that she holds ,gibraltar and that she subjugated the ,boers8 ,no6 ,civilization and freedom have nothing to do with the issues at stake now1 least of all in the sense that our enemies have drawn the sword for their cause4 ,it is a war for conquest and supremacy stirred up by all the hateful passions in human nature1 fully as much as any war that has ever been waged before4 ,but we did not stir it up4 ,we are fighting for our existence1 right and justice are on our side1 and so we trust will victory be4 ,the causes of the war are clear4 ,to make its issues still clearer1 imagine for a moment and merely for argument's sake the consequences of our adversaries being successful4 ,russia1 ,england1 and ,japan would remain masters of the field4 ,is this a consummation any thinking ,american can wish for8 ,these are the considerations ,i wished to lay before you1 and ,i ask your assistance to bring them before the ,american people4 ,i ask for no reply1 no manifestation of feelings or opinion from you4 ,what ,i ask you is to publish this letter as an open letter addressed by me to you1 signed with my full name4 ,how to do this ,i leave entirely to you4 ,it goes without saying that your private reply1 if you favor me with one1 will be treated as such4 ,hoping to meet you in better times1 and sending our kindest regards to ,mrs4 ,roosevelt1 believe me1 yours most sincerely1 ,,baron ,l4 ,,hengelmuller4 ,abbazia1 ,sept4 #be1 #aiad4 ,russian ,atrocities ,by ,george ,haven ,putnam4 ,publisher1 ,director of the ,knickerbocker ,press1 ,secretary ,american ,copyright ,league2 decorated with the ,cross of the ,legion of ,honor1 ,france4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,it is possible that the letter presented herewith from a ,german neighbor 7who is a stranger to me7 may be of interest to your readers as an example of a curious confusion of thought into which have fallen ,germans on both sides of the ,atlantic in regard to the issues of the present struggle and the conduct and the actions of the ,german ,army4 ,i am inclosing a copy of my reply to ,mr4 ,thienes4 ,,george ,,haven ,,putnam4 ,new ,york1 ,nov4 #d1 #aiad4 ,,the ,,letter4 ,,new ,,york1 ,oct4 #bh1 #aiad4 ,mr4 ,george ,haven ,putnam4 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,now that you have shown your true spirit of neutrality toward ,germany1 would you not be kind enough to give us a similar piece of your wisdom and describe in detail the way the ,russians acted in ,east ,prussia during their short stay there1 and how they murdered1 tortured1 and assaulted women and girls1 and cut children and infants to pieces without even the provocation of sniping8 ,this1 your new article in ,,the ,,times1 ,i anticipate with the greatest interest4 ,,rudolf ,f4 ,,thienes4 ,,the ,,reply4 ,rudolf ,f4 ,thienes1 ,esq4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir3 ,your letter of the #bhth inst41 intended as a rejoinder to a letter recently printed by me in ,,the ,,times1 is written under a misapprehension in regard to one important matter4 ,the ,americans1 who are in a position to judge impartially in regard to the issues of the war1 have criticised the official acts which have attended the devastation of ,belgium1 not because these acts were committed by ,germans1 but because they were in themselves abominable and contrary to precedents and to civilized standards4 ,if the ,russians had1 under official order1 burned ,lemburg1 including the university and the library1 and executed the ,burgomaster1 they would have come under the same condemnation from ,americans that has been given to ,germans for the burning of ,louvain and ,aerschot and the shooting of the ,aerschot ,burgomaster4 ,i am myself familiar with ,germany4 ,i am an old-time ,german student1 and ,i have ,german friends on both sides of the ,atlantic1 and ,i am in a position to sympathize with legitimate aspirations and ideals of these ,german friends4 ,i am convinced1 however1 that no nation can secure in this twentieth century its rightful development unless its national conduct is regulated with a decent respect to the opinions of mankind4 ,the references made in my ,,times letters were restricted to official actions2 things done under the direction of the military commanders acting in accord with the instructions or the general policy of the ,imperial ,government4 ,the misdeeds of individual soldiers are difficult to verify4 ,while these are always exaggerated1 it remains the sad truth that every big army contains a certain percentage of ruffians1 and that when these ruffians are let loose in a community1 with weapons and with military power behind them1 bad things are done4 ,it is my own belief that the material in the ,german ,army 7which is the best fighting machine that the world has ever seen7 will compare favorably with that of any army in the world1 and that the percentage of wrongful acts on the part of the ,german soldiers has been small4 ,such misdeeds1 sometimes to be characterized as atrocities1 are the inevitable result of war1 and they bring a grave responsibility upon a ,government which 7to accept as well founded the frank utterances of the leaders of opinion in ,germany7 has initiated this war for the purpose of crushing ,france and of breaking up the ,british ,empire4 ,you appear to think that it is in order for ,germany to visit upon unoffending ,belgians reprisal for the misdeeds 7as far as such misdeeds may be in evidence7 committed by ,russians in ,east ,prussia4 ,i cannot see that this contention is in accord with justice or with common sense4 ,,george ,,haven ,,putnam4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #bh1 #aiad4 ,the ,united ,states of ,europe ,,interview ,,with ,,nicholas ,,murray ,,butler4 ,dr4 ,butler is ,president of ,columbia ,university2 received ,republican electoral vote for ,vice ,president of the ,united ,states1 #aiac2 ,president of ,american ,branch of ,conciliation ,internationale2 ,president ,american ,historical ,association2 ,trustee ,carnegie ,endowment for ,international ,peace2 ,commander ,order of the ,red ,eagle 7with ,star7 of ,prussia2 ,commandeur de ,legion d',honneur of ,france4 ,by ,edward ,marshall4 ,the ,united ,states of ,europe4 ,dr4 ,nicholas ,murray ,butler1 ,president of ,columbia ,university1 firmly believes that the organization of such a federation will be the outcome1 soon or late1 of a situation built up through years of ,european failure to adjust government to the growth of civilization4 ,he thinks it possible that the ending of the present war may see the rising of the new sun of democracy to light a day of freedom for our transatlantic neighbors4 ,he tells me that thinking men in all the contending nations are beginning vividly to consider such a contingency1 to argue for it or against it2 in other words1 to regard it as an undoubted possibility4 ,dr4 ,butler's acquaintance among those thinking men of all shades of political belief is probably wider than that of any other ,american1 and it is significant of the startling importance of what he says that by far the greater number of his ,european friends1 the men upon whose views he has largely1 directly or indirectly1 based his conclusions1 are not of the socialistic or of any other revolutionary or semi-revolutionary groups1 but are among the most conservative and most important figures in ,european political1 literary1 and educational fields4 ,this being unquestionably true1 it is by no means improbable that in the interview which follows1 fruit of two evenings in ,dr4 ,butler's library1 may be found the most important speculative utterance yet to appear in relation to the general ,european war4 ,dr4 ,butler's estimate of the place which the ,united ,states now holds upon the stage of the theatre of world progress and his forecast of the tremendously momentous rle which she is destined to play there must make every ,american's heart first swell with pride and then thrill with a realization of responsibility4 ,the ,united ,states of ,europe1 modeled after and instructed by the ,united ,states of ,america6 ,the thought is stimulating4 ,said ,dr4 ,butler3 ,the ,european cataclysm puts the people of the ,united ,states in a unique and tremendously important position4 ,as neutrals we are able to observe events and to learn the lesson that they teach4 ,if we learn rightly we shall gain for ourselves and be able to confer upon others benefits far more important than any of the material advantages which may come to us through a shrewd handling of the new possibilities in international trade4 ,i hesitate to discuss any phase of the great conflict now raging in ,europe4 ,by today's mail1 for example1 ,i received long1 personal letters from ,lord ,haldane1 from ,lord ,morley1 from ,lord ,weardale1 and from ,lord ,bryce4 ,another has just come from ,prof4 ,schiemann of ,berlin1 perhaps the ,emperor's most intimate adviser2 another from ,prof4 ,lamasch of ,austria1 who was the ,presiding ,judge of the ,british-,american arbitration in relation to the ,newfoundland fisheries a few years ago1 and is a member of the ,austrian ,house of ,peers4 ,still others are from ,m4 ,ribot1 ,minister of ,finance in ,france1 and ,m4 d',estournelles de ,constant4 ,these confidential letters give a wealth of information as to the intellectual and political forces that are behind the conflict4 ,you will understand1 then1 that without disloyalty to my many friends in ,europe1 ,i could not discuss with freedom the causes or the progress of the war1 or speculate in detail about the future of the ,european problem4 ,my friends in ,germany1 ,france1 and ,england all write to me with the utmost freedom and not for the public eye2 so you see that my great difficulty1 when you ask me to talk about the meaning of the struggle1 arises from the obligation that ,i am under to preserve a proper personal reserve regarding the great figures behind the vast intellectual and political changes which really are in the background of the war4 ,if such reserve is necessary in my case1 it seems to me that it also is necessary for the country as a whole4 ,the attitude of the ,president has been impeccable4 ,that of the whole ,american press and people should be the same4 ,especially is it true that all ,americans who hope to have influence1 as individuals1 in shaping the events which will follow the war1 must avoid any expression which even might be tortured into an avowal of partisanship or final judgment4 ,even the free expression of views criticising particular details of the war1 which might1 in fact1 deserve criticism1 might destroy one's chance of future possible usefulness4 ,a statement which might be unquestionably true might also be remembered to the damage of some important cause later on4 ,there are reasons why my position is1 perhaps1 more difficult than that of some others4 ,talking is often a hazardous practice1 and never more so than now4 ,the ,world is at crossroads1 and everything may depend upon the ,united ,states1 which has been thrust by events into a unique position of moral leadership4 ,whether the march of the future is to be to the right or to the left1 uphill or down1 after the war is over1 may well depend upon the course this nation shall then take1 and upon the influence which it shall exercise4 ,if we keep our heads clear there are two things that we can bring insistently to the attention of ,europe--each of vast import at such a time as that which will follow the ending of this war4 ,the first of these is the fact that race antagonisms die away and disappear under the influence of liberal and enlightened political institutions4 ,this has been proved in the ,united ,states4 ,we have huge ,celtic1 ,latin1 ,teutonic and ,slavic populations all living here at peace and in harmony2 and1 as years pass1 they tend to merge1 creating new and homogeneous types4 ,the ,old ,world antagonisms have become memories4 ,this proves that such antagonisms are not mysterious attributes of geography or climate1 but that they are the outgrowth principally of social and political conditions4 ,here a man can do about what he likes1 so long as he does not violate the law2 he may pray as he pleases or not at all1 and he may speak any language that he chooses4 ,the ,united ,states is itself proof that most of the contentions of ,europeans as to race antagonisms are ill-founded4 ,we have demonstrated that racial antagonisms need not necessarily become the basis of permanent hatreds and an excuse for war4 ,hyphens ,are ,going4 ,if human beings are given the chance they will make the most of themselves1 and1 by living happily--which means by living at peace--they will avoid conflict4 ,the hyphen tends to disappear from ,american terminology4 ,the ,german-,american1 the ,italio-,american1 the ,irish-,american all become ,americans4 ,so1 by and large1 our institutions have proved their capacity to amalgamate and to set free every type of human being which thus far has come under our flag4 ,there is in this a lesson which may well be taken seriously to heart by the leaders of opinion in ,europe when this war ends4 ,the second thing which we may press1 with propriety1 upon the attention of the people of ,europe after peace comes to them is the fact that we are not only the great exponents but the great example of the success of the principle of federation in its application to unity of political life regardless of local1 economic1 and racial differences4 ,if our fathers had attempted to organize this country upon the basis of a single1 closely unified ,state1 it would have gone to smash almost at the outset1 wrecked by clashing economic and personal interests4 ,indeed1 this nearly happened in the civil war1 which was more economic than political in its origin4 ,but1 though we had our difficulties1 we did find a way to make a unified nation of a hundred million people and forty-eight ,commonwealths1 all bound together in unity and in loyalty to a common political ideal and a common political purpose4 ,just as certainly as we sit here this must and will be the future of ,europe4 ,there will be a federation into the ,united ,states of ,europe4 ,when one nation sets out to assert itself by force against the will1 or even the wish1 of its neighbors1 disaster must inevitably come4 ,disaster would have come here if1 in #aghi1 ,new ,york had endeavored to assert itself against ,new ,england or ,pennsylvania4 ,as a matter of fact1 certain inhabitants of ,rhode ,island and ,pennsylvania did try something of the sort after the ,federal ,government had been formed1 but1 fortunately1 their effort was a failure4 ,the leaders of our national life had established such a flexible and admirable plan of government that it was soon apparent that each ,state could retain its identity1 forming its own ideals and shaping its own progress1 and still remain a loyal part of the whole2 that each ,state could make a place for itself in the new federated nation and not be destroyed thereby4 ,there is no reason why each nation in ,europe should not make a place for itself in the sun of unity which ,i am sure is rising there behind the war clouds4 ,europe's stupendous economic loss1 which already has been appalling and will soon be incalculable1 will give us an opportunity to press this argument home4 ,true internationalism is not the enemy of the nationalistic principle4 ,on the contrary1 it helps true nationalism to thrive4 ,the ,vermonter is more a ,vermonter because he is an ,american1 and there is no reason why ,hungary1 for example1 should not be more than ever before ,hungarian after she becomes a member of the ,united ,states of ,europe4 ,europe1 of course1 is not without examples of the successful application of the principle of federation within itself4 ,it so happens that the federated ,state next greatest to our own is the ,german ,empire4 ,it is only forty-three years old1 but their federation has been notably successful4 ,so the idea of federation is familiar to ,german publicists4 ,it is familiar1 also1 to the ,english1 and has lately been pressed there as the probable final solution of the ,irish question4 ,it has insistently suggested itself as the solution of the ,balkan problem4 ,in a lesser way it already is represented in the structure of ,austria-,hungary4 ,america's ,great ,work4 ,this principle of nation building1 of international building through federation1 certainly has in it the seeds of the world's next great development--and we ,americans are in a position both to expand the theory and to illustrate the practice4 ,it seems to me that this is the greatest work which ,america will have to do at the end of this war4 ,these are the things which ,i am writing to my ,european correspondents in the several belligerent countries by every mail4 ,the cataclysm is so awful that it is quite within the bounds of truth to say that on ,july #ca the curtain went down upon a world which never will be seen again4 ,this conflict is the birth-throe of a new ,european order of things4 ,the man who attempts to judge the future by the old standards or to force the future back to them will be found to be hopelessly out of date4 ,the world will have no use for him4 ,the world has left behind forever the international policies of ,palmerston and of ,beaconsfield and even those of ,bismarck1 which were far more powerful4 ,when the war ends conditions will be such that a new kind of imagination and a new kind of statesmanship will be required4 ,this war will prove to be the most effective education of #ejj1jjj1jjj people which possibly could have been thought of1 although it is the most costly and most terrible means which could have been chosen4 ,the results of this education will be shown1 ,i think1 in the process of general reconstruction which will follow4 ,all the talk of which we hear so much about1 the peril from the ,slav or from the ,teuton or from the ,celt1 is unworthy of serious attention4 ,it would be quite as reasonable to discuss seriously the red-headed peril or the six-footer peril4 ,there is no peril to the world in the ,slav1 the ,teuton1 the ,celt1 or any other race1 provided the people of that race have an opportunity to develop as social and economic units1 and are not bottled up so that an explosion must come4 ,it is my firm belief that nowhere in the world1 from this time on1 will any form of government be tolerated which does not set men free to develop in this fashion4 ,i asked ,dr4 ,butler to make some prognostication of what the ,united ,states of ,europe1 which he so confidently expects1 will be4 ,he answered3 ,has ,advanced ,much4 ,i can say only this3 ,the international organization of the world already has progressed much further than is ordinarily understood4 ,ever since the ,franco-,prussian war and the ,geneva ,arbitration1 both landmarks in modern history1 this has advanced inconspicuously1 but by leaps and bounds4 ,the postal service of the world has been internationalized in its control for years4 ,the several ,postal ,conventions have been evidences of an international organization of the highest order4 ,europe abounds in illustrations of the international administration of large things4 ,the very laws of war1 which are at present the subject of so much and such bitter discussion1 are the result of international organization4 ,they were not adopted by a ,congress1 a ,parliament1 or a ,reichstag4 ,they were agreed to by many and divergent peoples1 who sent representatives to meet for their discussion and determination4 ,one of the ,examples4 ,in the admiralty law we have a most striking example of uniformity of practice in all parts of the world4 ,if a ship is captured or harmed in the ,far ,east and taken into ,yokohama or ,nagasaki1 damages will be assessed and collected precisely as they would be in ,new ,york or ,liverpool4 ,the world is gradually developing a code for international legal procedure4 ,special arbitral tribunals have tended to merge and grow into the international court at ,the ,hague1 and that1 in turn1 will develop until it becomes a real supreme judicial tribunal4 ,of course the analogy with the federated ,state fails at some points1 but ,i believe the time will come when each nation will deposit in a world federation some portion of its sovereignty4 ,when this occurs we shall be able to establish an international executive and an international police1 both devised for the especial purpose of enforcing the decisions of the international court4 ,here1 again1 we offer a perfect object lesson4 ,our ,central ,government is one of limited and defined powers4 ,our history can show ,europe how such limitations and definitions can be established and interpreted1 and how they can be modified and amended when necessary to meet new conditions4 ,my colleague1 ,prof4 ,john ,bassett ,moore1 is now preparing and publishing a series of annotated reports of the international arbitration tribunals1 in order that the ,governments and jurists of the world may have at hand1 as they have in the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court1 reports1 a record of decided cases which1 when the time comes1 may be referred to as precedents4 ,it will be through graded processes such as this that the great end will be accomplished4 ,beginning with such annotated reports as a basis for precedents1 each new case tried before this tribunal will add a further precedent1 and presently a complete international code will be in existence4 ,it was in this way that the ,english common law was built1 and such has been the admirable history of the work done by our own judicial system4 ,the study of such problems is at this time infinitely more important than the consideration of how large a fine shall be inflicted by the victors upon the vanquished4 ,the ,chief ,result4 ,there is the probability of some dislocation of territory and some shiftings of sovereignty after the war ends1 but these will be of comparatively minor importance4 ,the important result of this great war will be the stimulation of international organization along some such lines as ,i have suggested4 ,dislocation of territory and the shifting of sovereigns as the result of international disagreements are mediaeval practices4 ,after this war the world will want to solve its problems in terms of the future1 not in those of the outgrown past4 ,conventional diplomacy and conventional statesmanship have very evidently broken down in ,europe4 ,they have made a disastrous failure of the work with which they were intrusted4 ,they did not and could not prevent the war because they knew and used only the old formulas4 ,they had no tools for a job like this4 ,a new type of international statesman is certain to arise1 who will have a grasp of new tendencies1 a new outlook upon life4 ,bismarck used to say that it would pay any nation to wear the clean linen of a civilized ,state4 ,the truth of this must be taught to those nations of the world which are weakest in morale1 and it can only be done1 ,i suppose1 as similar work is accomplished with individuals4 ,courts1 not killings1 have accomplished it with individuals4 ,one more point ought to be remembered4 ,we sometimes hear it said that nationalism1 the desire for national expression by each individual nation1 makes the permanent peace and good order of the world impossible4 ,to me it seems absurd to believe that this is any truer of nations than it is of individuals4 ,it is not each nation's desire for national oppression which makes peace impossible2 it is the fact that thus far in the world's history such desire has been bound up with militarism4 ,the nation whose frontier bristles with bayonets and with forts is like the individual with a magazine pistol in his pocket4 ,both make for murder4 ,both in their hearts really mean murder4 ,the world will be better when the nations invite the judgment of their neighbors and are influenced by it4 ,when ,john ,hay said that the ,golden ,rule and the open door should guide our new diplomacy he said something which should be applicable to the new diplomacy of the whole world4 ,the ,golden ,rule and a free chance are all that any man ought to want or ought to have1 and they are all that any nation ought to want or ought to have4 ,one of the controlling principles of a democratic ,state is that its military and naval establishments must be completely subservient to the civil power4 ,they should form the police1 and not be the dominant factor of any national life4 ,as soon as they go beyond this simple function in any nation1 then that nation is afflicted with militarism4 ,it is difficult to make predictions of the war's effect on us4 ,as ,i see it1 our position will depend a good deal upon the outcome of the conflict1 and what that will be no one at present knows4 ,if a new map of ,europe follows the war1 its permanence will depend upon whether or not the changes are such as will permit nationalities to organize as nations4 ,the world should have learned through the lessons of the past that it is impossible permanently and peacefully to submerge large bodies of aliens if they are treated as aliens4 ,that is the opposite of the mixing process which is so successfully building a nation out of varied nationalities in the ,united ,states4 ,the old ,romans understood this4 ,they permitted their outlying vassal nations to speak any language they chose and to worship whatever god they chose1 so long as they recognized the sovereignty of ,rome4 ,when a conquering nation goes beyond that1 and begins to suppress religions1 languages1 and customs1 it begins at that very moment to sow the seeds of insurrection and revolution4 ,my old teacher and colleague1 ,prof4 ,burgess1 once defined a nation as an ethnographic unit inhabiting a geographic unit4 ,that is an illuminating definition4 ,if a nation is not an ethnographic unit1 it tries to become one by oppressing or amalgamating the weaker portions of its people4 ,if it is not a geographic unit1 it tries to become one by reaching out to a mountain chain or to the sea--to something which will serve as a real dividing line between it and its next neighbors4 ,the accuracy of this definition can hardly be denied1 and we all know what the violations of this principle have been in ,europe4 ,it is unnecessary for me to point them out4 ,races rarely have been successfully mixed by conquest4 ,the military winner of a war is not always the real conqueror in the long run4 ,the ,normans conquered ,saxon ,england1 but ,saxon law and ,saxon institutions worked up through the new power and have dominated ,england's later history4 ,the ,teutonic tribes conquered ,rome1 but ,roman civilization1 by a sort of capillary attraction1 went up into the mass above and presently dominated the ,teutons4 ,the persistency of a civilization may well be superior in tenacity to mere military conquest and control4 ,the smallness of the number of instances in which conquering nations have been able successfully to deal with alien peoples is extraordinary4 ,the ,romans were unusually successful1 and ,england has been successful with all but the ,irish1 but perhaps no other peoples have been successful in high degree in an effort to hold alien populations as vassals and to make them really happy and comfortable as such4 ,one of the war's chief effects on us will be to change our point of view4 ,europe will be more vivid to us from now on4 ,there are many public men who have never thought much about ,europe1 and who have been far from a realization of its actual importance to us4 ,it has been a place to which to go for a ,summer holiday4 ,but1 suddenly1 they find they cannot sell their cotton there or their copper1 that they cannot market their stocks and bonds there1 that they cannot send money to their families who are traveling there1 because there is a war4 ,to such men the war must have made it apparent that interdependence among nations is more than a mere phrase4 ,all our trade and all our economic and social policies must recognize this4 ,the world has discovered that cash without credit means little4 ,one cannot use cash if one cannot use one's credit to draw it whenever and wherever needed4 ,credit is intangible and volatile1 and may be destroyed over night4 ,i saw this in ,venice4 ,on ,july #ca ,i could have drawn every cent that my letter of credit called for up to the time the banks closed4 ,at #aj in the morning on the #ast of ,august ,i could not draw the value of a postage stamp4 ,yet the banker in ,new ,york who issued my letter of credit had not failed4 ,his standing was as good as ever it had been4 ,but the world's system of international exchange of credit had suffered a stroke of paralysis over night4 ,this realization of international interdependence1 ,i hope1 will elevate and refine our patriotism by teaching men a wider sympathy and a deeper understanding of other peoples1 nations1 and languages4 ,i sincerely hope it will educate us up to what ,i have called ',the ,international ,mind4' ,when ,joseph ,chamberlain began his campaign after returning from ,south ,africa his keynote was1 ',learn to think imperially4' ,i think ours should be1 ',learn to think internationally1' to see ourselves not in competition with the other peoples of the world1 but working with them toward a common end1 the advance of civilization4 ,a ,note of ,optimism4 ,there are hopeful signs1 even in the midst of the gloom that hangs over us4 ,think what it has meant for the great nations of ,europe to have come to us1 as they have done1 asking our favorable public opinion4 ,we have no army and navy worthy of their fears4 ,they can have been induced by nothing save their conviction that we are the possessors of sound political ideals and a great moral force4 ,in other words1 they do not want us to fight for them1 but they do want us to approve of them4 ,they want us to pass judgment upon the humanity and the legality of their acts1 because they feel that our judgment will be the judgment of history4 ,there is a lesson in this4 ,if we had not repealed the ,panama ,canal ,tolls ,exemption act last ,june they would not have come to us as they are doing now4 ,who would have cared for our opinion in the matter of a treaty violation if1 for mere financial interest or from sheer vanity1 we ourselves had violated a solemn treaty8 ,when ,congress repealed the ,panama ,canal ,tolls ,exemption act it marked an epoch in the history of the ,united ,states4 ,this did more than the ,spanish war1 than the building of the ,panama ,canal1 or than anything else ,i think of1 to make us a true world power4 ,as a nation we have kept our word when sorely tempted to break it4 ,we made ,cuba independent1 we have not exploited the ,philippines1 we have stood by our word as to ,panama ,canal tolls4 ,in consequence we are the first moral power in the world today4 ,others may be first with armies1 still others first with navies4 ,but we have made good our right to be appealed to on questions of national and international morality4 ,that ,europe is seeking our favor is the tribute of the ,european nations to this fact4 ,a ,new ,world ,map ,by ,wilhelm ,ostwald4 ,late ,visiting ,professor to ,harvard and ,columbia ,universities from the ,university of ,leipsic4 ,the following article is extracted from a letter written by ,prof4 ,ostwald to ,edwin ,d4 ,mead1 ,director of the ,world ,peace ,foundation4 ,the war is the result of a deliberate onslaught upon ,germany and ,austria by the powers of the ,triple ,entente--,russia1 ,france1 and ,england4 ,its object is on the part of ,russia an extension of ,russian supremacy over the ,balkans1 on the side of ,france revenge1 and on the side of ,england annihilation of the ,german ,navy and ,german commerce4 ,in ,england especially it has been for several centuries a constant policy to destroy upon favoring occasion every navy of every other country which threatened to become equal to the ,english ,navy4 ,germany has proved its love of peace for forty-four years under the most trying circumstances4 ,while all other ,states have expanded themselves by conquest1 ,russia in ,manchuria1 ,england in the ,transvaal1 ,france in ,morocco1 ,italy in ,tripoli1 ,austria in ,bosnia1 ,japan in ,korea1 ,germany alone has contented itself with the borders fixed in #ahga4 ,it is purely a war of defense which is now forced upon us4 ,in the face of these attacks ,germany has until now 7the end of ,august7 proved its military superiority1 which rests upon the fact that the entire ,german military force is scientifically organized and honestly administered4 ,the violation of ,belgian neutrality was an act of military necessity1 since it is now proved that ,belgian neutrality was to be violated by ,france and ,england4 ,a proof of this is the accumulation of ,english munitions in ,maubeuge1 aside from many other facts4 ,according to the course of the war up to the present time1 ,european peace seems to me nearer than ever before4 ,we pacificists must only understand that unhappily the time was not yet sufficiently developed to establish peace by the peaceful way4 ,if ,germany1 as everything now seems to make probable1 is victorious in the struggle not only with ,russia and ,france but attains the further end of destroying the source from which for two or three centuries all ,european strifes have been nourished and intensified1 namely1 the ,english policy of world dominion1 then will ,germany1 fortified on one side by its military superiority1 on the other side by the eminently peaceful sentiment of the greatest part of its people1 and especially of the ,german ,emperor1 dictate peace to the rest of ,europe1 ,i hope especially that the future treaty of peace will in the first place provide effectually that a ,european war such as the present can never again break out4 ,i hope1 moreover1 that the ,russian people1 after the conquest of their armies1 will free themselves from ,czarism through an internal movement by which the present political ,russia will be resolved into its natural units1 namely1 ,great ,russia1 the ,caucasus1 ,little ,russia1 ,poland1 ,siberia1 and ,finland1 to which probably the ,baltic provinces would join themselves4 ,these1 ,i trust1 would unite themselves with ,finland and ,sweden1 and perhaps with ,norway and ,denmark1 into a ,baltic federation1 which in close connection with ,germany would insure ,european peace1 and especially form a bulwark against any disposition to war which might remain in ,great ,britain4 ,for the other side of the earth ,i predict a similar development under the leadership of the ,united ,states4 ,i assume that the ,english dominion will suffer a downfall similar to that which ,i have predicted for ,russia1 and that under these circumstances ,canada would join the ,united ,states1 the expanded republic assuming a certain leadership with reference to the ,south ,american republics4 ,the principle of the absolute sovereignty of the individual nations1 which in the present ,european tumult has proved itself so inadequate and baneful1 must be given up and replaced by a system conforming to the world's actual conditions and especially to those political and economic relations which determine industrial and cultural progress and the common welfare4 ,illustration3 ,,nicholas ,,murray ,,butler ,see ,page #efe ,illustration3 ,,arthur ,,von ,,briesen ,see ,page #edh ,the ,verdict of the ,american ,people ,by ,newell ,dwight ,hillis4 ,dr4 ,hillis1 who occupies the pulpit of ,plymouth ,church1 ,brooklyn1 made famous by the pastorate of the late ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 delivered the following remarkable sermon on the ,european ,war on ,sunday1 ,dec4 #bj1 #aiad1 choosing as his text the words3 ,from whence come wars8 ,come they not from your own lusts8 ,nearly five months have now passed by since the ,german ,army invaded ,belgium and ,france4 ,these #adj days have been packed with thrilling and momentous events4 ,while from their safe vantage ground the ,american people have surveyed the scene1 an old rgime has literally crumbled under our very eyes4 ,europe is a loom on whose earthen framework demiurgic forces like ,frederick the ,great1 ,bismarck1 and ,napoleon once wove the texture of ,european civilization4 ,now the demon of war has1 with hot knife1 shorn away the texture1 and a modern ,czar and ,kaiser1 ,king and ,president1 with ,generals and ,admirals1 are weaving the warp and woof of a new world4 ,one hundred years ago the forces that bred wars were political forces2 today the collision between nations is born of economic interests4 ,the twentieth century influences are chiefly the force of wealth and the force of public opinion4 ,these are the giant steeds1 though the reins of the horses may be in the hands of ,kings and ,kaisers4 ,in ,napoleon's day antagonism grew out of the natural hatred of autocracy for democracy1 of ,german imperialism for ,french radicalism4 ,today ,germany is not even interested in ,france's republican form of ,government1 nor is ,france concerned with ,germany's imperial autocrat4 ,but all ,europe is intensely concerned with the question of economic supremacy or financial subordination4 ,ever since ,oliver ,cromwell's day ,england has been the mistress of the seas1 and ,germany is envious and believes that she has a right to supplant ,england in this naval leadership4 ,france has long been the banker of ,europe1 and ,germany covets financial leadership4 ,from whence come wars8 ,come they not from men's lusts8 ,now that long time has passed1 it is quite certain that neither ,napoleon nor ,bismarck nor ,william ,,ii4 understood the future4 ,it is a proverb that yesterday is a seed1 today the stalk1 and tomorrow is the full corn in the ear4 ,napoleon was a practical man1 but he could not see the shock in the seed4 ,when ,napoleon said1 ,one hundred years from now ,europe will be all republican or all ,cossack--,napoleon was quite wrong4 ,forty years ago ,bismarck said that he had reduced ,france to the level of a fourth-class nation1 and that henceforth ,france did not count2 while as for the ,balkan ,states1 the whole ,eastern question is not worth the bones of a ,pomeranian grenadier--,bismarck was quite wrong4 ,the present ,kaiser has no imagination4 ,a man of any prevision of the future might have foreseen that any attack upon ,england would settle the ,irish question2 that any treaty with ,turkey would force ,italy1 as ,turkey's enemy in the late ,italian-,turkish war1 to break with ,germany2 any man with the least instinct for diplomacy might have known that the twentieth century man is so incensed by an enemy's trespass upon his property1 that ,belgium would have resisted encroachment1 and so cost ,germany the best three weeks of the entire war4 ,if the history of great wars tells us anything1 it tells us that the first qualification of the statesman and diplomat is an intuitive knowledge of a future that is the certain outcome of the present4 ,there has been no foresight on the part of the makers and advisers of this war4 ,years ago1 when the ,austrian ,emperor visited ,innsbruck1 the ,burgomaster ordered foresters to go up on the mountain sides and cut certain swaths of brush4 ,at the moment the man with his axe did not know what he was doing1 but when the night fell1 and the torch was lifted on the boughs1 the people in the city below read these words written in letters of fire1 ,welcome to our ,emperor4 ,today the demon of war has been writing with blazing letters certain lessons upon the hills and valleys of ,europe1 and fortunate is that youth who can read the writing and interpret aright the lessons of the times4 ,the people of the republic now realize for the first time what are the inevitable fruits of imperialism and militarism4 ,one of the perils of ,america's distance from the scenes of autocracy is that our people have come to think that the forms of government are of little importance4 ,we hear it said that climate determines government and that one nation likes autocracy and another limited monarchy1 that we like democracy self-government1 and that the people are about as happy under one form of control as another4 ,this misconception is based upon a failure to understand foreign imperialism4 ,superficially1 the fruits of autocracy are efficiency1 industrial wealth1 and military power4 ,but now1 after nearly five months of constant discussion1 our people understand thoroughly the other side of imperialism4 ,the #f1jjj1jjj of ,german-,americans living in this country1 with their high type of character1 millions who have left their native land to escape service in the army1 the burdens of taxation involved in militarism1 and the law of lse majest1 should have opened our eyes long ago4 ,during the last five years ,i have lectured in more than one hundred cities on the ,new ,germany and the lessons derived from her industrial efficiency1 with the application of science to the production of wealth1 but ,i did not appreciate fully the far-off harvest of militarism4 ,and1 lest an ,american overstate the meaning of militarism1 let me condense ,treitschke's view4 ,he holds that the nation should be looked upon as a vast military engine2 that its ruler should be the commander of the army2 that his ,cabinet should be under ,generals2 that the whole nation should march with the force of an armed regiment2 that the real sin against the ,holy ,ghost was the sin of military impotence2 that such an army should take all it wants and the territory it needs and explain afterward4 ,manufacturers are essentially inventors of cannons and guns and dreadnoughts1 incidentally self-supporting men4 ,bankers are here to finance the army and incidentally to make money4 ,physicians are here to heal the wounded soldiers4 ,gymnasiums are founded to train soldiers4 ,women are here to breed soldiers1 and militarism is the path that will bring ,germany to her place in the sun4 ,the youth is first of all to be a soldier and incidentally to be a man4 ,no one has indicted ,germany's militarism in stronger language than the distinguished ,german-,american1 ,carl ,schurz4 ,in words that burn the great statesman expressed his hatred of the imperialism and militarism against which he helped to organize a revolution that led to his flight to this country4 ,of late ,americans have been asking themselves certain questions4 ,the ,american ,ideal vs4 the ,german4 ,what will be the result if ,germany is allowed to seize any smaller ,state whose territory and property she covets8 ,is all ,europe to become an armed camp8 ,what is the meaning of this ,german professor's article in ,the ,north ,american ,review1 written two or three years ago1 in which he says that once she is victorious the ,monroe ,doctrine will go and the ,united ,states will receive the thrashing she so richly deserves8 ,must we then go over to the military ideal8 ,if ,germany supports #h1jjj1jjj soldiers out of #ff1jjj1jjj1 must we withdraw from productive industry #ab1jjj1jjj men for at least two or three of the best years of their young life8 ,must we start in on a programme of ten dreadnoughts a year instead of building ten colleges and universities for the same sum of money8 ,of late ,americans who love their country have been searching their own hearts4 ,merchants hitherto busied with commerce are asking themselves whither this country is drifting4 ,is ,germany to compel us to become a vast military machine8 ,this military question is a subject of discussion on the street cars and in the stores1 at the dining room table4 ,no articles in paper and magazine are so eagerly read and analyzed4 ,the ,american ideal is not a military machine1 but a high quality of manhood4 ,to make men free1 with the gift of self-expression2 to make men wise through the public school and the free press2 to make men self-sufficing and happy in their homes1 through freedom of industrial contracts2 to make men sound in their manhood through religious liberty for ,jew and ,gentile and ,catholic and ,protestant--these are our national ideals4 ,america stands at the other pole of the universe from imperialism and militarism4 ,so far from being willing to desert the political faith of the fathers1 this war has confirmed our confidence in self-government4 ,liberty to grow1 freedom to climb as high as industry and ability will permit1 liberty to analyze and discuss the views of ,president1 ,congress1 ,governor--these are our rights4 ,in a military autocracy there can be no liberty of the printing press4 ,if a man criticises the ,kaiser1 he goes to jail2 in this republic1 if ,horace ,greeley criticises ,abraham ,lincoln1 ,abraham ,lincoln does not send the great editor to jail1 but writes the latter1 ,my paramount object is to save the ,union1 and vindicates himself at the bar of the nation4 ,an ,american editor or citizen would choke to death in ,germany4 ,he could not breathe because of the mephitic gases of imperialism and militarism4 ,for a long time some of us did not realize what was involved1 but now we do realize the difference between the fruits of democratic self-government and the fruits of military imperialism4 ,the last five months have brought a new realization to ,american citizens as to the rights and liberties of small ,states4 ,in the republic the sin of trespass is one of the blackest of sins4 ,here we hold to the sanctity of property4 ,a man's home is his castle1 a citadel that cannot be invaded even by the power of the ,state4 ,so deep is the ,american hatred of trespass against property rights that imperialism finds it impossible to understand this4 ,here the individual is a king of kings in his native right1 and takes out an injunction against the city that wishes to trespass upon his property4 ,this antagonism manifests itself in the laws that safeguard the small shopkeeper against the big firm1 and the small manufacturer against any company with its billion dollars of capital4 ,this antagonism to the sin of trespass has lent a peculiar sanctity to treaties between ,canada and the ,united ,states4 ,we have one hundred millions of people1 and ,canada nine millions4 ,we need many things that ,canada has1 but it is intellectually unthinkable that we should take what we want and explain afterward1 or that we should violate our treaty guaranteeing neutrality to ,canada4 ,our frontier line is three thousand miles long4 ,there is not a fort from ,maine to ,victoria4 ,if we adopted ,germany's position we would have to build one thousand forts1 withdraw two million young men from the farm1 factory1 store and bank1 and load the working people with taxes to support them4 ,in a free land1 and in ,god's world1 there should be a place for the poor man and for the small nation4 ,in the olden time there was a king who had herds and flocks1 and a poor man who had one pet lamb4 ,it came to pass that a stranger claimed the right of hospitality at the rich man's palace1 and the king sent out and took the poor man's one lamb and gave it for food to the stranger4 ,and1 soon or late1 the time will come when history will tell the story of ,germany's taking little ,belgium1 and conscience1 like a prophet1 will indict the militarism that seized the one lamb that belonged to the poor man4 ,this episode is not closed4 ,the ,german representative who says that ,belgium is a part of ,germany may be right in terms of future government and war1 but the incident has just begun in the memory of the soldiers who never can forget that they first broke their sacred treaty1 and then1 when the ,belgian defended his home as his castle1 butchered the man1 who died with a sacred treaty in his hand4 ,why1 all over this land1 teachers1 fathers1 editors1 authors1 have found it necessary to say to the young men and women of the republic1 ,do not sign your name to an obligation unless you intend to keep it4 ,keep your faith4 ,remember that your word given should be as good as your bond4 ,swear to your own hurt1 and change not4 ,all this is inevitable1 as the result of ,germany's trespass upon the property and the homes of ,belgium4 ,in some ,european lands the ,state is everything and the individual nothing4 ,in this republic the individual is first1 and the ,state is here to safeguard his rights and see to it that no one trespasses upon his property4 ,the time will come when the nation that breaks its treaties and sows to the wind shall of that wind reap the whirlwind4 ,it is an awful thing for a nation to make it inevitable that hereafter when other people sign a treaty with that country1 that our representatives shall say3 ,before we sign this treaty with you1 we wish to ask one question4 ,later1 if it is to your interest to break this treaty1 is this document to be sneered at as a scrap of paper8 ,or does this treaty mean the faith of a nation that will die rather than break its word1 given before the tribunal of civilized ,states8 ,the ,death of the ,tribal ,god ,idea4 ,this great war and one or two of the leaders thereof have killed the old tribal idea of ,god4 ,in the twentieth century it seems almost ludicrous to find that the conception of the ancient ,hebrews is still held by some rulers4 ,be the reasons what they may1 of late there has been a strange recrudescence of the tribal ,god idea4 ,this is the twentieth century1 not the tenth6 ,think of a man sending his soldiers into ,belgium1 saying1 ,make yourselves as terrible as the ,huns of ,attila1 and the ,lord our ,god will give you victory4 ,just as if ,god were not the ,god of the whole earth1 a disinterested ,god1 a ,god who makes ,his sun to shine and ,his rain to fall upon all ,his children1 without regard to race or clime or color4 ,why1 it is as artless as the way the old ,hebrew peasant called on ,god to blast his enemy's field1 and drown his children with floods1 and smite his herds with the plague4 ,the tribal idea of ,god belongs with the ox cart1 the medicine man1 the cave dweller4 ,this is an era of science4 ,whatever is true is universal1 not racial4 ,if the heart beats and the blood circulates in a ,german soldier's veins1 the blood flows in the veins of the people of ,england and ,france4 ,if the earth goes around the sun in ,berlin1 the earth goes around the sun in ,petrograd and ,edinburgh4 ,if there are seven rays in the sunbeam1 why1 the discussion is closed1 and it is a universal fact4 ,and if ,jesus was right when ,he said1 ,god is our ,father1 and all the races are our brothers1 and the world has been fitted up by ,god as an ,eden garden for ,his children1 then no man or ruler should ever adopt the view of the peasant and the cave man1 and try to make the ,eternal ,god a tribal ,god4 ,the unconscious humor in the statements of one or two men as to their tribal ,god idea has added to the gayety of nations4 ,but when any view is laughed at1 it is doomed4 ,from the very moment that the doctrine of election1 that made ,god love a few aristocrats and pass the non-elect by1 became a matter of joke in the comic papers1 that theory was dead4 ,not otherwise is it with this idea of a tribal ,god4 ,when ,barry ,paine begins to say1 ,led by ,william1 as you tell1 ,god has done extremely well1 the tribal idea has been relegated to the theological scrap-heap4 ,the peasant's view must go4 ,in this age men must be citizens of all countries and of the universe4 ,god is a sun ,who shines for the poor man's hut as truly as for the rich man's palace4 ,the ,judge of all the earth is also the ,father of all the races1 and ,he will do men good and not evil4 ,in view of the events of the last few months1 all ,americans now realize as never before the futility of war as a means of settling disputes4 ,indeed1 it may be doubted whether any war has ever settled any question4 ,defeat did not convince the ,south that they were wrong in their idea of ,state rights or slavery4 ,if the ,south has given up both ideas today it is