New-York tribune., 1914-08-06
The Kaiser's Challenge to inc
World.

The last week has been hreath'eSs p'''''
srsDonse for the whole civilized, world FROM '''
Arst outbreak between Austria ana serVia J" "''
.sr 90 sos where the train pointed and howsthe
,ors.,ration might spread-must spreao un'
,oss d,n,omacv intervened. Yet 1t seemed u''ers
,p,nossihle TO most Americans What the WorSa couiu
como Each day. as one after another OF 'ne'
rrinle Entente accepted tho gage OF HttN' I"
soor,od as % some sfrving Cssnce must yet arse
<ou Tho last word has been spoken, and the guns
Of all Europe are speaking ont. The nrSt suspense
= -or Tho greatest war in the history fof the
known world is upon US. beyond possoIhV OF
uroror+,or II Is for us 90 reaGjust our minds as
host we can 10 the vast and appahngi scale OF
events and await with what calm we can the
s,roros which in few short days are destined
almost certainly to remakesthe map of Europe
IN that nicture. the isolation, Of the German
Empire and Of the commanding figure in that en-
pre are assuming larger and larger proportions
The Triple Alliance has become shadow Italy
urould stand aside Austria, seems scarcely more
than able 10 face the rugged fighters OF her m
tended conquest TO the south, The Russian co..
umns from the east. the Frendh corps to the west
the British feet and possible nrmy OF invasion 20
tho north Japan overseas al aim at one target
Not since the allies gathered at Waterloo in 1915,
against the enemy and destroyer of the world y
peace" has any like alignment been seen. 1t is
the Kaiser against the world the youngest empire
in death struggle with the greatest military!
powers of Europe and Asia
How has such strange combat come to pass:
Why does Germany thus stsnd isolated, all but
friendless among her neighbEs? Why must she
fight against such tremendous and, in the belief
OF most experts. overwhelming odds?
The Balkan quarrel falls into the background,
before such confrontation. The attitude Of the
German leaders since the first guns of Armaged-
don were heard gives far clearer clew. Here ,jat
this distance, one cannot help feeling that the
military men of Germany almost welcomed ttheir
isolation-that they were. ,at any rate, dehsnty
confident Of their powers and careless Of what
new enemies they aroused. 1t is the spirit uf
1890 One can almost hear the young Emperor as
the great Chancellor departed, uttering the words
which gave the clew to so much of, his career and
aims: THE post of officer Of the quarterback Of
the ship Of state has fallen to me. The course
relhains unchanged. Forward with full steam'
Forward is the word to-day. Tear up the Treaty
~ London which safegusrded Luxembourg. Nio-
late Belgium though two armies and a great
feet are thereby set upon you Let the armies of
the whole world come. The German people can
meet and conquer all
Ii is a magnificent stand. 1t is a courageous
one And until some great battles have become
history for future schoOlboys pore it is not
for any prophet TO call it an insane hope But
there is no mistaking its consequences should the
divine right Of the German Empire to be overload
OF Europe fail By his reckless defiance William
II has tossed into battle the very existence OF the
empire which his grandfather created by the grace
OF Otto Won Bismarck in the halls Of Versailles in
1871. He has vastly increased the stakes, win or
lose. BY engaging England. the Continent and
perhaps. Japan, he has made victory the price OF
worldwide supremacy on land and sea. Equally
he has hazarded in the event OF disaster, the
proudest Of his titles. Recasting the map of Eu
rome can wait until. the issues of war are deter
mined. II needs no gift Of prophecy, however tc
see how bitterly victorious Europe would regard
the mailed fist which snapped its fingers at q
dozen armies and reached out for the mastery oi
world politics and world commerce.
In every calculation Of the present struggle OF
its scope Of its possible duration of its cOnse'
ouences TO the world, let US not forget that upon
its issue hangs the very existence of powerful
and ambitious empire.