because time1 events1 and social progress have changed their view1 not because the sword convinced them4 ,bismarck's victory at ,versailles and von ,moltke's at ,sedan did not settle the dispute with ,france4 ,to keep one billion dollars of indemnity ,germany must have spent five billions on forts and armies in the government of ,alsace and ,lorraine4 ,germany's apparent victory simply put ,germany's trouble with ,france out at compound interest1 and left the next generation of ,germans to pay several billions of dollars of accrued debt through hatred4 ,plainly it is folly not to reconstitute the map of ,europe4 ,the frontier lines of the geographer should exactly coincide with the racial lines4 ,the ,german race1 with their peculiar ideals1 ought not to try to govern the ,french race4 ,it is an expensive experiment4 ,it is an impossible experiment4 ,the plan is doomed to failure in advance4 ,and when the day of payment comes it is quite certain that the questions at issue will not have been settled by regiments of soldiers4 ,they must finally be settled by an appeal to some court of arbitration that will do justice and love mercy2 that will insist upon the rights of the smaller ,states1 and make it impossible for the great ones of the earth to trespass upon the property and the liberties of brave little peoples4 ,imperialism ,confuses ,men's ,judgments4 ,out of the smoke of battle another lesson is written for all who have eyes to read4 ,in view of the mistakes made by men who have absolute power it is now certain that exemption from criticism is a bad thing for any man1 and that endless adoration destroys the ruler's power to think in straight lines4 ,there never lived a man who was not injured by perpetual compliments4 ,strong men are willing to pay cash for criticism4 ,flattery will conceal the weakness1 and they know that pitiless criticism will expose the danger and perhaps save them4 ,no man is so unfortunate as the man who is put on a throne lifted up beyond the reach of plain truth telling4 ,it is doubtful if so many blunders were ever made by statesmen and diplomats as were made at the beginning of this war4 ,just think of one ,government being wrong in all these particulars at the same time6 ,lincoln said1 ,you can't fool all of the people all of the time4 ,yes1 that may be true in a republic1 but you certainly can fool all the diplomats and ,generals and do it all the time--during ,july and ,august1 in any event4 ,call the roll of the diplomatic blunders1 and the list is long4 ,first1 ,england will be neutral and ,ireland will keep her from going to war2 second1 ,italy will be our ally2 third1 ,belgium will be neutral and allow us to trespass upon her property and her homes2 fourth1 ,france is unprepared and ,paris will fall within three weeks2 fifth1 an alliance with ,turkey1 despite her polygamy and butcheries in ,armenia and the civilized world's hatred for her cruelties1 will help us2 sixth1 ,japan will hold ,russia in check2 seventh1 the ,czar will be attacked by ,bulgaria1 ,italy1 and ,china4 ,it seems incredible that any ruler and group of diplomats could be so entirely wrong1 all the time1 on every question1 for a whole ,summer6 ,was there no man as diplomat who had the wisdom to see that an attack upon ,england would end the disputes in ,ireland8 ,and bind together ,canada1 ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 ,south ,africa1 ,india into a new ,united ,states of ,great ,britain8 ,was there no statesman with enough prevision of the future1 and with courage to tell the people in ,wilhelmstrasse that the certain result would be the ,united ,states of ,balkany1 to stand henceforth as a barrier between ,germany and the ,bosphorus8 ,was there no one to remind ,berlin that ,italy had just completed a war with ,turkey and that any treaty with ,turkey meant inevitably the breaking of friendship with ,italy8 ,alas6 for the man who is elevated to a throne1 in whose presence men burn incense1 pour forth flattery that he may breathe its perfume1 sing songs of praise that he may slumber6 ,in concluding our survey of the nations and the stake of each country in the war1 there is one reflection that must be obvious to all thinking men4 ,this little fire of last ,august has become a world conflagration4 ,the nation that first sent out her armies was ,germany4 ,there is a high-water mark of battle in every war1 and after that1 the invading waves begin their retreat4 ,the high-water mark of ,napoleon's was ,austerlitz and the waves ebbed away at ,waterloo4 ,the high-water mark of the civil war was ,gettysburg1 and the tide ebbed out at ,appomattox4 ,belgium's defense cost ,germany the three most important weeks of the war1 and her high-water mark was when she was within twenty miles of ,paris4 ,occasional eddies and returns of the tide there may be1 but nothing is more certain than that there are ten nations and six hundred millions of men that had rather die than have militarism imposed upon themselves and their children4 ,americans who admire ,german efficiency1 the ,german people1 and want to see ,german science preserved1 and feel an immeasurable debt to ,martin ,luther1 do not want ,germany destroyed4 ,but ,germany will not listen to ,england1 nor ,france1 nor ,america4 ,there is only one voice that can reach ,germany--it is the voice of the ,german-,americans in this country4 ,they are six million strong4 ,they are among the most honored and esteemed folk in ,american life4 ,their achievements are beyond all praise4 ,the ,germans have built ,milwaukee and have done much for ,st4 ,louis4 ,the ,germans have been great forces in ,cincinnati and ,chicago and ,new ,york4 ,what wealth among their bankers6 ,what prosperity among ,german manufacturers6 ,what solidity of manhood in these ,german ,lutherans6 ,was there ever a finer body of farming folk than the ,german landowners of the ,middle ,west8 ,the republic owes the ,german-,american a great debt as to liberty through men like ,carl ,schurz4 ,take ,martin ,luther and ,german liberty of thought out of the republic and this land would suffer an immeasurable loss4 ,many of these ,german-,americans own great estates and have investments in the ,fatherland4 ,today these six million ,german-,americans have the centre of the world's stage4 ,this war is a conflagration that will probably burn itself out4 ,but if the six million ,german-,americans organize themselves and hold great meetings of protest in ,new ,york and ,brooklyn and ,chicago and ,milwaukee1 in ,st4 ,louis and ,cincinnati2 if ,german-,american editors and bankers and business men united their voice1 they would be heard4 ,german-,american ,man of the ,hour4 ,and do they not owe something to this republic8 ,having come to the kingdom for such a crisis as this1 should they not use their influence with the ,fatherland8 ,having escaped conscription and years of military service1 with heavy taxation and enjoyed the liberty of the press2 having become convinced that militarism does not promote the prosperity and manhood of the people1 why should they not as one man ask the ,fatherland now to present their cause to arbitrators8 ,to no body of ,american citizens has there ever come a more strategic opportunity1 or a responsibility so heavy4 ,some of the most thoughtful men in this land believe that the destiny of ,germany rests now largely with the leaders of the #f1jjj1jjj ,german-,americans in our country4 ,but no matter what the outcome1 let no man think that ,god and justice are not fully equal to this emergency4 ,the great vine of ,liberty was planted by ,divine hands in the ,eden garden4 ,just now men are feeding the blossoms of the tree of life to their war horses and splitting the boughs of that tree into shafts for their spears4 ,the storm roars through the branches1 but the storm will die out4 ,better days are coming4 ,it may be that the convulsion of war will do for ,europe what the earthquake did for the rude folk of ,greece--cracked the solid rock and exposed the silver veins that gave the wealth with which rude men built ,athens1 with its art1 its literature1 its law and its liberty4 ,take no counsel of crouching fear1 ,god is abroad in the world4 ,with ,him a thousand years are as one day4 ,when a long time has passed let us believe that self-government will be found to be the most stable form of government1 and that these golden words1 ,liberty1 ,opportunity1 ,intelligence1 and ,integrity1 will be the watch-words not only of the republic1 but of all the nations of the earth4 ,interview ,with ,dr4 ,hillis ,from the ,brooklyn ,eagle4 ,a frank declaration that he was opposed to ,germany in the present great war was the answer returned today ,dec4 #ba1 #aiad by the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,newell ,dwight ,hillis to the protests against his sermon at ,plymouth ,church last night1 in which he scored militarism and the ,kaiser4 ,not only did ,dr4 ,hillis come out with the statement that he had said and meant all to which exception was taken in his sermon1 but1 in an interview today in his study1 in the ,arbuckle ,institute1 he asserted as well that he had told but little of what he had come to believe about ,germany4 ,this position1 he said1 was that ,america and all the world must hope for ,german defeat1 and must see that ,germany was in the wrong4 ,i was for ,germany five months ago1 said ,dr4 ,hillis4 ,i have been lecturing for five years about the lessons we might learn from ,germany4 ,five months ago1 it may be remembered1 ,i gave an interview1 in which ,i praised ,germany and in which ,i took the part of the ,german people in the dreadful war that had come4 ,but ,i have changed my mind4 ,i have seen that ,i was mistaken4 ,several months ago ,i gave instructions to my lecture bureau to withdraw my lecture1 ',the ,new ,germany1' from my list4 ,that was about the middle of ,september1 and it was only then that ,i realized what a ,german success would mean to the world--how there could be nothing else but a world of armed camps1 how we in this country1 too1 would have to adopt militarism in order to live4 ,just prior to that time1 in the first of my ,sunday evening sermons in this course1 ,i had praised the ,kaiser4 ,i believed in the ,german ideals1 ,i believed in ,german progress1 ,german inventions1 ,german principles4 ,but ,i was wrong4 ,i have now become convinced of what ,i never imagined before--that in the ,german viewpoint the only sin against the ,holy ,ghost is military impotency1 and1 to use ,treitschke's words again1 the only virtue is militarism4 ,the pastor of ,plymouth uttered this attack upon ,germany with a scornfulness which the printed word can hardly indicate4 ,he was as strongly against ,germany--more strongly against ,germany now than he had before been in favor of ,germany1 he said4 ,it was a position1 he said1 to which everybody in the ,united ,states was turning1 and it was inevitable that ,germany should find the world against her4 ,in his frank avowal of his position regarding ,germany and the ,kaiser1 ,dr4 ,hillis admitted1 too1 that his sermon last night had contained more than appeared on the surface4 ,when he stated in the sermon that no man or ruler should ever adopt the view of the peasant and the cave man1 and try to make the ,eternal ,god a tribal ,god1 he had the ,kaiser in mind1 said ,dr4 ,hillis4 ,the sermon is published in full in today's sermon pages of ,the ,eagle4 ,in addition1 ,dr4 ,hillis said that while he believed that his sermon could not be considered in any way a violation of ,president ,wilson's appeal for neutrality1 yet1 indirectly1 the passages to which exception had been taken could be rightly construed as an attack upon ,germany and the ,kaiser4 ,you believe that it is right for a minister to use the pulpit to express his own views upon a subject like this8 was asked4 ,i do not believe that it is right for a minister to air his peculiar political views upon any subject--personal1 social1 or economic1 answered ,dr4 ,hillis1 emphatically4 ,the church is a conservatory where a warm1 genial atmosphere should be created4 ,my conception of the work of a minister is that he is to create an atmosphere in the church on ,sunday so that the ,republican with the tariff1 the ,democrat who believes in free trade1 and the ,single ,taxer can all grow and express their judgment during the week4 ,the sun and the ,summer shine for all kinds of seeds and roots1 and the minister and the church should create an atmosphere in which all temperaments and races and faiths can grow4 ,it is quite true that there were some of my ,german friends and members who rather protested against my view last night4 ,but they had the same right and liberty to protest that ,i have4 ,a ,german physician told me plainly that he thought that within six months ,i would change my view1 and with the new light go over to the position of his native land1 and even thought that ,i might retract all my studies1 that are apparently prejudiced in favor of the republic and self-government and the liberty of the press4 ,well1 if ,i do change my views and am converted to his viewpoint1 ,i certainly will retract my statements4 ,but ,i think this improbable4 ,the task of converting me should be let out as a ,government contract--in piecemeal4 ,dr4 ,hillis was reminded here that a number of people were said to have left the church last night in the course of his sermon as a sign of protest against the expression of his views4 ,asked if it were true1 ,dr4 ,hillis answered3 ,i did not see many leave1 and then declared that it was impossible to imagine that war should not be discussed in the churches as it was being discussed everywhere else4 ,he continued with the assertion that he believed it was his duty as the minister of ,plymouth ,church to say what he had1 and then made this assertion with a vehemence that was almost startling3 ,whenever the time comes that ,i have to add ,god and the devil together and divide by two in the name of neutrality1 ,i'll withdraw4 ,i'm not going to sacrifice my manhood for what some people call neutrality4 ,it was on this score that ,dr4 ,hillis came out with his unequivocal declaration that he was against ,germany and against the ,kaiser4 ,he asserted that the viewpoint of the ,german people would have to be changed if they were to take the place in the world he had thought their due1 five months ago1 and he stated there could be no doubt but that the war was occasioned by ,germany's lust for power--political1 industrial1 economic4 ,i believe that the real issue of this war is largely industrial1 continued ,dr4 ,hillis4 ,it is an industrial war and not a political war4 ,some days ago ,i said that the real fight between ,germany and the nations opposed to her was a fight for the possession of the iron fields recently discovered in ,northern ,france4 ,that statement regarding ,germany's iron deposits and the whole economic situation has been challenged4 ,instead of modifying my position1 ,i wish to reaffirm it4 ,this is an age of steel4 ,without hematite iron deposits ,germany cannot build her steamships1 her cannon1 her railways1 her factories4 ,german engineers have been saying for five years that another five years will exhaust her present iron supply4 ,on ,page #bba of the volume ',problems of ,power1' the author says that within a generation #bj1jjj1jjj of ,germany's people will have to leave their native land4 ,the pressure of iron and the call of steel led to ,germany's development of the ,morocco situation1 where there are valuable iron mines4 ,a short time ago ,french engineers discovered the largest and richest body of iron ore in ,europe4 ,fullerton1 in his book on the subject1 expresses the judgment that one province has enough hematite iron ore to last ,europe for the next #aej years4 ,this diplomat and author said plainly two years ago1 in one of his review articles1 that ,germany would go to war to obtain the iron deposits in ,northern ,france1 and that if she loses the war1 she will fall behind in the manufacturing race1 and that the ,french bankers and ,french engineers will make ,france the great manufacturing force and the richest people in ,europe4 ,the ,napoleonic wars were wars between political ideas4 ,the collision was between autocracy and bureaucracy and ,french democracy and radicalism4 ,the new antagonism grows out of economic conditions4 ,germany wants to supersede ,england upon the seas1 and ,germany wants the iron mines of ,france1 and this is the whole situation in a nutshell4 ,no1 ,i am not sinning against the law of neutrality4 ,i am trying to freshen the old ,american ideals of self-government for the young men and women in ,plymouth ,church4 ,if the whole-hearted support of ,america's free institutions involves indirectly a dissent from imperialism and militarism1 ,i am not responsible4 ,i admit there is a necessary condemnation of autocracy involved in the mere publication of the ,declaration of ,independence4 ,ours is a ,government of laws and not of men1 and ,i have been discussing the principles of self-government and not rulers who represent imperialism4 ,neutrality does not mean the wiping out of conviction4 ,there are some men who think that neutrality means adding ,god and the devil together and dividing by two4 ,and there are some statesmen who seem to think that neutrality means adding together autocracy and democracy1 and halving the result4 ,i do not share that view4 ,i believe it is the first duty of the ,german-,american and the native-born ,american to uphold the fundamental principles of self-government1 and of an industrial civilization as opposed to a military machine1 and if this means protest and criticism1 then that protest must be accepted4 ,,tipperary4 ,by ,,john ,b4 ,,kennedy4 7,at the other end of the long1 long road47 ,who is it stands at the full o' the door8 ,mary ,o',fay1 ,mother ,o',fay4 ,an' what is she watching an' waiting for8 ,och1 none but her soul can say4 ,there's a list in the ,post ,office long an' black1 ,with tidings bad1 and woeful sad2 ,the names of the boys who'll ne'er come back1 ,an' one is her darling lad4 ,we showed her the list2 but she cannot read1 ,so we told her true1 yes1 we told her true4 ,her old eyes stared till they'd almost bleed1 ,an' she swore that none of us knew4 ,she's waiting now for ,father ,o',toole1 ,till he goes her way at the noon of day4 ,she's simperin' white--the poor old fool1 ,for she knows what the priest'll say4 99 99 99 99 99 ,who is it sprawls upon the sod ,at the break o' day8 ,it's ,mickey ,o',fay2 ,his eyes glare up to the walls of ,god1 ,and half of his head is blown away4 ,what is he doing in that strange place1 ,torn and shred1 and murdered dead8 ,he's singin' the psalm of the fighting race ,as his soul soars wide o'erhead4 ,he killed three foemen before he fell 7,och1 the toll he'd take and the skulls he'd break67 ,and he shrieked like a soul escaped from ,hell ,as he died for the ,sassenach's sake4 ,who shall we blame for the awful thing-- ,for the blood that flows and the heart-wrung throes8 ,kaiser or ,czar2 statesman or ,king8 ,och1 leave it to ,him ,who ,knows6 ,as ,america ,sees the ,war ,by ,harold ,begbie4 ,i4 ,in order to determine how ,american public opinion concerning the war is running1 ,the ,london ,daily ,chronicle sent ,mr4 ,begbie to this country4 ,the two articles printed below appeared in ,the ,chronicle4 ,every day of my sojourn in this country deepens the desire in my mind to see an increasing unity of understanding between ,america and ,england4 ,i feel that the audacity of ,america1 its passion for the ,right ,thing1 and its impatience with the spirit of muddling through are the finest incentives for modern ,england1 ,england at this dawn of her political renascence4 ,i feel1 too1 as ,americans themselves most willingly acknowledge1 that ,great ,britain has something to give to ,america out of the ancient treasury of her domestic experience4 ,finally1 ,i like ,americans so heartily that ,i want to be the best of friends with them4 ,but it was only last night in this old and mighty city of ,philadelphia that the greatest of reasons for an alliance was brought sharply home to my mind4 ,i had thought1 loosely enough1 that since we speak the same language1 share many of the same traditions1 and equally desire peace for the prosperity of our trade1 surely some alliance between us was natural1 and with a little effort might be made inevitable4 ,the deeper1 more political1 and far grander reason for this comradeship between the two nations had never definitely shaped itself to my consciousness4 ,enlightenment came to me in the course of conversation with two thoughtful ,philadelphians whose minds are centred on something which transcends patriotism and who work with fine courage and remarkable ability for the triumph of their idea4 ,one of these men said to me3 ,you speak of an alliance between ,england and ,america2 do you mind telling us what you mean by that term alliance8 ,i explained that ,i had no thought in my mind of treaties and tariffs2 that the word alliance meant nothing more to me than conscious friendship1 and that such a disposition between two nations thinking in the same language1 speaking and writing the same language1 must result1 ,i thought1 in an ever-multiplying volume of trade1 to the great advantage of both parties4 ,thinks ,little of ,blood ,ties4 ,out of this explanation came the following statement1 made by the second ,philadelphian3 ,i am as desirous as you are for such an understanding4 ,i desire it so greatly that ,i venture to offer you a warning on the subject4 ,it would be a mistake on your part1 ,i am convinced1 to advocate any such friendship1 any such understanding1 any such alliance1 if you prefer that word1 on the score of blood ties or a common speech4 ,believe me1 the ,american1 to speak generally1 thinks very little of such matters4 ,when ,america was far more ,english in its population than it is now scarcely any country was more unpopular with us than your country4 ,i can remember when hatred for ,england was a kind of gospel with ,americans4 ,the ,irish fanned that hatred4 ,your country had behaved badly toward us1 war had left its scar on our memories1 we rejoiced that we had thrown off a yoke which we felt to be definitely tyrannous4 ,what1 then1 has produced the change in ,america--,america1 whose population is now made up from nearly all the nations of the earth8 ,have your people thought why we are on their side in this present war8 ,have they asked themselves that question8 ,if so1 and they have answered it with such a phrase as 'blood is thicker than water1' ,i can assure you they give not only a false answer but an answer which betrays amazing ignorance1 if you will forgive the word1 of this country's population4 ,blood thicker than water6 ,why1 look at our names2 our blood is world's blood4 ,we're a nation of all the nations4 ,the ,english element is only one element4 ,our ancestors were ,french1 ,dutch1 ,german1 ,spanish1 ,norwegian1 ,russian1 ,danish1 ,irish1 ,greek1 and ,italian4 ,the modern ,american citizen is no more ,english than the ,boers of ,south ,africa are ,english4 ,and yet in overwhelming figures the ,american population is on the side of the ,allies1 and particularly on the side of ,england4 ,why8 ,england ,stands for ,democracy4 ,it is1 he continued1 because ,england of all the nations on the earth stands for the democratic ideals which are the very breath of life to ,america4 ,modern ,england is for us the greatest of democracies4 ,you lead the way to the rest of the world1 if not in science and art1 at any rate here in the great business of humanity's social existence4 ,we see that the old ,england of privilege and obstinate prerogatives and bull-headed conservatism is dead4 ,all your best qualities1 straight dealing1 honesty1 fearless justice1 and faith in the goodness of human nature are devoted now to the only ideals which can save progress from rot and decay4 ,your democracy is master4 ,it has no overlords4 ,and1 from what we can gather since this war broke out1 it would seem that your aristocracy is coming more and more into line with the democracy1 making great sacrifices1 showing a deeper appreciation of the democracy and shedding the worst of its prejudices in the common love of liberty and right4 ,we hope that your aristocracy may render as great a service to the extravagant plutocracy of this country as your democracy has rendered to our democracy4 ,to make life better1 that's the work of all intelligent people4 ,that's what our democracy is after1 and1 because your democracy is after the same thing1 that's why we are on your side in this war4 ,under all the sentiment on the subject this is the bedrock fact4 ,we're for ,england because we're for the ideals of democracy4 ,that we speak the same language is only an accident4 ,it's your spirit we desire to share1 the spirit which desires to make life kinder1 sweeter1 better1 more beautiful1 and more righteous4 ,america believes in civilization4 ,it doesn't want culture in bearskin and top boots4 ,it wants civilization1 and civilization means a culture that takes in the whole of a man's being--his body1 his mind1 his spirit4 ,well1 we think you're after the same ideal2 we believe that you're as conscious of humanity as we are1 and we begin to realize pretty acutely that in a world rather barbarous on the whole1 come to think of it1 we can't afford to lose ,england4 ,the other man added3 ,germany stands for nearly everything we ,americans are opposed to1 tooth and nail4 ,we just loathe militarism4 ,conscription's a thing we abominate4 ,and feudalism is more dead over here than in any country in the world4 ,but bear in mind1 said the first1 we have few people in ,america better than the ,germans4 ,the ,germans are almost the most efficient of our immigrants4 ,they've taught us a lot4 ,we owe them a mighty big debt4 ,before their coming we were prodigals4 ,we used up our natural resources with a ruthless disregard for the future4 ,we leveled our forests for timber1 and just scratched the top soil of the land for corn4 ,now we're learning to farm scientifically and to conserve our wealth4 ,and this is due in no small degree to the ,germans4 ,the ,german1 emancipated from feudalism and kaiserism1 is a pretty good citizen4 ,in fact1 among the men who have most helped modern ,america we reckon ,germans and ,irishmen4 ,i told them this story3 ,a man in ,new ,york was speaking the other day to ,count von ,bernstorff1 the ,german ,ambassador4 ,count von ,bernstorff was endeavoring to prove to this important personage that ,england had forced the war upon ,germany out of jealousy of her trade competition4 ,sir1 said the ,american1 you really must not tell me that1 and ,i advise you not to tell such a tale to other ,americans4 ,for we know very well that we are greater trade rivals of ,england than you are1 and that1 in spite of that fact1 here on this continent of ,america we have got #c1jjj miles of ,british frontier without a fort or a gun4 ,he then said to the ,ambassador3 ,no1 ,sir2 your mistake all through has been in making an enemy of ,england when your best interest was to make friends with her4 ,if you had made friends with ,england1 you would have got all you wanted4 ,to this accusation1 ,i understand1 the ,ambassador made answer that ,germany had endeavored to make friends with ,england1 but had been repulsed4 ,we have a different record in ,england4 ,the ,american quietly reminded the ,ambassador of the fact that ,england admits ,german goods free of tariff charges4 ,germany ,represents ,autocracy4 ,the two ,philadelphians perfectly agreed with the justice of this accusation1 and declared again that it was because ,germany represented all the perils and slavishness of autocracy1 and because ,england represented the freedom1 the justice1 and the passion for social welfare which inspire all living democracies1 that ,america was so absolutely on the ,english side4 ,they spoke of ,ireland1 and expressed the hope that the ,conservative ,party would do nothing to hinder that great settlement which has done so much to increase ,american respect for ,england4 ,we recognize over here1 said one1 that the ,liberal ,party1 in going to the rescue of ,belgium1 sacrificed some of its greatest ideals on the altar of national righteousness4 ,war must have been a bitter draught for ,lloyd ,george4 ,your social programme will be checked for many years4 ,but if the ,conservatives attempt to spoil the ,irish settlement1 that will be worse than anything else4 ,it will mean confusion for you at home and loss of reputation abroad4 ,i spoke of what ,i had heard on this subject from ,irish-,americans1 and they confirmed everything recorded in my former article4 ,the three great things1 outside of increasing opportunities for intercourse1 which have drawn modern ,america toward ,england1 they told me1 are the social legislation of the ,liberal ,party1 the triumph of home rule1 and ,england's keeping her word to ,belgium4 ,by these three things1 ,i was assured1 the old animosities against ,england have been destroyed1 and a spirit of enthusiasm for ,english ideals has been born among ,americans4 ,i should like to say that1 while many ,american women love ,england for the beauty and repose of her social life1 and most eloquently base their affection on the assertion that blood is thicker than water1 the men of ,america are sometimes inclined1 and not unnaturally1 to disapprove of this pleasing sentimentalism4 ,i now begin to perceive that the men of ,america are not jealous of ,england's social life1 but anxious to put their friendship on a more substantial foundation4 ,liberalism not only uplifts democracy2 it establishes ,england in the affection of all vital democracies4 ,if the ,conservatives1 so liberal and charming in their private lives1 combine with the ,liberals after this hideous war to reconstruct our national life and to consolidate the empire1 how great will be the harvest reaped by our children6 ,it is in the high and lofty name of civilization that the ,american people are anxious to make friends with the people of ,great ,britain4 ,we have both got something to live for greater than patriotism and imperialism1 greater because it includes them both4 ,,ii4 ,irish-,american ,feeling ,until ,i came to ,america ,i had not the least idea of the depth of hatred which has existed among ,irish-,americans toward ,england4 ,nothing that ,i ever encountered in ,ireland itself is comparable with this transatlantic fury of unforgiving hate4 ,an ,irishman who had held very high office in ,america1 a well-educated1 a kindly1 and a judicious man1 told me that when war with ,germany was in the air he could not prevent himself from hailing this opportunity for declaring his hatred1 his undying hatred1 of ,england4 ,his father had suffered frightfully in the great famine2 every story he ever heard at his mother's knee was a story of ,english tyranny1 ,english brutality1 ,english rapacity2 ,england1 for him1 stood at the rack centre1 the lustful and bestial slave driver1 the cruel and merciless extortioner4 ,this man's good judgment1 however1 would not suffer him to approve of ,german militarism1 and as events moved forward he gave his support more and more to the cause of the ,allies4 ,but ,i want you to know1 he told me1 striking the table with his hand and watching me carefully1 that ,i was dead against ,john ,redmond for saying that ,ireland must go to the aid of ,england4 ,ireland's call was to go to the aid of civilization4 ,if ,germany had stood for civilization1 ,i should have been on ,germany's side and dead against ,england4 ,i tell you1 at the beginning of this business ,i longed to see ,england defeated1 humiliated1 broken to the dust4 ,but civilization is of such enormous consequence that ,i put my natural hatred of ,england on one side4 ,the violation of ,belgium made me an anti-,german4 ,and with the vast majority of ,irishmen in ,america it was the same thing4 ,the menace of ,german militarism forced us into your camp4 ,i am perfectly certain that but for the violation of ,belgium there would have been in this country among ,irish-,americans an open movement publicly proclaimed in favor of ,germany4 ,that is my fixed opinion4 ,and ,i happen to know what ,i am talking about4 ,no ,hatred of ,england4 ,i gathered in the course of his conversation that ,irish friendliness toward ,england is a final manifestation of a change in the feeling of all ,america toward ,england4 ,it was not very long ago that ,president ,cleveland wanted war with ,england4 ,hatred of ,england was at one time as fiercely handed down from generation to generation by ,americans as by ,irish-,americans4 ,we have to thank our ,english stars that ,america has outgrown this historic hate and that ,irish-,americans now show the new and happier feeling of their compatriots4 ,i asked this ,irishman1 no one better able throughout ,america to express a just opinion on the subject1 what difference had been made in the feeling toward ,england by the passing of the ,home ,rule bill4 ,it was the passing of that bill1 he replied1 which finished the work begun by ,german militarism4 ,home rule has softened our feelings toward ,england1 particularly among the thousands of ,irish-,americans who are born over here and whose fathers have become too ,americanized to remember the sufferings of their ancestors4 ,there is still some hatred of ,england1 but not very much4 ,it is a sentimental1 a poetic hatred1 not a political hatred4 ,one finds it among a few individuals4 ,what agitation is now going on is secret and underground1 a sure proof that it is unrepresentative4 ,we ignore it4 ,it means nothing4 ,no2 the passing of the ,home ,rule bill has given balance to the ,irish mind4 ,it has helped ,irish-,americans to realize that the dreadful sins of ,england are sins of a dead and gone ,england1 and it has helped them to see that the present ,england1 so far as its democracy is concerned1 sincerely desires to make reparation for the past4 ,in fact1 the war and the ,home ,rule bill together have produced such a transformation in the ,irish-,american nature as ,i1 for one1 never expected and never hoped to see4 ,he then warned me that this great change might suffer a dangerous reaction if ,england allows the religious bigotry of ,ulster to split ,ireland into two camps4 ,to the ,irish-,american ,ireland is a country1 a home1 and a shrine1 one and indivisible4 ,such a surrender1 said my friend1 would not only be fatal to ,ireland but fatal to something even greater than ,ireland1 and that is the cause of religion in an age of increasing paganism4 ,for the world can only be saved from the ruin of paganism1 as we are beginning to see very clearly in ,america1 by a union of religious forces4 ,i am a ,catholic1 but ,i say that any man who says ',only through my door can you enter into heaven' is a bad ,christian4 ,there are many doors into heaven4 ,what we have all got to do1 ,catholics and non-,catholics1 is to insist together that there is a heaven1 that there is a life after death1 that there is a ,god4 ,the more doors the better4 ,no one has a monopoly of heaven4 ,and to ,ireland is offered the opportunity1 greater than politicians appear to perceive1 of presenting to the world an example of tolerance and compromise in the supreme interests of religion which may have incalculable results for the whole world4 ,but what will happen if ,england bows before the worst and the stupidest bigotry the modern world can show8 ,not only will you strike a blow at ,ireland and a blow at ,irish-,american sympathy1 but a blow at the vitals of religion4 ,for it is only by sinking religious differences and making a common advance against this universal paganism that religion can save the soul of civilization4 ,if you do not see the truth of that fact in ,england ,i think you must be blind4 ,the fullness of civilization hangs upon religious union2 religious dissension is the enemy4 ,change in ,ulster4 ,another ,irish-,american who was present on this occasion1 an accomplished man of letters and a traveler1 asked me what ,england felt about ,ulster's share in the responsibility for the present war4 ,i myself have seen two letters from ,ulster1 he said1 in which the phrase occurs1 ',rather the ,kaiser than the ,pope4' ,these letters were written before the war4 ,ulster1 no doubt1 has now changed her tune4 ,but it was that spirit1 surely1 and the reports sent to ,berlin by ,german officers who visited ,ulster and inquired into the military character of ,carsonism which persuaded ,germany that ,england would not fight4 ,irish-,americans are persuaded that ,sir ,edward ,carson is in very great measure responsible for all the ruin and death and bitter suffering of the enormous catastrophe4 ,he boasted that he would make civil war1 and such were his preparations that in any other country in the world civil war would have been inevitable4 ,germany counted on that civil war4 ,the ,british ,army was said to be completely under the influence of ,carsonism4 ,the real catastrophe for the diplomacy of ,berlin was not ,india's loyalty and the vigorous uprising of the young dominions1 but the dying down of ,ulster mutiny4 ,these ,irish-,americans have hated the ruling classes in ,england1 not only for sins of the past but for the unworthy and most cruel opposition offered by those ruling classes1 in the name of religious intolerance1 to the ideals of the ,irish ,nation4 ,when ,unionist politicians sneer at the subscriptions sent by ,irish servant girls in ,america to help the cause of ,ireland they should reflect that not only do they fail to make a good joke1 not only do they exhibit a horribly bad taste1 but they spread hatred of ,england through the thousands and thousands of people4 ,for it is the loyalty of the poorest of these ,irish-,americans1 the sacrifices perpetually made by the humblest of them1 which should move us to see1 as it has certainly moved the ,american people to see1 that the cause of ,irish liberty is noble and undying4 ,religious ,education4 ,with all my heart ,i would beg ,unionists in ,england to reflect conscientiously upon this very significant state of affairs in ,america3 ,a non-,catholic ,bible used to be read in the public schools of ,america down to the year #ahhh4 ,a ,catholic agitation against this ,bible reading was begun in #ahhe1 and in #ahhh the custom was finally abolished4 ,from that date to this there has been no religious instruction of any kind in the public schools of ,america4 ,bigotry and intolerance won that victory4 ,the ,catholic ,church1 in its folly1 destroyed religious teaching in the schools of the country4 ,catholics themselves are now looking back on that agitation with religious repentance and political regret4 ,the result of this abolition is that ,catholics and non-,catholics who believe in the importance of religious instruction1 and who see the pagan effect of purely secular instruction1 do not send their children to the public schools4 ,these schools1 for which ,christians are heavily taxed1 are in the possession of the ,hebrews4 ,if nothing is done to alter the existing state of things ,americans themselves assure me that in five-and-twenty years ,america will be a pagan country4 ,but a fight is to be made to avert this disaster at the ,constitutional ,convention to be held next month4 ,what we have to do1 my ,irish friend told me1 ,catholics and non-,catholics alike1 is to appeal for schools representing ,catholic and non-,catholic teaching4 ,instead of the various churches fighting against each other they must fight together1 helping one another to get the schools they demand4 ,only in this way can we save civilization4 ,this is how the ,irishman1 breathing the free air of ,america1 and in ,america rising to positions of extraordinary power and responsibility1 views the foundational question of religion2 while ,england allows herself to be dragged at the heels of the frothing fanatic who has actually dared to raise the unholy battle cry of ,rather the ,kaiser than the ,pope4 ,let the ,unionist ,party hesitate before it seeks to revive this hideous1 utterly irrational and most unchristianlike spirit at the very heart of the ,british ,empire4 ,the sower of hate is the reaper of death4 ,,to ,,melos1 ,,pomegranate ,,isle4 ,by ,,grace ,,harriet ,,macurdy4 7,destroyed by ,athens1 #daf ,b4,c41 because of her refusal to break neutrality4--,thucydides ,v41 #hd-aaf2 ,euripides1 ,trojan ,women47 ,o thou ,pomegranate of the ,sea1 ,sweet ,melian isle1 across the years ,thy ,belgian sister calls to thee ,in anguished sweat of blood and tears4 ,her fate like thine--a ruthless band ,hath ravaged all her loveliness4 ,how ,athens spoiled thy prosperous land ,athenian lips with shame confess4 ,thou1 too1 a land of lovely arts1 ,of potter's and of sculptor's skill-- ,thy folk of high undaunted hearts ,as those that throb in ,belgium still4 ,within thy harbor's circling rim ,the warships long1 with banners bright1 ,sailed bearing ,athens' message grim-- ,god hates the weak4 ,respect our ,might4 ,the flame within thy fanes grew cold1 ,stilled by the foeman's swarming hordes4 ,thy sons were slain1 thy daughters sold ,to serve the lusts of stranger lords4 ,for ,attic might thou didst defy ,thy folk the foeman slew as sheep1 ,across the years hear ,belgium's cry-- ,o ,sister1 of the ,wine-,dark ,deep1 ,whose cliffs gleam seaward roseate4 ,not one of all my martyr roll ,but keeps his faith inviolate1 ,man kills our body1 not our soul4 ,what ,america ,can ,do ,by ,lord ,channing of ,wellingborough4 ,lord ,channing1 who makes the following suggestion to ,american statesmen1 was born in the ,united ,states of the well-known ,channings of ,boston4 ,his father was the ,rev4 ,w4,h4 ,channing1 ,chaplain of the ,house of ,representatives during the civil war and a close friend of ,president ,lincoln4 ,lord ,channing has been for twenty-five years a member of the ,british ,parliament1 and for the last three years a member of the ,house of ,lords1 having been created first ,baron of ,wellingborough in #aiab4 ,he is ,president of the ,british ,national ,peace ,congress4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,as a member of the ,british ,legislature for a generation1 and a lifelong ,liberal1 and having also the closest ties of blood with ,america1 and a proud reverence for her ideals1 ,i would wish1 with the utmost respect1 to offer some comments on one specific aspect of present affairs1 as they affect ,america1 which does not seem to have been marked off with the distinctness its importance calls for4 ,this is the greatest crisis in the history of the world1 and attention concentrates itself on the attitude of the greatest neutral ,state4 ,it is unthinkable that ,america can divest herself of responsibility for the final outcome4 ,this seems as clearly recognized in ,america as in ,europe4 ,to us in ,england this war is a life or death struggle between two principles--,pan-,germanism on the one side1 with its avowed purpose to impose its hegemony and its rigid system of ideas and organization on the rest of the world1 not by consent1 but by irresistible military force2 on the other side the claim of the other nations1 large and small1 to maintain inviolate their freedom and individuality1 and to think and work out for themselves their own political and economic future in their own way4 ,the one principle would seem the flat contradiction of all that ,america stands for1 the other principle would seem to be precisely the essential idea of free self-government and democratic evolution1 in which are rooted the very life and being of ,america4 ,for this reason there is instinctive and profound sympathy on the part of the great majority of native ,americans with the cause of ,england and her allies4 ,this sympathy is not merely the tie of blood or the unity of ideals4 ,reason has convinced ,americans that the supreme principles and highest interests of ,america will be best safeguarded if the ,allies win4 ,they dread instinctively what might happen if ,pan-,germanism absorbed the smaller nationalities1 crushed the great free countries like ,france and ,england1 and dominated the whole world with the mailed fist1 not only ,europe and the ,far ,east1 but ,south ,america and the ,pacific4 ,perhaps the hint of ,count ,bernstorff that ,canada may be treated like ,belgium1 and the ,monroe ,doctrine like other scraps of paper1 may also have thrown some light for ,americans on a ,germanized future6 ,and a cast-iron system of commercial and industrial monopoly dictated by ,german needs cannot attract4 ,america ,can't ,stand ,apart4 ,that is one side that ,american statesmen have to consider4 ,there is1 of course1 another4 ,the ,united ,states visibly form the greatest force the world has yet seen to bring together1 to unite1 to assimilate1 in the development of their vast territories1 measureless resources1 and complicated industries1 all that is best from all the other great nations1 welding slowly but surely1 through free institutions1 these new elements into instruments for the fuller realization of the generous and noble ideals for which ,america stands4 ,perhaps an eighteenth or even fifteenth part of the population is of ,german origin1 a percentage not far from equal to that contributed by the ,united ,kingdom and ,canada4 ,there is thus not only the broad question of avoiding war with ,germany1 whose people have so large a share in the life of ,america1 a war doubly unwelcome at all times because of the innumerable links of science1 invention1 professional training1 of commerce1 and of personal friendship2 but there is also the local question of peace and good-will in the daily work of ,america as between huge sections of her population4 ,these visible facts not unnaturally give great weight to the argument for neutrality4 ,no wise man on this side of the ,atlantic will try to ignore them1 or take exception to the dignity and correctness with which the ,american ,executive has dealt with the grave problem before it4 ,neutrality has1 of course1 its limits and conditions1 logical and moral4 ,those limits and conditions1 the possibility of their infringement in such a way as to make some change of policy imperative1 are matters solely for the ,united ,states4 ,the point the present writer wishes to press is on a different plane1 and is precisely this3 ,america does not and can not stand wholly apart from supreme ,european decisions4 ,america is as responsible as ,europe for the great extensions1 definitions1 the strengthening and modification of international law4 ,america stands forth as the apostle of arbitration1 to widen the area within which disputed points may be determined amicably4 ,america stands also as the chief signatory of the great world conventions which have settled new rules for the conduct of war1 to mitigate its horrors1 especially for non-combatants4 ,america has taken a noble part in framing machinery for securing peace and justice1 and in moving forward the landmarks of civilization as against savagery1 and of human mercy as against cruel terrorism4 ,can ,america safely or wisely divest herself of the duty thus placed upon her1 logically and morally1 by her participation in this1 the noblest work of our age8 ,and is it wise or is it safe to indefinitely postpone the discharge of this duty8 ,by the events of the last three months the whole of this new charter of humanity has been challenged and is at stake4 ,is it not sound policy as well as an imperative duty to take some step here and now to stop the rot and to make good here and now as much as we can of what we have won and wish to keep8 ,belgium's ,wrongs4 ,admittedly a guiltless and unoffending nation1#a whose neutrality and independence had been solemnly guaranteed by treaty1 to which the powers concerned in the war were parties1 has had her treaty rights violated by one of these powers on the cynical plea that there is no right or wrong as against national interest1 that necessity obeys no law1 and treaties are scraps of paper4 ,this is not matter for inquiry or judicial decision at some later date4 ,it has been frankly avowed by the ,german ,government from the outset of this war4 ,footnote #a3 ,theodore ,roosevelt4 ,again1 this admitted wrong is not the sudden and unavoidable outcome of events unforeseen and uncontrollable4 ,it has been deliberately planned years ahead1 with elaborate preparation of railway and other facilities1 and with every invention and contrivance1 to rush in irresistible forces2 to subvert and destroy the independent ,state that ,germany was herself pledged to defend4 ,thirdly1 this policy of absolute annihilation of ,belgium1 of its right to live its own life1 its right even to preserve those monuments of its noble and beautiful history which had become treasured heirlooms of the whole world1 has been carried out with a ruthless barbarity to the people1 and especially the non-combatants1 for which it is hard to find a parallel in the worst incidents of the ,thirty ,years' ,war or of the devastation of the ,palatinate4 ,to bring the actual guilt home to those who actually did or ordered these deeds to be done in individual cases is one thing4 ,the broad fact that these barbarous deeds were done stands manifest and insistent1 and demands such instant action as can be taken by a great and responsible people4 ,and1 lastly1 there is the undisguised adoption of the policy of terrorizing non-combatants to submission by such acts as forcing women and children to walk before the advancing enemy1 the wholesale burning of houses1 shooting of hostages and other non-combatants1 and the dropping of bombs from aeroplanes not on forts or troops1 but on places where women and children can be killed or injured4 ,and all this tragic sweeping away of such good things as had been won with worldwide consent1 at the instance of the ,czar in initiating ,the ,hague policy1 has gone on1 so far as it could go on1 with equal horror1 throughout ,northern ,france4 ,rheims and ,senlis have suffered the fate of ,louvain and ,termonde and ,malines1 and ,paris has had her quota of women and children wantonly slain by bombs1 exactly like ,antwerp4 ,the ,threat to ,england4 ,and ,america knows1 as we here in ,england know1 from the open menace of the ,german press1 writing of ,england as the one supreme enemy1 that it is the full intention of ,germans1 if they can1 to carry through ,england1 too1 even more ruthlessly1 the same policy4 ,we are fighting here1 and are confident that we shall fight with success1 not only to protect our ,english homes and to guard the historic buildings of this land but to make an end of this ,prussian terrorism of the world2 to secure no national aggrandizement1 but to secure a permanent and solid peace1 based on guaranteed liberties1 and a rational settlement of the question of armaments4 ,these questions touch us all the more because many of us have been the most persistent friends of international peace and have specially labored to promote happy and friendly relations with the ,german people4 ,the present writer1 who was honored by election as ,president of this year's ,national ,peace ,congress1 has been associated with the work of men like ,lord ,brassey1 ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 7later ,lord ,avebury17 as a member of the ,anglo-,german ,friendship ,league1 and has repeatedly in ,parliament argued against any hostile or provocative attitude toward ,germany4 ,this war is our answer and our reward6 ,america in the ,settlement4 ,so far as can be judged from authoritative words of ,president ,wilson and ex-,president ,roosevelt1 ,america does and will claim a right to share in the final settlement of the terms of a permanent and stable peace4 ,if that claim is sound1 if the efforts of ,america to create better machinery for securing peace and for generously and humanely vindicating the liberties and happiness of nations and of the individuals who make them up do entitle ,america to a voice1 and a potent voice1 in the work of mending and remaking the world after this terrific catastrophe1 then ,i would submit with all respect that it is really idle to wait till all the recognized principles of what has been held to be right or wrong as between nations1 and what has been held to be right or wrong in the methods of conducting war have gone overboard1 without one word of protest2 we must save the world first1 if we are to have a real chance of remaking it on lines which are worth having4 ,nothing but good could come from immediate action by the ,american ,executive to assert as they1 best of all nations1 could assert1 now and at once in terms uncompromising1 unanswerable1 that the ground taken up by international consent in the past generation must be held now and hereafter1 and accepted as an essential basis of the final settlement4 ,such a pronouncement now by ,america would make a landmark in history--would render a measureless service to the whole world in emancipation from the persistent degradation of the twin doctrines that might makes right1 and that necessity knows no law1 and would bring to ,america herself imperishable honor and glory in the fearless assertion and eternal consecration of her own noblest ideals4 ,i would submit further that such a national declaration by ,america involves no violation of neutrality1 and is in no sense inconsistent with the spirit of official utterances already made4 ,to take the latter first--we have had notable utterances from the ,president and from the ex-,president4 ,president ,wilson seems to have given a sympathetic hearing to the mission which laid the case of ,belgium before him1 both as to the violation of ,belgium's neutrality and as to the cruel treatment of the non-combatant population and the wanton destruction of towns and villages and of precious historical monuments4 ,he is understood to have promised an investigation1 and it is gathered from the ,indpendance ,belge this week that this investigation has been1 and is being1 carried out by ,american ,military ,attachs in ,belgium1 and also at the ,london ,embassy of the ,united ,states4 ,again1 ,president ,wilson's recent letter to the ,kaiser1 while confirming neutrality in precise terms1 went on to intimate that there must be a day of settlement and that where injustices have found a place results are sure to follow1 and all those who have been found at fault will have to answer for them4 ,if the general settlement does not sufficiently determine this1 there is the ultimate sanction of the opinion of mankind which will in such cases interfere4 ,he would apparently reserve judgment until the end of the war1 but in no way disclaims or surrenders ,american responsibility4 ,mr4 ,roosevelt is not tied by official responsibility1 and can speak with less restraint and more freedom4 ,in ,the ,outlook he has substantially accepted and indorsed all that is material in the ,belgian case4 ,america should help in securing a peace which will not mean the crushing the liberty and life of just and inoffending peoples or consecrate the rule of militarism1 but which will1 by international agreement1 minimize the chances of the recurrence of such worldwide disaster1 and will1 in the interests of civilization1 create conditions which will make such action as the violation of ,belgian treaty rights impossible in the future4 ,like ,president ,wilson1 he seems to think that the time for judicial pronouncement on acts presumably guilty and wrongful will come at the conclusion of the war4 ,at the same time he surrenders no part of ,america's responsibility1 but reaffirms it with all the force of his trenchant style4 ,but elsewhere1 and later1 he has insisted on the helplessness--the humiliating impotence created by the fact that our neutrality can only be preserved by failure to help to right what is wrong4 ,mr4 ,roosevelt's ,remedy4 ,and he has gone on to adumbrate his practical remedy--a world league with an amplified ,hague ,court1 made strong by joint agreement of the powers1 to secure peace and righteousness1 and to vindicate the just decisions of such a court by a union of forces to enforce the decree4 ,he adds that this might help to obtain a limitation of armaments that would be real and effective4 ,that so happy a plan may be capable of realization would be the hope of all wise men4 ,but where ,i take exception with ,col4 ,roosevelt is as to ,america's present impotence--that nothing effectual can be done by ,america without breaking her own neutrality4 ,that view ,i wholly traverse4 ,it might conceivably be felt by ,america1 under certain grave eventualities1 that neutrality must be broken4 ,but it is clear that the articles of ,the ,hague ,convention of #aijg amply provide for the type of action here and now by the ,united ,states which ,i have ventured to lay before ,american statesmen in this paper4 ,and1 in my opinion1 it is conceivable that more good might be achieved by ,america taking that action1 while maintaining her neutrality4 ,it goes without saying1 it really needs no demonstration1 that nearly every international agreement embodied in ,the ,hague ,convention has been broken1 wholly or in part1 in the letter and in the spirit1 in the proceedings of this unhappy year4 ,the violation of the territory of a neutral ,state by the transit of belligerent troops and other acts of war is forbidden1 7,articles #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 c47 ,it is the duty of the neutral ,state not to tolerate1 7,article #e17 but to resist such acts1 and her forcible resistance is not to be regarded as an act of war1 7,article #aj47 ,interference with ,neutrals4 ,that1 of course1 covers the case of ,belgium completely and establishes absolutely that there is1 and need be1 no breach of neutrality in resistance thus legally sanctioned to illegal interference with neutral rights4 ,it is hardly necessary to recapitulate the articles that have been torn up4 ,to refer to the most striking1 there is the repeated bombardment of undefended towns1 pillage incessant throughout ,belgium and ,northern ,france1 7,articles #bh and #dg27 the levying of illegal contributions1 7,articles #di and #eb27 the seizure of cash and securities belonging to private persons1 banks1 and local authorities1 7,articles #eb and #ef27 collective penalties for individual acts for which the community as a whole are not responsible1 7,article #ej47 ,articles #ej and #dc should have made impossible the punitive destruction of ,vis1 ,aerschot1 ,dinant1 and ,louvain1 and numberless villages2 ,article #ef should have preserved from destruction institutions and buildings dedicated to religion1 education1 charity1 hospitals1 c4 ,all these wrongful acts1 committed everywhere1 have been prohibited by these articles4 ,the gradual introduction of the policy of terrorism has been ably traced by perhaps the highest ,french authority on international law1 ,prof4 ,edouard ,clunet1 formerly ,president of the ,institute of ,international ,law1 in a recent address4 ,bombardment par intimidation was adopted by the ,germans in #ahgj and used at ,strassburg1 ,paris1 ,pronne1 c41 shells being directed and conflagrations spread in the inhabited parts of towns apart from the fortifications4 ,germany herself assented to serious mitigations of this practice at the ,conference of ,brussels in #ahgd and at ,the ,hague in #aijg4 ,the worst evolution of the policy of terrorism has been in the throwing from aeroplanes of bombs1 explosive or incendiary4 ,m4 ,clunet lays down that1 by the most recent decision of the institute1 bomb throwing from aeroplanes must follow the rules of bombardment by artillery4 ,this would prohibit such bombs without formal notice4 ,but in ,antwerp bombs were dropped without notice over the ,royal ,palace1 to the peril of the ,queen and her young children1 and the number of peaceable inhabitants killed or injured was thirty-eight1 three children being mutilated in their beds4 ,in ,paris1 besides the bombs dropped on ,notre ,dame1 bombs were deliberately dropped in the public streets and a number of peaceable victims killed or wounded4 ,the dropping of bombs as an act of war on fortresses1 ammunition depots1 ,zeppelin sheds1 c41 is1 of course1 legal4 ,but the bomb dropping adopted in ,belgium and ,france1 and threatened in ,england1 if the opportunity arises1 is undisguised terrorism1 and not war4 ,it is important to note also that at ,brussels in #ahgd ,antwerp addressed a petition to the conference praying that any bombardment should be limited to fortifications only4 ,the commission of the conference1 which included three well-known ,german ,generals and two professors1 recognized the justice of this plea and recommended ,generals to conform to it4 ,but the one point that should appeal most strongly to the patriotism as well as the idealism of ,america is the fact that the instructions of #ahfc for armies in campaign1 drawn up by the ,united ,states ,government in the height of the civil war1 first codified the laws for the conduct of war1 and have been the source and starting point of all these later international agreements4 ,and it should be remembered that both ,germany and ,america signed the ,fourth ,convention of ,the ,hague with its annexed regulations as to sieges and bombardments 7,articles #bb to #bh7 and the further provision which may even yet be applied punitively to the proceedings of the present war4 ,the belligerent who shall have violated the provisions of the said regulation shall be held liable for an indemnity4 ,and if it be thought that ,america can render no help in such a position as the present without violating her neutrality1 the answer is that by ,article #c of ,convention #a of ,the ,hague1 #aijg1 neutral powers have the right to offer their suggestions 7bons offices7 or their mediation1 even during the course of hostilities4 ,and further3 ,the exercise of this right must never be considered by one or the other of the parties to the conflict as an unfriendly act4 ,with all submission1 ,i earnestly urge on the leaders of ,american thought to support this attempted interpretation of the supreme duty and the noble opportunity the present position places before their country4 ,one more word4 ,i referred to the possible benefit of neutrality being maintained while this protest against wrong and appeal for right is at the same time advanced4 ,is it not more than probable that there is an immense section of moderate though patriotic opinion in the great ,german people which at heart deprecates the extreme doctrines of conquest and world supremacy in pursuit of which the great1 the wonderful achievements of the ,german race in science1 in industry1 in the extension of commerce1 are being rashly risked8 ,,channing ,,of ,,wellingborough4 #dj ,eaton ,place1 ,london ,s4,w41 ,oct4 #bi1 #aiad4 ,,to ,a ,,cousin ,,german4 ,by ,adeline ,adams4 ,my ,hans1 you say1 with self-applausive jest1 ,when ,albert gave his ,belgians ,caesar's name-- ',bravest of all the ,gauls'--surely 'twere shame ,the ,king1 unthorough man1 forgot the rest3 ',bravest because most far from all the best ,provincial culture4'#b ,friend1 if now your aim ,be that fine thoroughness your people claim1 ,read on3 ,such culture's wares1 it stands confest1 ,oft weaken minds4 ,and ,caesar's word was just4 ,if men1 bedeviled under culture's star1 ,have left ,louvain a void where flames still hiss1 ,speared babes1 and stamped the world's own ,rose to dust1 ,god grant that ,belgium's soul may dwell afar ,forever1 from a culture such as this6 ,footnote #b3 ,propterea quod a cultu atque humanitute provinciae longissime absunt4 ,what the ,economic ,effects ,may ,be ,by ,irving ,fisher4 ,professor of ,political ,economy at ,yale ,university2 member of many scientific societies4 ,when the future historian chronicles the facts of the present great world struggle and attempts to analyze its causes and effects the economic losses1 gains1 shiftings1 and dislocations will form an important part of the story4 ,it is1 of course1 quite impossible at this time to know1 in any detail1 what all the economic results will be4 ,much will depend on how long the war lasts1 how many people and how much property are destroyed1 what financial devices are resorted to in order to finance it1 and which side is finally victorious4 ,the most palpable and the most fundamental effects will be a partial stoppage of earnings in the nations directly concerned1 i4e41 a reduction in the real income1 which consists of enjoyable goods4 ,all the other important results follow from this4 ,the cost1 however reckoned1 is sure to be stupendous4 ,prof4 ,richet is quoted as reckoning it at #ej1jjj1jjj a day4 ,this is probably more than half the total income of all the inhabitants of the warring countries4 ,the highest estimates of the total income of the ,united ,kingdom1 ,france1 and ,germany1 estimates of ,bowley1 ,laverge1 and ,buchel1 respectively1 total up less than #gj1jjj1jjj a day4 ,russia and ,austria are poor countries per capita1 and would scarcely bring the grand total to #ajj1jjj1jjj a day4 ,moreover1 the loss of real income to ,europe is1 ,i imagine1 in reality much greater than ,richet's estimate1 chiefly because he takes little account of the indirect costs1 which may well be the greatest of all4 ,the cost to the fiscal departments of ,government is probably only a small part of the total cost which the people will have to bear4 ,the killing and disabling of the men engaged will cut off the financial support of ,european families to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year4 ,the physical destruction of capital through the devastation of crops1 the burning and demolishing of merchant ships and buildings1 the crippling of industry through the sudden withdrawal of labor and raw materials1 the introduction of new trade risks1 and the cutting off of transportation1 both internal and foreign1 make up a sum of items which cannot be measured1 but which may exceed those which can4 ,last1 but not least1 is the impairment of that subtle but vital basis of business1 commercial credit4 ,in short1 the central effect is a vast impairment of ,europe's current income and of the capital from which her future income will flow4 ,it means a veritable impoverishment of vast populations4 ,the great burden will bear heaviest1 of course1 on the poor4 ,it will impinge very unequally and will cause a great redistribution of wealth4 ,as always happens1 some people1 mostly lucky speculators1 will come out of the mle wealthier than before4 ,this fact will not serve to lessen the discontent of the masses1 which their impoverishment is sure to create4 ,food prices will be high1 the earnings of labor will be low1 and after the war unemployment will be great1 due to the impossibility of quick absorption into the industrial system of returned soldiers1 as well as other maladjustments which the war is sure to bring4 ,the victor may secure indemnity for part of the loss1 but not for all2 he will1 in spite of himself1 be a net loser4 ,taxes will be a crushing burden1 merely to secure funds with which to pay high interest on vast new war debts1 to say nothing of funds with which to purchase new armaments--if again the nations are forced1 by lack of international control1 to resume the stupendous folly of racing each other in military equipments4 ,bankruptcy and ,revolution4 ,it may well be that among the economic consequences of the war there will be some national bankruptcies1 and that among the political consequences will be revolutions4 ,high prices1 high taxes1 low wages1 and unemployment make an ominous combination4 ,we may be sure that discontent will be profound and widespread4 ,this discontent is pretty sure to lead1 especially in the defeated nations where there is no compensating glory1 to strong revolutionary movements just as was the case in ,russia after her defeat by ,japan4 ,whether or to what extent these movements1 in which ,socialism in the various meanings of that word is sure to play a part1 will succeed1 depends on the relative strength of opposing tendencies which cannot yet be measured4 ,one possible if not probable result may be1 as ,i suggested in ,,the ,,times two weeks ago1 some international device to secure disarmament and to safeguard peace4 ,though part of the losses to ,europe will be permanent1 her chief loss will be coterminous with the war4 ,she will1 therefore1 seek ways and means to fill in this immediate hole in her income in order to get by4 ,to do this she must borrow2 that is1 she must secure her present bread and butter from us and other nations and arrange to repay later out of the fruits of peace4 ,she can stint herself1 but not enough to meet the situation4 ,she must borrow4 ,and in one way and another she will satisfy this necessity by borrowing in the ,united ,states4 ,most of the strange and unprecedented phenomena which we have witnessed in the last month1 in rapid succession1 are due to this pressing necessity of the belligerent peoples to cash in now and trust to good fortune to pay later4 ,as soon as the war became even probable ,europe tried to cash in on our securities4 ,the pressure for our gold pushed it toward ,europe faster than it could move4 ,exchange jumped to the gold-shipping point of #d4hi per pound sterling1 and did not stop4 ,in some cases it reached #g4 ,this was partly due to the desire to get our gold and bolster up a credit structure1 tottering before the deadly blow of war2 but it was also partly due to the need of ready money for supplies of all kinds4 ,this need applies not only to the ,governments1 but to the individual people4 ,to obtain this ready money they threw back on us the securities they had purchased of us in former years4 ,they wanted us to take back these titles to future income and give them instead titles to present income4 ,had they secured our gold their next step would have been to spend part of it for supplies1 and this would have caused any foreign dealers to whom they applied to place orders with us4 ,the gold then might have turned the exchanges and have been brought back to us in return for our wheat and other products4 ,this double transaction is in essence one--a barter of present income in the form of our wheat to ,europe for future income in the form of investment securities4 ,it was interfered with by the refusal of the insurance companies to insure the gold and by the closing of ,stock ,exchanges against the inundating flood of securities4 ,the first difficulty1 as to transporting gold1 has been largely removed by arranging for drafts against stocks of it kept on both sides of the ,atlantic4 ,this will save the need of sending it on risky voyages back and forth1 and any final net balances can be liquidated after the war4 ,the second obstacle1 the closure of the ,stock ,exchanges1 is more formidable1 but cannot completely or permanently prevent the transactions which so many people on both sides are anxious to consummate4 ,curb markets and limited cash sales on the ,exchanges themselves are doing some of this business1 and1 sooner or later1 much more will be done1 whether the ,exchanges are open or not4 ,europe needs our wheat and cannot pay for it except with securities1 partly because her own industry is paralyzed1 partly because ocean transportation is difficult4 ,what ,dumping ,securities ,means4 ,few people seem to realize that the dumping of securities on our shores and the efforts of foreign ,governments1 such as ,france and ,switzerland1 to borrow money in our markets are at the bottom very much the same thing4 ,they are simply two forms of securing present supplies from ,america in return for future supplies1 the dividends and interest on securities from ,europe4 ,it does not much matter whether we buy ,government bonds or other securities4 ,if we buy of ,french capitalists their holdings in ,american railway securities we simply provide them with the wherewithal to take the ,french ,government loans themselves4 ,they virtually become1 without our knowledge1 the go-between through which we lend1 as it were1 to the ,french ,government1 in spite of ourselves4 ,it is doubtless well1 as a matter of policy1 to refuse to loan directly to ,france1 but we must not for a moment conclude that ,france or any other nation will have to finance the war without our aid4 ,we shall not be consciously helping any particular nation1 but we shall be actually helping any nation which can trade with us4 ,evidently ,england will get more of our help than any other nation because her shores are more accessible4 ,germany is more isolated4 ,unless she possesses a larger food stock than commercial statistics indicate she will be pressing for our food supplies1 which may reach her indirectly1 we selling to ,holland and ,holland to ,germany2 also reversely1 via ,holland or via ,austria and ,italy1 ,germany may sell a stream of securities the other end of which we receive4 ,whether directly or by devious routes there will inevitably be1 so far as ,i can see1 a vast exchange of commodities passing to ,europe for securities coming from ,europe4 ,in this interchange will be found the dominant economic effect of the war on the ,united ,states4 ,foreign nations will get their much-needed loans on better terms1 even if less promptly1 by the circuitous process mentioned than if they could borrow directly in our markets2 for their own citizens will pay higher prices than we would1 even if1 to get the money1 they have to sell their other investment securities to us at a considerable sacrifice4 ,england has sold ,treasury bills for seventy-five millions of dollars on as low a basis as #c-c_/d per cent4 ,in this virtual trade of this year's crops for titles to future years' crops we shall get a high price for the former and pay a low price 7in present valuation7 for the latter4 ,investment securities are1 and will be1 a drug on the market4 ,in other words1 the rate of return to the investor will be high2 the rate of interest on long-time loans will be high and stay high1 that on short-time loans may fluctuate greatly4 ,the rise in the rate of interest on long-time investments is one of the most vital and far-reaching effects of the war4 ,at bottom1 interest always arises from the exchange of present and future goods4 ,the rate of interest1 as ,i have tried to show in my book of that title1 is simply the crystallization1 in a market rate1 of the impatience of the human race for its bread and butter4 ,war has now produced such impatience in populations of hundreds of millions4 ,it is this impatience which dumps the securities upon us1 sends down their price1 and sends up the rate of interest4 ,as ,byron ,w4 ,holt has said1 there is no moratorium for hunger4 ,the fall of securities in ,europe produces the like fall in this and other countries4 ,one of the consequences to ,america of being forced to play the rle of money lender and one of the consequences of the rise in the rate of interest here1 or what amounts to the same thing1 the fall in the prices of bonds1 will be an increased difficulty of financing our own enterprises4 ,only the most promising enterprises will be able to sell their securities4 ,this means that we shall be neglecting1 to some extent1 our own enterprises1 to finance the ,european war instead4 ,this general depreciation of investment securities will doubtless lead to many bankruptcies1 if not to a genuine crisis4 ,it will also give tempting opportunities to investors4 ,the likelihood of a genuine panic is lessened by the fact that every one recognizes the real cause of the disturbance and that insolvency is not suspected4 ,according to the best commercial observers1 the previous liquidation had been fairly well completed4 ,unless they are mistaken1 disaster will not be likely to follow4 ,we repeat that since the necessities of ,europe have forced her to buy our food in return for her investments1 it is evident that during the war food prices will be high and security prices1 especially bonds1 will be low4 ,these are the two facts of greatest economic significance to us4 ,to the country as a whole they defer some of our pleasures till after the war4 ,uncle ,sam will cut down for the present on his eating and drinking1 his clothes1 shelter1 and amusements in order to share his rations with ,europe4 ,instead of the pleasures foregone he will invest--not in new enterprises at home1 but in old ones--,american and possibly ,european also--purchased of ,europe4 ,we can never have our cake and eat it too4 ,in this case we shall let ,europe eat some of it on condition that she in turn shares hers with us after the war4 ,moreover1 we shall trade off a relatively small piece of our present cake for a relatively large piece of ,europe's future cake4 ,in other words1 ,europe will fill up the great breach in her income now impending by inducing us to make a small breach in ours4 ,the result will be that the course of our real income1 that is1 economic satisfaction or enjoyable consumption1 will imitate in some degree that of ,europe4 ,this is1 reduced to its lowest terms1 the chief economic result of the war4 ,but to many the question is1 do we gain or lose1 as compared with what might have been the case if there had been no war8 ,i do not think any one can answer that question with certainty4 ,europe is willing to mortgage its future to us on terms very advantageous to us2 but when the future comes1 the purchasing power of money will probably be so much lessened as to have absorbed all our advantage4 ,probably we shall lose slightly on the whole4 ,but it is not economically impossible that there will be a net gain4 ,in either case the net effect will1 ,i believe1 be small4 ,of more importance will be the various effects on various classes4 ,certain people will be greatly benefited by the rise in food prices and the fall in security prices4 ,the farming classes will profit by the former2 the investing classes by the latter4 ,those who have the good fortune to belong to both classes will grow rich4 ,the farmer who is in a position to save money will both make more money to save and be able to invest it more advantageously after he has saved it4 ,if he lends to his neighbors he will find the market rate of interest high4 ,even if he buys more land the purchase price will be restrained from the great rise we might expect from the prosperity of farming by the fact that the number of years purchase1 as the phrase is in ,england1 will be small1 or1 in other words1 that the interest basis1 which enters into every land price1 will be high4 ,labor ,will ,not ,suffer ,much4 ,on the other hand the general consumer of farm products will suffer from another advance in that part of his cost of living1 while the debtor classes will suffer from the fall in bonds or rise in interest4 ,many speculators on the ,stock ,exchange1 those who have speculated for a rise1 are in effect undoubtedly ruined already1 and many borrowers at banks on collateral security will feel the pinch from the depreciation of their property and the hard terms of renewing their loans4 ,and the laboring man1 who forms the majority1 what of him8 ,it seems improbable that he will be greatly affected1 that is1 on the average4 ,he will have to pay more for his food1 and food constitutes more than a third of his budget4 ,but some articles he buys will probably fall and he may secure higher wages because of the withdrawal of competing laborers4 ,some labor may rise1 especially in the industries benefited by the war1 such as1 for instance1 farming and other food industries1 canning1 flour mills1 sugar1 c41 the automobile industry and perhaps ammunition and steel4 ,in other industries thrown out of gear for lack of foreign markets or for lack of foreign raw material1 the wage earner may lose in wages and employment4 ,in other words1 labor will be dislocated in spots1 like the other parts of our industrial machinery4 ,important dislocations will be felt in the fields of shipping and banking4 ,one consequence is that ,american enterprise has now the golden opportunity to capture a good share of each4 ,the outbreak of the war and the simultaneous opening of the ,panama ,canal will tend to divert the course of trade from ,europe to ,south ,america4 ,probably our merchant marine can be developed more successfully for this ,south ,american trade than it could for the ,european trade4 ,new ,york can largely take the place of ,london as the world's exchange centre for ,pan-,american trade4 ,this opportunity is increased by the possibilities in the new ,banking act for the establishment of branch banks abroad4 ,with these opportunities and the rise of interest in ,europe1 the ,united ,states will change to a great degree from a debtor to a creditor nation4 ,one of the dislocations of the war in the ,united ,states will be the cutting off of imports of a large part of our dutiable commodities1 and therefore the loss of national revenue4 ,there is an urgent need to compensate for this loss by some other form of tax4 ,but it is well not to lose perspective1 to remember that dislocations are not necessarily losses1 that1 however loudly they are proclaimed in news columns1 they are small in extent1 when considered in relation to our whole trade1 that this country of ours is a vast one1 and that the rank and file of ,americans will be but slightly affected by the war--especially by contrast with our friends1 now fighting each other1 across the sea4 ,we are too nearly self-supporting to be prostrated4 ,our foreign trade is and always has been a trifling matter compared with our internal commerce4 ,the internal commerce paid for by money and checks annually in the ,united ,states amounts to nearly five hundred billions of dollars1 which is more than a hundred times as much as our combined exports and imports4 ,almost all of what has been said so far had grown out of the prospect that the prices of foods and other materials needed in ,europe will be high1 while the prices of securities which ,europe does not need and cannot afford will be low4 ,other prices will rise or fall according to special circumstances4 ,like a bomb-shell1 the effect of the war will be to disperse or scatter prices at all angles of rises and falls4 ,the prices of luxuries will be lowered4 ,the prices of chemicals will be raised4 ,the same article will fall in price in one country and rise in another if the transportation from the former to the latter is interfered with4 ,this is true today of cotton4 ,there has already been a speculative movement to anticipate these changes and arbitrarily to mark some prices up and some prices down4 ,but as this is guesswork1 and will be subject to frequent revision1 one of the striking phenomena will doubtless be an increase in the variability of prices4 ,the general level of prices will tend to rise4 ,the rise will probably be greatest in little countries like ,belgium1 which are in the war zone and largely dependent on foreign trade4 ,the rise will be less in ,england and in the ,united ,states than on the ,continent4 ,in fact1 it is conceivable that in ,england the hoarding of money and the shock to credit1 which is as predominant there as it is here1 may actually lower the general level of prices during the war1 especially if we could include in the index number the prices of securities1 luxuries1 and articles of ,english internal trade4 ,if any nation tries the old experiment of paying its bills in irredeemable paper money1 that desperate expedient will have the same result that it did with us during the civil war4 ,inflation of the currency will expel gold from that country and raise its price level higher than elsewhere4 ,after the war is over prices will probably not retreat1 but will move upward even faster than before4 ,there may then come the familiar boom period1 which may culminate in a commercial crisis in a few years after the close of the war1 as was true after the ,crimean war1 the ,american civil war1 and the ,franco-,prussian war4 ,the rebound will probably be fastest in ,england4 ,statistical price curves of many nations usually show an upward turn when war begins and another when it ends4 ,the war will thus aggravate a rise of prices already in prospect4 ,it would take considerable space to give1 completely1 the reasons for these prognostications1 but ,i have tried to justify them in a brief addendum to a book to be issued this week on ,why ,is the ,dollar ,shrinking8 ,the sudden lightning bolt of war produced as one of its first economic effects a general dislocation of credit machinery in ,europe and to some extent in this country4 ,we heard at once that letters of credit of travelers in ,europe were uncashable4 ,gold was hoarded everywhere4 ,it is estimated that about #cj1jjj1jjj in gold was hoarded in ,new ,york in the first week in ,august4 ,runs on banks were frequent4 ,bank reserves were depleted4 ,the moratorium was resorted to to avoid a general cataclysm of bankruptcies which might have occurred--not from actual insolvency but from mere insufficiency of cash4 ,to me one of the most striking phenomena was the promptness and effectiveness of the co-operative actions by which1 so far1 any business cataclysm has been avoided4 ,the closure of ,stock ,exchanges perhaps saved us from general financial panic4 ,most striking of all is the manner in which the ,governments of the world have come to the rescue of business4 ,those of us who were brought up in the old laissez-faire school have to rub our eyes4 ,had the world been guided by laissez-faire ideas1 in this emergency we should in all probability have witnessed by this time the greatest collapse of credit the world has ever seen4 ,almost all the large and effective measures to meet the many emergencies arising were taken by ,governments4 ,the moratorium must be counted among the ,governmental acts which1 so far at least1 have saved the day for business credits4 ,in ,england the ,government permitted suspension of the ,bank act1 7not of the ,bank1 as many ,americans seem to imagine47 ,improvised ,accounting ,methods4 ,the ,bank of ,england has been enabled to rediscount a great mass of acceptances by the guarantee of the ,british ,government against loss in so doing4 ,these in the end will amount to several hundred millions of dollars4 ,emergency notes were issued by ,governmental authority on both sides of the ,atlantic1 and in the arrangements made for special gold funds in ,canada and in ,france the ,governments of ,england and ,france played the important parts4 ,thus have been improvised methods of international accounting by which the transportation of gold balances may be deferred and largely dispensed with4 ,our own ,government has co-operated in the currency exchange and credit situation in many ways4 ,it made provision for sending gold to ,europe for our stranded countrymen4 ,it promptly revised the banking and shipping laws4 ,whether further instability will be found to need such bolstering we cannot be sure4 ,the present outlook is that business conditions are fairly sound and stable4 ,in which direction across the ,atlantic the title to gold will tend to change cannot as yet be foreseen4 ,it will depend largely on how much ,europe wants our products and how large a sacrifice she is willing to make in selling us her securities4 ,it will also depend on possible issues of paper money4 ,fortunately1 we are the happy possessors of over #a1ejj1jjj1jjj in gold1 and it is inconceivable that any large part of this should flow out--unless we should be so insensate as to inflate the currency4 ,if we keep our heads1 we shall at the end of the war be in the proud position of being the only great nation whose economic resources have not even been strained4 ,effects of ,war on ,america ,by ,roland ,g4 ,usher4 ,head of ,department of ,history at ,washington ,university2 author of ,pan-,germanism1 ,the ,rise of the ,american ,people1 c4 ,from ,the ,boston ,transcript1 ,sept4 #b1 #aiad4 ,the events of the last few days of ,july1 #aiad1 showed the ,americans the far-reaching effects of a state of war4 ,there are now few who would say1 as used to be so common1 that a ,european war would make no difference to us4 ,the closing of the ,new ,york ,stock ,exchange1 the great shipments of gold and its consequent scarcity in the ,united ,states1 the closing of the ,new ,england cotton mills1 the cessation of export to ,europe and of transatlantic communication with the ,continent were instantaneous effects of a war #c1jjj miles away obvious even to the apathetic and the heedless4 ,with these we have not here to do2 such are already past history4 ,there is1 however1 a legitimate field for speculation as to the probable effects on the ,united ,states of the continuation of the state of war in ,europe for months or years4 ,the permanent results of a war naturally cannot be predicted in advance1 but in the light of the history of the past1 certain changes and developments in the ,united ,states appear so probable if the war continues as to reach almost the realm of certainty4 ,needless to say1 the ,european war will not involve the ,united ,states in actual hostilities4 ,it is highly improbable that either our army or our navy will see service4 ,we are too distant from the seat of war2 too entirely devoid of interests the combatants might seriously injure which a resort to war could remedy2 too completely incapable of aiding or abetting one or the other in arms to cause them to assail us4 ,even were we not as a nation of a peaceable disposition1 even had we not a ,president blessed with a singularly clear head and able to keep his temper1 we should still stand little chance of going to war4 ,one eventuality alone might affect us--,japan might attempt some measures of aggression in the ,far ,east which would interest us as possessors of the ,philippines1 but that is practically foreclosed by her official announcement that she will side with ,england4 ,the effects of the war upon the ,united ,states will be indirect effects2 they will be economic in character1 though far-reaching and significant for every man1 woman1 and child in the country4 ,the economic structure of the ,united ,states rests today upon the assumption of the interdependence of international trade1 upon an international division of labor1 where ,england makes some things1 ,germany others1 and we still more1 all of which are exchanged4 ,in a sense each country manufactures and produces for the whole world1 and in turn expects the rest of the world to buy its products and to manufacture and produce things for its consumption4 ,while something of this sort has always been true in international trade1 the process reached during the nineteenth century an unprecedented development which actually made countries interdependent1 or1 if you will1 actually dependent for the necessities of life upon each other's prosperity and continued activity4 ,hand in hand went the expansion of the international credit structure1 based upon public confidence in the mutual honesty of merchants1 until finally personal checks have begun to be exchanged 7between the ,united ,states and ,england at least7 at par and without investigation or previous indorsement by the banks on which they were drawn4 ,with the outbreak of war a striking and artificial change1 a totally uneconomic and unnatural factor1 came to transform the situation and leave the ,united ,states for all practical purposes in contact with only two of her really large customers4 ,we have no merchant marine and cannot therefore avail ourselves of our neutral status to trade with the belligerents4 ,we shall be compelled 7for a time at least7 to ship in ,english bottoms to such ports as ,english ships can make--which will practically be limited to ,england1 ,france1 ,portugal1 ,spain1 and the ,mediterranean ports4 ,the ordinary commercial roads to ,russia through the ,baltic are automatically closed by the location of the ,german fleet1 and probably ,england and ,france1 deprived of other outlets for their own trade1 will nearly monopolize the trade with ,russia through the ,mediterranean and the ,black ,sea4 ,on the other hand1 the mobilization of armies and fleets in ,europe will draw millions of men from the field and factories where they have been accustomed to make what we have usually bought4 ,the war will vastly diminish and in many cases stop altogether the stream of imports to the ,united ,states4 ,these millions of men in the field and on the sea will not possess most of the economic wants they had in time of peace and will become conscious of many which they usually did not feel4 ,the war will diminish and in many cases entirely stop the stream of ordinary ,american exports to ,europe4 ,because of the stoppage of the ,european supply of things we have usually bought of them1 and the cessation of a ,european demand for things we have usually sold to them1 the conditions of the home market1 both in regard to what we must buy in it1 and to what we must sell in it1 will be vitally changed4 ,when our present supplies of ,european importations are exhausted1 we shall be obliged to make for each other and buy from each other the things which we happen to be no longer able to import or export4 ,a great readjustment of the economic fabric in the ,united ,states will take place if the war lasts longer than a comparatively short time4 ,how long a time that must be will depend entirely upon the sharpness of the break in the economic life of ,europe1 and the amount of supplies they have on hand1 which1 as they will not now need them at home1 they will be anxious to sell in the ,united ,states4 ,indeed1 it would not be surprising if there was for a short time a glut of ,english and ,french manufactured goods in the ,united ,states market4 ,europe ,may ,depend ,on ,us4 ,of late years the commercial relationship between the ,united ,states and ,europe has changed very greatly4 ,for centuries we were a debtor community1 buying largely from ,europe1 possessed only of crude staple products for export1 and scarcely able by a series of expedients and exchanges to pay for what we bought4 ,tobacco for many decades1 then cotton1 were the only commodities of which much was exported direct to ,europe4 ,then came1 during the ,european famines of #ahdf1 #ahfa1 and #ahfb1 an enormous demand for ,american grain4 ,yet only during the last few decades have we been able to export largely manufactured products or been able to deal with ,europe on an equality of terms4 ,we are no longer a debtor nation2 we are no longer dependent upon ,europe2 the ,united ,states is an integral and essential part of the interdependent international economic fabric4 ,indeed1 if the war continues ten years1 ,europe may be dependent upon us4 ,in a sense we are not ready to meet the crisis4 ,during the last ten or fifteen years the exports of foodstuffs have fallen off greatly1 and the supply in this country has actually declined in proportion to population4 ,there has been also a most marked increase in the exports of manufactured goods and a decided increase in the importation of raw materials1 including foodstuffs4 ,now will come an enormous demand from ,europe for the very things of which we have not produced so much and exported little or nothing--bacon1 eggs1 butter1 beef4 ,the demand will also be greatly increased for woolen cloth1 raw leather1 shoes1 steel in all its forms1 railroad equipment of all sorts1 automobiles and machinery1 and1 in particular1 coal and gasoline4 ,to supply this demand old industries will be expanded and new ones created1 and a shift of capital and labor will inevitably take place to the industries for which a demand becomes clear in ,europe1 as soon as it seems reasonably certain that the war will last1 beyond the present year4 ,an ,american ,merchant ,marine4 ,above all1 an ,american merchant marine is likely to be seen again upon the seas4 ,there will be ,german ships in plenty for sale1 in all probability1 unless ,germany wins an immediate victory on the sea1 and the advantage of an unquestioned neutral status1 easily obtained by a bona-fide purchase1 will be so great that ,american capital will probably invest largely in freight steamers and ocean liners4 ,it seems entirely unlikely that ,england1 while she remains mistress of the seas1 should recognize as valid the registration in the ,united ,states of vessels actually owned by belligerents or regard as anything more than masquerading their appearance under the ,american flag4 ,england has never recognized any one's right to do anything at sea in time of war which did not accrue directly to her own benefit4 ,it is scarcely necessary to say that she will not allow trade with ,germany or ,austria while she can prevent it4 ,the only refuge will be the sale of the ship by the foreign owner to ,americans who will trade with ,england1 her allies1 and strictly neutral nations4 ,as always in time of war1 privateering and smuggling will be profitable1 and trade with ,germany1 unless she is immediately victorious at sea1 will offer to the adventurous plenty of risk and the certainty of huge profits4 ,during the ,napoleonic wars the flats and bars of the ,german coast along the ,north ,sea offered light vessels a great opportunity and the pursuing warships great obstacles4 ,a modern motor-driven light craft will now have an enormous advantage over destroyers or cruisers4 ,here1 as a century ago1 many an ,american will find an opportunity to make a fortune4 ,the preoccupation of ,europe with the war and the opening of the ,panama ,canal will afford the ,united ,states an unrivaled opportunity to develop trade with ,canada1 ,south ,america1 ,australia1 ,new ,zealand1 ,india1 ,china1 and the ,far ,east in general4 ,we have never bulked large in the eyes of these countries and there has been much speculation as to the reasons why the ,german succeeded so well in ,south ,america and why the ,englishman did so much business in ,china4 ,whether from sentiment or from a national habit that prefers ,english goods1 the ,english colonies have bought more largely of the mother country than they have of us4 ,but now that the war has closed the ,german factories1 called ,german commercial agents home1 and sent ,german ships racing to neutral harbors2 now that the ,panama ,canal brings us some thousands of miles nearer to ,australia and ,new ,zealand than they are to ,london via ,suez2 now that ,england will be busy manufacturing for ,europe and will have less to sell her colonies1 these particular parts of the world will probably be compelled to look for their manufactured goods to the ,united ,states4 ,indeed1 if one were not afraid of being accused of gross exaggeration1 he might take heart and proclaim his conviction that a long and really inclusive ,european war would give the ,united ,states a practical monopoly of the ,south ,american and ,pacific trade1 provided always that the ,united ,states acquire by purchase a merchant marine and that the ,panama ,canal becomes feasible in ,january for large ships4 ,foreigners ,leaving ,america ,one other effect of the war has already begun to reveal itself in the emigration from ,america of thousands of ,servians1 ,austrians1 ,russians1 ,germans1 ,frenchmen1 going home to take their places in the ranks4 ,while many of these men are brave and honorable citizens1 the fact that they respond to such a call proves them not yet ,americans4 ,the war will tend to remove a goodly part of the distinctly foreign element in the country1 the part not yet amalgamated1 and therefore the part most alien to our institutions and the most difficult to place in our social structure4 ,if the war continues1 ,europe will draw every able-bodied man who can be influenced to go4 ,far more important1 immigration will probably become negligible not only during the war1 but for some time after it4 ,usually the reason for leaving home lies in the crowded population of ,european ,states and the lack of opportunity for advancement1 plus the glib tongue of some agent of a contractor or of a steamship company4 ,in recent years those who have come have not been desirable additions to our population because they came from nations alien in blood1 language1 religion and institutions1 and were not therefore easily knit into our national structure and absorbed4 ,there will be little1 if any1 further immigration4 ,the men are wanted for the army and will not be allowed to leave during the war4 ,after peace is restored1 they will be imperatively needed in the fields and factories and every effort will be made to retain them4 ,in fact1 it does not take any wild stretch of the imagination for one acquainted with the results of the ,thirty ,years' ,war and of the ,napoleonic wars to conceive that1 from the view of economic opportunity and rewards1 ,europe might become a more favorable scene for the truly capable and ambitious than ,america is today4 ,the tendency of a war is to absorb the best of a nation and to leave the dregs4 ,for the power of organization and the fire of initiative ,europe will at no distant date be ready to pay well4 ,the ,effect of ,economic ,readjustment4 ,unquestionably the economic readjustment which the war will force upon the ,united ,states will have an immediate and serious effect on individuals4 ,some will profit largely and promptly4 ,all who at present possess large stocks of food1 leather1 oil1 woolen cloth will be able to dispose of them at enormous profits4 ,from the greater volume of freight the railroads will benefit directly4 ,but while the farmers and cattle-men1 the steel and oil kings are rejoicing in the opportunity1 all industries which depend chiefly upon exportation or which manufacture an amount beyond the normal ,american demand1 will be closing the factories or curtailing the output4 ,for a time certain individuals1 perhaps a relatively large number of individuals1 will suffer inconvenience1 loss1 anxiety1 and even privation4 ,but the vast demand for labor in other industries1 and the almost certain extensive demand for relatively unskilled labor ought not to make the period of transition long or the amount of suffering considerable4 ,after all1 the vast majority of the people of the ,united ,states are connected with farming1 with the manufacture or production of the very things for which there will most likely be a great demand1 or with the transportation and distribution of both imports and exports to the rest of the community4 ,in certain industries1 like the manufacture of cotton cloth1 which is localized in ,new ,england to such an extent that whole districts are dependent upon it for a livelihood1 the distress will be great1 for the factories closed upon the declaration of war and the workers are a long distance from the ,western fields1 where laborers are only too scarce4 ,the cheapening of transportation1 the rapidity of communication1 the superior mobility of the population today over ten years ago1 make it probable that these people will soon find new places4 ,concomitant with the war came a rise of prices4 ,foodstuffs especially advanced sharply and will certainly continue to rise until some material increase of the supply is assured beyond a peradventure4 ,the tendency in ,england and above all on the ,continent for the cities to buy great supplies to guard against possible want will increase this tendency4 ,but1 without question1 should the war last1 a rise in the whole level of prices of everything1 including labor1 will take place in the ,united ,states4 ,it will affect some individuals adversely1 but for most will be in the long run almost negligible4 ,for those who actually produce or handle goods which advance in price the result will be a profit1 because the price of the commodity they have to sell will almost certainly advance sooner and faster than the prices of the commodities they themselves are compelled to buy4 ,in time the two will equalize and they will be precisely where they were before the war2 they will pay out with one hand what they take in with the other4 ,in nearly all cases where the individual produces or shares in the production of an actual commodity a general rise in prices1 even to the extent which this war threatens to produce1 will be to him only a temporary advantage or disadvantage4 ,true1 wages and salaries in industrial pursuits will not quite keep pace with the rise in foodstuffs1 and factory workers and clerks will not benefit to the same extent nor as soon as the farmers will4 ,people whose incomes are derived from stocks in the businesses which prosper will probably receive much more than they pay by reason of the increased prices of other commodities1 and certainly cannot be worse off than before4 ,america's ,real ,sufferers4 ,the real sufferers in ,america will be those who hold stock in the enterprises which fail or cease to operate1 and that far larger class who are dependent on a fixed salary4 ,professors and teachers of all sorts and grades2 people living on annuities or small incomes derived from bonds or real estate2 those dependent on the rent derived from leases for a term of years of dwelling houses1 office buildings and the like1 these will lose a material amount1 exactly in proportion to the rise in prices4 ,to that extent1 the purchasing power of the stated number of dollars they receive will depreciate and that much they will lose beyond a peradventure4 ,in time1 some relief will be afforded by a tardy rise in salaries1 by the expiration of leases and the payment of bonds1 but the actual losses of the intervening years have never been in any way refunded in like cases in the past4 ,for some individuals1 then1 the ,european war will spell strict economy2 for a comparatively few1 let us hope1 ruin4 ,for the country as a whole1 considered as a social and economic unit1 a long war will introduce an era of astounding prosperity4 ,never before has the country had1 and certainly it will never again have1 almost a monopoly of the world's trade thrust into its hands4 ,the ,united ,states will have only one real competitor1 ,england1 and1 should the ,english ,navy prove itself less capable than is expected1 or should ,england and her colonies be forced to order a general mobilization of their armies1 the ,united ,states might conceivably remain the only great mercantile community to which the world could look for supplies4 ,no such eventuality need be predicated to prove that the continuation of this war or a series of wars will create a demand for manufactured goods such as our merchants have never dreamed of4 ,and they will command war prices4 ,it means employment with rich reward for capital and labor alike--a vastly increased foreign market1 a much greater domestic market1 high prices1 and a steadily voracious demand for the entire output4 ,the result will be the rapid diversification of industry in the ,united ,states1 the creation of industries never before possible because of ,european competition1 the invention of machines to meet new needs4 ,the normal economic development will be accelerated decades4 ,after the close of the ,european war1 when manufacturing and production are resumed1 ,america will find herself overproducing and face to face with another economic readjustment necessary to meet the new situation4 ,then will ensue a commercial crisis with all its attendant suffering and trouble such as the ,united ,states has probably never seen and which will be violent and serious in proportion to the length of the war4 ,germany of the ,future ,,an ,,interview ,,with ,m4 ,,de ,,lapredelle4 ,exchange ,professor from the ,university of ,paris at ,columbia ,university4 ,by ,edward ,marshall4 ,in the ,american press ,french views of the great war's significance have been less common than ,british views and far less frequent than ,german views4 ,therefore1 this talk with ,m4 de ,lapredelle1 ,exchange ,professor from the ,university of ,paris at ,columbia1 will have especial interest4 ,this very distinguished ,frenchman1 although but #dc years old1 has won high eminence in his native land1 especially in the domain of international law1 which is his branch at the ,university of ,paris4 ,also he is ,directeur de ,recuel des ,arbitrages ,internacioneaux1 he is the editor of ,the ,international ,law ,review in ,paris1 he is a member of the ,committee on ,international ,law for the ,french ,department of ,justice1 he is a member of the ,french ,committee on ,aerial ,navigation1 he is ,general ,secretary of the ,french ,society of ,international ,law1 and he occupies other important posts and bears other important scholastic honors4 ,he is a cautious conversationist1 as might be expected of one who has so deeply delved into the most cautious of all professions1 but in the mind of the thoughtful reader this should add to the value of his utterances1 which1 as expressed in the following columns1 were carefully revised by him before going into type4 ,i asked ,m4 de ,lapredelle to estimate the great war's probable effect upon education4 ,of course it is too early to guess intelligently1 he replied1 for the effect of the war will be dependent entirely upon the results of the war1 and1 while we of the ,allies have no doubt of our ultimate victory1 it is the fact that victory has not been won as yet by either side4 ,in talking with you my impulse is to assume what ,i feel in my heart--the certainty of ,german defeat1 but ,i must not do that1 although all the letters which ,i get from the front and from ,paris express a growing confidence in the victory of the ,allies4 ,but it is too early to attempt intelligent detailed prophecy as to the effect of the great struggle upon the world's philosophy1 or upon any other phase of its intellectual development4 ,almost certainly1 however1 a reaction against certain ,germanic influences will be apparent after the war ends1 for the world will not want ever to risk repetition of the horrors of this struggle1 and it will be plain that they were the inevitable fruit of ,germany's attempt at intellectual domination4 ,this ,german assumption was due1 largely1 to their victory in #ahgj1 but it went far beyond the bounds of reason1 far beyond the fields in which ,german achievement really had established legitimate supremacy4 ,the momentum of victory often has led humanity into excess4 ,it led ,germany into excessive claims of social superiority and into an excessive assumption of intellectual supremacy4 ,even in the eyes of others it gave ,germany an unwarranted intellectual prestige4 ,really1 the ,german is not a big thinker2 he is an immensely careful thinker4 ,above everything1 the ,german is an observer--a very diligent observer--and his mental eyes are likely to be so close to the wall that he sees only a single brick in it1 wholly failing to get a comprehensive view of the whole structure4 ,germans are very careful students4 ,they attach a vast importance to detail4 ,i think it is not unfair to say that1 with the ,german1 the smaller1 the more minute the detail1 the more it interests him4 ,the ,german loves to write a big book on a small subject1 and1 loving it1 he does it well4 ,but there are more exalted tasks1 as1 for example1 the writing of big books upon big subjects1 giving the world fresh visions of new and far-flung vistas4 ,the ,german loves to catalogue and catalogues almost with genius2 he loves to deliver long lectures upon microcosms4 ,cataloguing and the near-sightedness which may arise from intense study of the atom1 to the exclusion of the collective organism1 whether that collective organism be the human individual or the social mass1 may render immense service to the world1 but it never will be the only service necessary1 and1 if pursued to the exclusion of all other investigations1 such study is likely to produce an aggravated narrowness of vision4 ,narrow vision is certain to eventuate in selfishness4 ,the ,germans became selfish after this fashion4 ,the present struggle is the war of selfishness against world advance4 ,innumerable1 or at least many1 individuals have furnished smaller parallels to the course which ,germany has taken as a nation4 ,the individual with the truly and exclusively scientific mind is likely to go too far into abstractions1 built from a possible misinterpretation of minutiae4 ,the ideal national intellectual development will combine both fact and theory1 will join rationalism to idealism1 and will be far more like that of certain nations which ,i shall not name than it will be like that of ,germany4 ,these nations which ,i shall not name have both4 ,in other words1 it seems to be the fixed idea of the ,german that the ,german civilization is the only civilization2 but it is not the thought of ,france or ,england that their civilizations are the only ones4 ,this very lack of what may be defined as national egotism in ,france and ,england enables these nations to work1 as ,germany does not1 for world science and world development--the growth of civilization as a whole4 ,germany's scientific work is for ,german science1 she thinks of civilization only as ,german civilization4 ,the world's other great nations--and may ,i say the world's great ,latin nations especially8--internationalize their science and their civilization4 ,why the ,philosopher ,is ,important4 ,one must be struck by the fact that ,germany's critical philosophy formed the basis of her educational system and1 therefore1 the basis of her social system1 and that it had in it the basis of the war4 ,it cannot be denied1 ,i think1 that her education1 as well as her politics and militarism1 directly pointed to this great conflict4 ,indeed1 the industrialism1 the politics1 the philosophy of ,germany all find their logical expression in present events4 ,hegel was the first1 in the beginning of the last century1 to insist upon the ideas which1 already being paramount in him1 quickly became paramount in his followers1 serving as the basis for the development of ,prussia4 ,to him this represented all and everything2 to him divinity on earth was incarcerated in the ,state1 and1 therefore1 the development of the ,state1 not justice1 was1 in his mind1 the object of all law4 ,since this beginning that has been the consistent ,german viewpoint1 and increasingly so4 ,the glorification of the ,state has included1 of necessity1 the sacrifice of the individual1 and this has been conducted ruthlessly in ,germany itself4 ,of course the ,state which considers it right to sacrifice the individuals of its own citizenship will be sure to consider it right to sacrifice the individuals of other nations' citizenships4 ,that explains why international law never has been considered binding by the ,german2 it explains why international law was not considered binding when ,belgium stood in the path of ,germany's march toward ,paris4 ,international law never has bound the ,german2 it never will bind him until he changes his national psychology4 ,ihering1 one of ,germany's greatest theoretical jurists and a scholar in the matter of ,roman law1 declared1 ',right is the child of might4' ,he did not say exactly that right is might1 but he defined it as 'the child of might4' ,that may be taken as the ,german keynote1 for this man is of such great influence in ,germany that his utterances must have an enormous effect4 ,treitschke1 the historian1 in his teaching in ,berlin1 naturally drew some of his inspiration from these two men4 ,for him the ,state need consider no law save that which will promote its own expansion4 ,moral law1 he holds1 need not and must not stand in the way of the prosperity and growth of ,states1 as it frequently must obstruct the prosperity and growth of individuals4 ,under this theory the ,state has two functions--these are1 inside the country1 to make law2 outside the country1 to make war4 ,germany denies the right of an extraneous law to decide upon the details of right and wrong within a country1 and that is why ,germany defies and even denies international law4 ,if it happens that a treaty which the ,state has entered into later proves to be obstructive to some expansion which is thought to be a necessity of the ,state's destiny1 that treaty may be disregarded with the full approval of ,germany's national morality1 although similar conduct on the part of an individual in ,germany would be considered highly reprehensible4 ,the ,state may bind itself to secure advantage1 but1 also1 it may unbind itself to secure advantage1 and this without consultation with1 or the approval of1 the other party or parties to the contract4 ,this theory becomes confusing to the student reared in other nations under different educational influences4 ,it indicates beyond contradiction that ,germany feels no sense of duty toward other nations1 but only an obligation to further her own interests4 ,germany has immense patriotism but no humanitarianism4 ,her only duty is to herself4 ,her national egotism can be characterized by no other word than selfishness4 ,it is a curious phenomenon that at a time when humanitarianism in its broadest sense has become the keynote of all other of the great nations it has not become at all the keynote of ,german civilization4 ,teutonic ,superexcitation4 ,it is impossible that such pride1 such a sense of arrogant national superiority as that which marks ,germany1 should maintain among a democratic people2 it is possible only to a very aristocratic country4 ,what has happened is its logical outgrowth in the country which it has infected4 ,in ,germany this sense of national pride1 of intolerance of others1 even of contempt for others1 has been developed until it amounts to superexcitation4 ,it not only affects ,germany's relations to other peoples1 but it affects the relations of ,germans to one another4 ,different classes of the ,german population continually exhibit it in their dealings with one another4 ,it is continually illustrated in those events which have been the wonder of visiting foreigners--episodes of the contemptuous ill-treatment of subordinate ,german soldiers by their superiors4 ,it goes beyond that1 manifesting itself in the treatment of all civilians by the lowest soldier1 and1 further still1 in the attitude even of the lowest civilian to all foreigners1 even the highest4 ,the ,german individual may not consider himself superior to all individuals of other nationalities1 but he will be sure to consider his nation so far superior to every other that there can be no comparison between it and them4 ,his is a peculiar arrogance4 ,it is not at all personal2 it is purely national2 but none the less it is arrogance1 and all arrogance is dangerous4 ,a hierarchy always exists in aristocratic countries2 the hierarchical idea has been developed further in ,germany than elsewhere4 ,this has given ,germany an unfortunate impulse4 ,if to this impulse we add that other born of all her various victories since #ahff1 especially those which were won while ,germany was realizing ,bismarck's dream of triumph 'through fire and blood'--her industrial victories1 her scientific advance1 her social progress--and consider the ,germanic tendency toward egotism1 we do not find ourselves surprised when we find1 examine1 and appraise exactly what we have today in ,germany4 ,the perversion of national sentiment into national arrogance has been the definite1 although1 perhaps1 unrealized and unintended1 aim of every educational influence which has been at work in ,germany since #ahgj4 ,it has amounted to an unparalleled perversion of a nation's sentiment toward all the outside world4 ,this war marks the crisis of this ,german pride4 ,germany's course throughout has borne all the earmarks of a national ego-mania4 ,the whole ,german people1 as a nation1 not always1 perhaps1 as individuals1 have fallen victim to the most colossal attack of ego-mania which the world ever has known4 ,combine this ego-mania with another delusion--the entirely unjustified conclusion that ,germany was the object of a worldwide persecution--and it is unnecessary to search further for the causes of the war1 just as it is unnecessary to search further for reasons for the combination of practically all other ,europe against ,germany4 ,what would ,german victory mean to the world1 if ,german victory came1 save the worldwide dominance of ,german egotism1 imposed at the expense of every other people8 ,france would not escape1 ,england would not escape1 and1 ,i assure you1 you1 ,america1 would not escape4 ,german victory would be far more than a ,european disaster--it would be a world disaster4 ,of all the nations in the world perhaps the ,united ,states and ,france have stood most notably for the ideas of international justice4 ,this really makes your interest in the outcome of the present war indirectly as great as ours4 ,i cannot see how the people of the ,united ,states can feel otherwise than that not only their hearts but their reason demands victory for the ,allies1 not because of any wish for the destruction of ,germany1 but because of the wish for the preservation of the world4 ,indeed1 it is inconceivable that victory for the ,allies can mean destruction for ,germany4 ,it can mean only the destruction of ,german militarism1 which has brought about the perversion of the ,german mind4 ,no abler mind exists4 ,its release from the thralldom which has fettered it would be a vast world service1 would1 indeed1 be a vast benefit to ,germany herself4 ,it is curious1 but true1 that ,i believe ,germany's own salvation depends upon her absolute defeat in this great war4 ,a few weeks before the war began ,prof4 ,schucking expressed regret that ,germany--that is1 the ,german ,government--should be so antagonistic to international spirit4 ,the fact that he made this expression shows that1 in spite of and beyond military ,germany1 the intellectual lite1 the cream of the lite in ,germany1 has remained faithful to the traditions of the great philosopher1 ,kant4 ,the intellectual lite--the cream of the lite--therefore may be absolved from all responsibility4 ,loyalty to the teachings of ,kant will make it possible for the friends of humanity in all nations to join with ,germany for human advancement on the basis of universal justice4 ,after the victory of the ,allies a new ,germany will appear2 it will be a liberal ,germany1 willing to renounce the narrow ,prussian ideals1 finding again the old ,german ideal in its disinterested form1 a ,germany which will be able to join hands with other nations1 to help them in taking up again the works of international civilization1 which ,prussian ,germany herself brutally brought to an end1 with insolent scorn of right--an act for which she is now paying and must pay the penalty4 ,germany the ,aggressor ,by ,albert ,sauveur4 ,professor of ,metallurgy at ,harvard ,university4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,times3 ,german professors and editors and other ,german sympathizers in the present struggle of nations have attempted the difficult task of convincing the ,american public1 first1 that ,germany was not the aggressor1 and1 second1 that she is conducting a war of civilization directed primarily against ,russia1 that ,europe may not fall under ,muscovite domination4 ,the ,german ,chancellor has made similar claims1 while in the ,german ,white ,paper1 published in full in ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,times of ,aug4 #bd1 it is likewise attempted to fasten the responsibility for this war on ,germany's opponents4 ,a close and impartial study of both the ,english and ,german ,white ,papers must suffice to convince the reader that ,germany clearly was the aggressor and that ,england made every possible effort first to prevent a war between ,austria and ,servia and later to localize the conflict4 ,germany1 on the contrary1 by insisting from the start that there should be no intervention in the settlement of the dispute between ,servia and her ally1 ,austria1 made a ,european war inevitable4 ,the sophistry1 inaccuracies1 and unwarranted conclusions of the ,german professors and editors have not helped their cause4 ,the irrefutable facts remain1 first1 that ,austria with the knowledge and approval of ,germany presented to ,servia an ultimatum so worded that she knew that the conditions imposed could not be complied with by any nation retaining a spark of self-respect2 second1 that after ,servia had accepted ,austria's ultimatum with the single exception of the most offensive clause1 which she proposed to submit to arbitration1 ,austria1 with ,germany's consent1 proclaimed herself unsatisfied and immediately declared war on ,servia2 third1 that ,germany and ,austria knew that a war with ,servia meant a war with ,russia1 and that a war with ,russia meant a general ,european conflagration2 fourth1 that ,germany declared war on ,russia1 started the invasion of ,france before declaring war1 and1 by refusing to respect the neutrality of ,belgium1 to which she was solemnly pledged1 forced both ,belgium and ,england into the war4 ,in the face of so flagrant a violation of all sentiments making for peace no sophistry will avail in attempting to protect ,germany from the odium of being responsible for the greatest calamity the civilized world has ever seen4 ,we are told that ,germany is conducting this war in the interest of civilization1 that her chief purpose is to protect ,europe from the domination of the ,slav4 ,and to ward off this ,muscovite danger ,germany is at present making desperate efforts to crush ,england and ,france1 the standard bearers of democracy in ,europe6 ,in her war for civilization she is employing the methods of barbarian tribes1 methods condemned by civilized nations and which have already horrified the world4 ,it is hardly conceivable that ,russia1 which the ,german ,chancellor describes as a semi-,asiatic1 slightly cultured barbaric nation1 could have committed in ,belgium the atrocities imputed to the ,germans had she conquered that country in similar circumstances4 ,it is manifest that ,germany's supreme desire is to fasten ,teutonic rule on ,europe1 to crush ,russia1 to be sure1 but also to crush ,france and ,french civilization and to reduce ,england to the rank of a second-class nation4 ,it is obvious that this is a struggle between militarism and its evils as represented by the ,hohenzollern dynasty and democracy as represented by ,england and ,france4 ,,albert ,,sauveur4 ,harvard ,university1 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 ,sept4 #e1 #aiad4 ,militarism and ,christianity ,by ,lyman ,abbott4 ,a ,letter to ,the ,new ,york ,sun4 ,editor in ,chief of ,the ,outlook2 author of numerous works on theology1 religion1 and democracy4 ,to the ,editor of ,the ,new ,york ,sun3 ,in answer to your request for a statement of the causes and meaning of the ,european war ,i write with necessary brevity1 both because of the limits on my time and the limits on your crowded columns4 ,what is the cause of the explosion of a powder magazine8 ,the gases stored in the powder4 ,the lighted match is the occasion1 not the cause of the explosion4 ,the cause of the ,european war is the spirit of envy1 jealousy1 selfishness and suspicion in the so-called ,christian nations4 ,the assassination by a ,servian of the ,crown ,prince of ,austria was only the lighted match which set the ,european combustibles in flame4 ,in the ,united ,states we recognize the truth that the interests of each ,state are identical with the interests of the ,union1 and that no ,state can permanently prosper by reason of the misfortune of its neighbor4 ,in the ,german ,empire since its unification each principality similarly recognizes that the interests of the ,german ,empire and the interests of the several principalities are essentially identical4 ,but there is no such recognition of the common interest binding the warring nations of ,europe together4 ,each nation looks with envy on the prosperity of its neighbor and acts upon the assumption that its neighbor is a rival1 and that its own commerce and wealth can be built up only at the expense of its rival4 ,new ,york is quite willing that the harbor of ,boston should be improved4 ,bremen is quite willing that the harbor of ,hamburg should be improved4 ,the west coast of ,england does not object to harbor facilities on the east coast of ,england4 ,but ,germany envies ,england's harbor facilities1 and ,england and ,germany are both resolved to prevent if possible ,russia from getting harbor facilities on the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,not every individual ,german1 ,austrian1 ,frenchman1 and ,englishman holds this opinion1 but the policies of these nations are governed by this spirit of international rivalry4 ,a striking illustration of this spirit1 perhaps the most striking illustration in modern international life1 is furnished by the military party in ,prussia4 ,gen4 ,bernhardi1 in a volume entitled ,germany and the ,next ,war1 has given what may be regarded as a semi-official interpretation of ,german militarism4 ,he holds that life is a struggle for existence1 with a survival of the fittest1 and the strongest is the fittest2 that a military organization constitutes the true strength of a nation2 that there is no higher power in human life1 certainly none in international life1 than the power of physical force2 that only the strong nation has a right to exist1 and he objects to international arbitration because it recognizes the right to life of a small nation4 ,in this volume he calls on ,germany to establish a world sovereignty by force of arms1 and he indicates what should be the twofold purpose of ,germany in the next war1 namely1 to crush ,france and to establish such world sovereignty of ,germany4 ,militarism to ,blame4 ,it was this spirit which led ,germany into the present war2 this spirit which denied that ,belgium had any rights which ,germany was bound to respect2 this spirit which inspired the military party in ,germany to regard its treaty with ,france and ,england guaranteeing the neutrality of ,belgium as only a scrap of paper1 and this spirit which could not and apparently still does not comprehend why ,belgium should be bound in honor to defend her neutrality1 or why ,england1 with no very direct and immediate interests to protect1 should feel herself bound to come to the defense of her weaker neighbor4 ,the delay of the ,german ,army1 which is likely to prove disastrous to her designs1 has demonstrated in her own chosen field that there is a force in national honor and national conscience which can put up a very efficient resistance to ,krupp guns4 ,it is a great mistake to suppose that all ,germany is actuated by this spirit of militarism4 ,frederick ,william ,wile1 for over seven years the chief ,german correspondent of ,the ,london ,daily ,mail1 in an article in ,the ,outlook recently said3 ,there are #ff1jjj1jjj ,germans2 #fe1jjj1jjj of them did not want war2 the other million are the war party4 ,but he adds that now ,germany is absolutely united and that the ,germans will not stack arms till the last among them capable of shouldering a rifle is incapacitated1 till the last copper pfennig capable of purchasing ammunition of war has vanished from their impoverished grasp4 ,there is in this nothing extraordinary4 ,whoever is responsible for bringing on the war1 the interests1 the welfare1 and in some sense the honor of ,germany are apparently involved in it4 ,and yet it may be true1 and ,i believe it is true1 that the defeat of ,germany will be its salvation1 for it will be the overthrow of the spirit of militarism inherited from ,frederick the ,great1 and this has been the bane of the ,german ,empire4 ,in our civil war there was at first only a minority in most of the ,southern ,states in favor of secession1 but when the national troops invaded ,virginia the ,south was as united for ,state independence as the ,north was for national union1 and yet today it will be difficult to find anywhere in the ,south an intelligent man who does not recognize the truth that the defeat of secession and the emancipation of the slave have been of inestimable benefit to the ,southern ,states4 ,i make no attempt here to apportion the responsibility for this war between the several powers engaged in it4 ,however this responsibility must be shared among them ,i can see but one meaning in the awful campaign4 ,the victory of ,germany would mean the victory of ,prussian militarism4 ,the defeat of ,germany will mean the defeat of ,prussian militarism1 the rehabilitation of ,germany as a great industrial and educational power in the world1 and probably the practical overthrow of military autocracy in all ,western ,europe4 ,divine ,right of ,kings ,obsolete4 ,the campaigns of ,napoleon ended for ,western ,europe the ,divine right of ,kings4 ,the campaigns of the ,allies will end for ,western ,europe the ,divine right of the armed man4 ,the ,russo-,japanese war gave to ,russia its first representative assembly1 the ,duma4 ,it is not unreasonable to hope that the present ,european war will result in greatly enlarging the powers of the ,duma and establishing true constitutional government in ,germany1 a government in which the ,ministry will be responsible not to the ,emperor but to the ,reichstag2 and the power both of the purse and the sword will not be in the hands of an aristocratic oligarchy but in the hands of the common people4 ,it is not strange that men should point to this1 perhaps the greatest war of history1 as an evidence that ,christianity is a failure4 ,if ,christianity professed to be able by a miracle to transform human nature at once1 such a war would be fatal to its claim4 ,but no such claim can be made for ,christianity4 ,it is a great human movement1 a phase of the gradual evolution of man1 governed by conscience and reason1 out of the brute1 governed by appetite and passion4 ,man as he is seen in the world to day is an unfinished product4 ,he is in the making4 ,the best that can be said of a ,christian is that he is further along toward the goal of humanity than the barbarian4 ,theological doctrines such as the ,trinity1 the ,atonement1 and the like are not the essential doctrines of ,christianity4 ,the essential doctrine is that life is a struggle for others as well as for self2 that in this struggle every one owes a duty to his neighbor1 and the stronger he is and the greater the need of his neighbor the more imperative is his duty2 that as the father and the mother care for1 educate and govern their child until he grows able to care for1 educate and govern himself1 so always the strong men and women owe the duty of protection1 education1 and1 in some measure1 government to the weaker of the human race until they have outgrown the need for it4 ,in so far as autocracy is the rule of the few for the benefit of the few it is paganism4 ,in so far as democracy is the rule of the many for the benefit of the many it is ,christianity4 ,he who believes this will perhaps believe with me that in a true sense this is a religious war1 the war of conscience1 honor1 the moral sense against the rule of the bayonet and the bullet4 ,the cynic who thinks this war demonstrates the failure of ,christianity should not forget such facts as the heroic struggle of ,belgium to maintain her neutrality1 the resolve of ,england at every cost to maintain her pledges to ,belgium1 the ,red ,cross following the armies in the field and ministering to the sick1 the wounded and the suffering1 regardless of their nationality1 the general kind treatment to prisoners1 accentuated by some very horrible exceptions1 and all this contrasted with the enslaving1 torturing1 the crucifying1 the flaying alive of prisoners captured in war by barbaric nations before the dawn of ,christianity4 ,,lyman ,,abbott4 ,cornwall-on-,hudson1 ,sept4 #ag1 #aiad4 ,,vigil ,by ,,hortense ,,flexner4 ,i have waited with my mothers down the dim1 uncertain ages1 ,i have waited in the cave and hut and tower1 ,from the first dawn's nameless fear ,to the death-list posted here ,i have slain my soul in waiting1 hour by hour4 ,under pelt of beast1 trap-taken1 or the leaves by chance winds blow1 ,under tunic1 peasant hemp1 or cloth of gold1 ,by the fire1 in low flame burning1 ,i have crouched in silence1 yearning1 ,and as now1 my helpless heart has waited cold4 ,ancient is the part ,i play--like a cloak of heavy mourning1 ,i take it1 bending1 from a million women's hands4 ,they have worn it1 they have torn it1 ,agonizing1 they have borne it1 ,and its folds are dark with heart-break of all lands4 ,oh1 the woman figure standing1 with the face toward the horizon1 ,oh1 the hand above the eyes to ease the strain6 ,gaunt and barren1 stricken1 lonely1 ,with the empty memories only1 ,we have stood1 the dry-eyed sentries of our pain4 ,nothing we can do to stop them1 nothing we can say to hold them2 ,taking sunlight1 laughter1 youth1 they swing away1 ,and the things they leave grow strange1 ,house and street and voices change1 ,but the women and the burdened hours stay4 ,i have waited with my mothers down the dim1 uncertain ages1 ,while my children die1 ,i pray the centuries through1 ,and ,i wonder in my fear ,at the death-list posted here ,if ,god has left the women waiting1 too6 ,nietzsche and ,german ,culture ,by ,abraham ,solomon4 ,a ,letter to ,the ,new ,york ,evening ,post4 ,sir3 ,those who trace the ,german militaristic doctrines to ,nietzsche's influence commit ,pastor ,mander's sin when he told ,mrs4 ,alving to bar from her library a book which he had never read4 ,nietzsche was an inveterate enemy of efficiency1 astigmatic with regard to practical life1 and he never worked out a philosophy in the accepted sense of the term4 ,he was a lyric poet who wrote psychology when he failed to sustain the poetic mood4 ,in the ,engadine and at ,sils-,maria1 brooding in a rocky void wherein he touched the sharp edge of infinity1 he sang a ,dionysian hymn to life against the melancholy products of ,german learning and against those ,nihilistic snares which he thought lurked in ,christian doctrine4 ,there he worked out the mystic idea of ,eternal ,recurrence and his song of ,zarathustra with the bell strokes of noon4 ,what he knew of history he used for an analysis of values1 and not for ,state polity4 ,he shrank from the irritations of reality1 and he had little patience with the national mania cultivated after ,sedan1 warning his country that their victory was not one of a superior culture1 that ,germany had no style but a barbaric mixture of many styles2 and he pointed out the essential difference between culture and erudition4 ,his unfinished work1 ,the ,will to ,power1 was an attempt to house his lyric passions in an architectural frame4 ,the faade of the structure1 as posthumously revealed to us1 is an indication that he was really engaged in building a ,tower of ,babel4 ,power1 ,affirmation1 ,yea-,saying he considered the attributes of life1 and he found in them recompense for his weakness and his lack of capacity for happiness4 ,he was a master of the exquisite nuances of vision1 but since he touched real life at the circumference1 and not at the centre1 his philosophical valuations are bizarre1 and have only a literary value4 ,it is superficial to make ,treitschke and ,bernhardi his disciples1 as some ,american writers have made ,roosevelt his disciple4 ,treitschke is a heavy-footed historian who raised the axiom of self-preservation into a philosophy of force4 ,von ,bernhardi's book1 though extreme in its expression1 is based on the fundamental truth that if ,germany desired a just proportion of oversea territories 7a proportion denied her by ,england7 she would have to gain it by force of arms4 ,in the development of this idea he makes many generalizations calculated to dazzle the multitude and to imbue it with the courage to expansion4 ,treitschke would have rested in obscurity but for the war2 ,bernhardi does not pretend to talents as a philosopher4 ,the real origin of ,germany's policy in the last forty years may be derived from the eminently practical and direct mind of ,bismarck4 ,from reading of history he learned that chicane and force had been utilized as the roads to power1 of which fact he found ample demonstration in the histories of ,england and ,russia4 ,he proved himself a true adept by using chicane and force to achieve ,german unity1 after the theorists had failed4 ,those who glibly condemn a lyric philosopher in order to make out a case against ,germany reveal the weakness of their position4 ,it is strange that these lantern-eyed critics haven't cited ,heine as an enemy of democracy because he adored ,napoleon4 ,was it because ,heine lived for years in ,paris on the adulation of advanced feminines8 ,,abraham ,,solomon4 ,new ,york1 ,oct4 #ac1 #aiad4 ,belgium's ,bitter ,need ,by ,sir ,gilbert ,parker4 ,sir ,gilbert ,parker1 ,m4,p41 went to ,holland at the request of the ,american ,committee for the ,relief of ,belgium a week ago to inquire into the work of the committee and the needs of the ,belgians4 ,sir ,gilbert visited frontier towns and the camps of the refugees for the purpose of making a personal investigation into the conditions4 ,that he is deeply impressed by the desperate need of the ,belgians may be gathered from the following graphic statement and appeal1 dated ,dec4 #e1 #aiad1 to the ,american people3 ,since the beginning of the war the hearts of all humane people have been tortured by the sufferings of ,belgium4 ,for myself the martyrdom of ,belgium had been a nightmare since the fall of ,lige4 ,whoever or whatever country is to blame for this war1 ,belgium is innocent4 ,her hands are free from stain4 ,she has kept the faith4 ,she saw it with the eyes of duty and honor4 ,her ,government is carried on in another land4 ,her ,king is in the trenches4 ,her army is decimated1 but the last decimals fight on4 ,her people wander in foreign lands1 the highest and lowest looking for work and bread2 they cannot look for homes4 ,those left behind huddle near the ruins of their shattered villages or take refuge in towns which cannot feed their own citizens4 ,abyss of ,want and ,woe4 ,many cities and towns have been completely destroyed2 others1 reduced or shattered1 struggle in vain to feed their poor and broken populations4 ,stones and ashes mark the places where small communities lived their peaceful lives before the invasion4 ,the ,belgian people live now in the abyss of want and woe4 ,all this ,i knew in ,england1 but knew it from the reports of others4 ,i did not1 could not1 know what the destitution1 the desolation of ,belgium was1 what were the imperative needs of this people1 until ,i got to ,holland and to the borders of ,belgian territory4 ,inside that territory ,i could not pass because ,i was a ,britisher1 but there ,i could see ,german soldiers1 the ,landwehr1 keeping guard over what they call their new ,german province4 ,belgium a ,german province6 ,there at ,maastricht ,i saw fugitives crossing the frontier into ,holland with all their worldly goods on their shoulders or in their hands1 or with nothing at all1 seeking hospitality of a little land which itself feels1 though it is neutral1 the painful stress and cost of the war4 ,there1 on the frontier1 ,i was standing between ,dutch soldiers and ,german soldiers1 so near the ,germans that ,i could almost have touched them1 so near three ,german officers that their conversation as they saluted me reached my ears4 ,i begin to understand what the sufferings and needs of ,belgium are4 ,they are such that the horror of it almost paralyzes expression4 ,i met at ,maastricht ,belgians1 representatives of municipalities1 who said that they had food for only a fortnight longer4 ,and what was the food they had8 ,no meat1 no vegetables1 but only one-third of a soldier's rations of bread for each person per day4 ,at ,lige1 as ,i write1 there is food for only three days4 ,what is it the people of ,belgium ask for8 ,they ask for bread and salt1 no more1 and it is not forthcoming4 ,they do not ask for meat2 they cannot get it4 ,they have no fires for cooking1 and they do not beg for petrol4 ,money is of little use to them1 because there is no food to be bought with money4 ,belgium under ordinary circumstances imports five-sixths of the food she eats4 ,the ordinary channels of sale and purchase are closed4 ,they cannot buy and sell if they would4 ,representatives of ,belgian communities told me at ,maastricht yesterday that the crops were taken from their fields--the wheat and potatoes--and were sent into ,germany4 ,no ,work1 but ,taxes ,continue4 ,there is no work4 ,the factories are closed because they have not raw material1 coal1 or petrol1 because they have no markets4 ,and yet war taxes are falling with hideous pressure upon a people whose hands are empty1 whose workshops are closed1 whose fields are idle1 whose cattle have been taken1 or compulsorily purchased without value received4 ,in ,belgium itself the misery of the populace is greater than the misery of the ,belgian fugitives in other countries1 such as ,holland1 where there have come since the fall of ,lige one and a half million of fugitives4 ,to gauge what that misery in ,belgium is1 think of what even the fugitives suffer4 ,i have seen in a room without fire1 the walls damp1 the floor without covering1 not even straw1 a family of nine women and eight children1 one on an improvised bunk seriously ill4 ,their home in ,belgium was leveled with the ground1 the father killed in battle4 ,their food is coffee and bread for breakfast1 potatoes for dinner1 with salt--and in having the salt they were lucky--bread and coffee for supper4 ,insufficiently clothed1 there by the ,north ,sea1 they watched the bleak hours pass1 with nothing to do except cling together in a vain attempt to keep warm4 ,multiply this case by hundreds of thousands and you will have some hint of the people's sufferings4 ,in a lighter on the ,river ,maas at ,rotterdam1 without windows1 without doors1 with only an open hatchway from which a ladder descends1 several hundred fugitives spend their nights and the best parts of their days in the iron hold1 forever covered with moisture1 leaky when rain comes1 with the floor never dry1 and pervasive with a perpetual smell like the smell of a cave which never gets the light of day4 ,here men1 women1 and children were huddled together in a promiscuous communion of misery1 made infinitely more pathetic and heartrending because none complained4 ,at ,rosendaal1 at ,scheveningen1 ,eysden1 and ,flushing1 at a dozen other places1 these ghastly things are repeated in one form or another4 ,holland has sheltered hundreds of thousands1 but she could not in a moment organize even adequate shelter1 much less comforts4 ,in ,bergen-op-,zoom1 where ,i write these words1 there have come since the fall of ,antwerp #cjj1jjj hungry marchers1 with no resources except what they carry with them4 ,this little town of #ae1jjj people did its best to meet the terrible pressure1 and its citizens went without bread themselves to feed the refugees4 ,how can a small municipality suddenly deal with so vast a catastrophe8 ,yet slowly some sort of order was organized out of chaos1 and when the ,government was able to establish refugee camps through the military the worst conditions were moderated1 and now1 in tents and in vans on a fortunately situated piece of land1 over #c1jjj people live1 so far as comforts are concerned1 like ,kaffirs in ,karoo or aborigines in a camp in the back blocks of ,australia4 ,the tents are crammed with people1 and life is reduced to its barest elements4 ,straw1 boards1 and a few blankets and dishes for rations--that constitutes the mnage4 ,children are born in the hugger mugger of such conditions1 but the good ,holland citizens see that the children are cared for and that the babies have milk4 ,devoted priests teach the children1 and the value of military organization illuminates the whole panoply of misery4 ,yet the best of the refugee camps would seem to ,american citizens like the dark and dreadful life of an underworld1 in which is neither work1 purpose1 nor opportunity4 ,it is a sight repugnant to civilization4 ,the saddest1 most heartrending thing ,i have ever seen has been the patience of every ,belgian1 whatever his state1 ,i have met4 ,among the thousands of refugees ,i have seen in ,holland1 in the long stream that crossed the frontier at ,maastricht and besieged the doors of the ,belgian ,consul while ,i was there1 no man1 no woman railed or declaimed against the horror of their situation4 ,the pathos of lonely1 staring1 apathetic endurance is tragic beyond words4 ,so grateful1 so simply grateful1 are they1 every one1 for whatever is done for them4 ,none of the ,refugees ,begs4 ,none begs1 none asks for money1 and yet on the faces of these frontier refugees ,i saw stark hunger1 the weakness come of long weeks of famine4 ,one man1 one fortunate man from ,verviers1 told me he could purchase as much as #bs4 #h;d4 worth of food for himself1 his wife1 and child for a week4 ,think of it1 ,american citizens6 ,sixty-six cents' worth of food for a man1 his wife1 and child for a whole week1 if he were permitted to purchase that much6 ,sixty-six cents6 ,that is what an average ,american citizen pays for his dinner in his own home4 ,he cannot get breakfast1 he can only get half a breakfast1 for that at the ,waldorf or the ,plaza in ,new ,york4 ,this man was only allowed to purchase that much food if he could1 because if he purchased more he would be taking from some one else1 and they were living on rations for the week which would represent the food of an ordinary man for a day4 ,a rich man can have no more than a poor man4 ,it is a democracy of famine4 ,there is enough food wasted in the average ,american household in one day to keep a ,belgian for a fortnight in health and strength4 ,they want in ,belgium #cjj1jjj tons of food a month4 ,that is their normal requirement4 ,the ,american ,relief ,committee is asking for #h1jjj tons a month1 one-quarter of the normal requirements1 one-half of a soldier's rations for each ,belgian4 ,the ,american ,committee needs #e1jjj1jjj a month until next harvest4 ,it is a huge sum1 but it must be forthcoming4 ,of all the great powers of the world the ,united ,states is the only one not at war or in peril of war4 ,of all the foremost nations of the world the ,united ,states is the only one that can save ,belgium from starvation if she will4 ,she was the only nation that ,germany would allow a foothold for humanity's and for ,christ's sake in ,belgium4 ,such an opportunity1 such responsibility1 no nation ever had before in the history of the world4 ,spain and ,italy join with her1 but the initiative and resources and organization are hers4 ,around ,belgium is a ring of steel4 ,within that ring of steel are a disappearing and for ever disappearing population4 ,towns like ,dendermonde1 that were of #aj1jjj people1 have now #d1jjj1 and in ,dendermonde #a1bjj houses have fallen under the iron and fire of war4 ,into that vast graveyard and camp of the desolate only the ,united ,states enters with an adequate and responsible organization upon the mission of humanity4 ,no such opportunity was ever given to a people1 no such test ever came to a ,christian people in all the records of time4 ,will the ,american ,nation rise to the chance given to it to prove that its civilization is a real thing and that its acts measure up with its inherent and professed ,christianity8 ,i am a profound believer in the great-heartedness of the ,united ,states1 and there is not an ,american of ,german origin who ought not gladly and freely give to the relief of people who1 unless the world feeds them1 must be the remnant of a nation2 and the world in this case is the ,united ,states4 ,she can give most4 ,the price of one good meal a week for a family in an ,american home will keep a ,belgian alive for a fortnight4 ,probably the ,united ,states has #ah1jjj1jjj homes4 ,how many of them will deny themselves a meal for martyred ,belgium8 ,the mass of the ,american people do not need to deny themselves anything to give to ,belgium4 ,the whole standard of living on the ,american ,continent1 in the ,united ,states and ,canada1 is so much higher than the ,european standard that if they lowered the scale by one-tenth just for one six months the ,belgium problem would be solved4 ,i say to the ,american people that they cannot conceive what this strain upon the populations of ,europe is at this moment1 and1 in the cruel grip of ,winter1 hundreds of thousands will agonize till death or relief comes4 ,in ,australia in drought times vast flocks of sheep go traveling with shepherds looking for food and water1 and no flock ever comes back as it went forth4 ,not in flocks guided by shepherds1 but lonely1 hopeless units1 the ,belgian people take flight1 looking for food and shelter1 or remain paralyzed by the tragedy fallen upon them in their own land4 ,their sufferings are majestic in simple heroism and uncomplaining endurance4 ,so majestic in proportion ought the relief to be4 ,the ,belgian people are wards of the world4 ,in the circumstances the ,belgian people are special wards of the one great country that is secure in its peace and that by its natural instincts of human sympathy and love of freedom is best suited to do the work that should be done for ,belgium4 ,if every millionaire would give a thousand1 if every man with #ajj a month would give #aj1 the ,american ,committee for the ,relief of ,belgium1 with its splendid organization1 its unrivaled efficiency1 through which flows a tide of human sympathy1 would be able to report at the end of the war that a small nation in misfortune had been saved from famine and despair by a great people far away1 who had responded to the call1 ,come over and help us6 ,,gilbert ,,parker4 ,a ,,correction4 ,under the head of ,russia's ',little ,brother1' on ,page #cfd of this magazine history1 in its issue of ,dec4 #bf1 #aiad1 appeared a statement taken from ,the ,new ,york ,sun of ,oct4 #ab1 #aiad1 and attributed to ,george ,bakhmeteff1 ,russian ,ambassador at ,washington4 ,our attention has been called to the following editorial paragraph printed by ,the ,sun on ,oct4 #ad1 embodying the ,russian ,ambassador's denial of its authenticity3 ,the ,sun on ,monday printed in good faith what it believed to be an authorized statement of the views and sentiments of ,mr4 ,george ,bakhmeteff1 ,russian ,ambassador to the ,united ,states4 ,ambassador ,bakhmeteff telegraphs to us from ,washington as follows3 ,i most emphatically deny having spoken one single word to the reporter who published an interview with me in your paper4 ,i have not even seen one1 and must insist on your publishing this very categorical and direct statement4 ,of course1 we publish the ,ambassador's denial not less in justice to our readers and to ourselves than to him1 at the same time expressing our extreme regret that ,the ,sun should have been led to believe that it was presenting the ,russian case as viewed by ,mr4 ,bakhmeteff with his full acquiescence4 ,we add our cordial regret to that of ,the ,sun that this repudiated statement should have gained further circulation4--,editor4 ,english ,cartoon ,certainly ,not6 ,illustration3 --,from ,the ,sketch1 ,london4 ,,turkey1 ,,the ,,office ,,boy 7to his master73 ,please1 ,sir1 can ,i have a day off8