Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-28

immense Individual force. In short, he would
be fully able to bear the enormous respensl-
bility Of tho undertaking-and probably nobody
else would.
THE tribunal would consist OF bench Of
the neutral States. Three Of the belllgerent
Powors-Germany, France and Belgium-have
already appealed to the United States con-
troverslsl questions relating to the war-atroci-
ties, dumdum bullets, eto.--so that America al
ready has a sort of international mandate to
take the Initiative especially as the question
of Observation-Disclosures been formally put
before her.
my scheme is that the tribunal thus consti-
tuted and presided over by the United States
should try a case. You can describe that case
in one word-'Belgiump Even today the sig
nlhoance o6 that word has not been sufficiently
impressed the Imagination of the world.
Want Germany to Answer
THE action Of the tribunal would impress
this word as nothing before ever has been i'm
pressed the worlds Imagination. Belgium
would be the complainant in this political trial.
Germany would be the defendant. Germany
would be invited to the international bar to
answer Begum's indictment. She already has
claimed that her Belgian case is good She
would have the chance to prove her claim.
'She might refuse to enter an appearance.
Well much the worse for her. II she came
the court would have to see that she confined
her pleading to the indlctment-Be1giuml Let
the court assume, IL Germany insists. that
slavlsm is a menace to Germanism-whateve
that formula may
Let the court, II 1t pleases, also assume that
a miserable nation of English shopkeepers is
filled with envy of an inoffenslve. pacific, amb-
A..
talk eloquently of the French dream of a
revanche. and how in pure self-defense she had
to throttle 1t.
Would Consider Belgium Alone
"Then let the court gently bring Germany
back to the sole Observation-Disclosures Ger
many would be made to that Belgium, and
Belgium alone, is the matter before the court.
and that tho verdict would concern itself with
Belgium and Belgium alone
Assuming that Germany entered appear
ance before the tribunal. she would of course
assert what she has all along asserted--namely,
that she meant well to the Begans. intended
them permanent harm. and only offered them
violence when her army "of necessity knows
law was welcomed with shot and shell
instead OF with open arms. She will inevitably
argue that Louvain, Termonde and Aerschot
'reprsals for brutalities unspeakable, In
nicted by Belgian civilian snlpers, well as
by uniformed men authorized to KILL the
Kaser's culture-laden soldiers.
I'm reply to all this and lot more, Belgium.
he complainant would no doubt ask Germany
to define the difference between a German
army in Belgium and armed burglar in a
private house! And when Germany had an
swered the conundrum to the best of her
ability, the tribunal would give its verdict.
MY own personal feeling is that Germany
did not go to war with Belgium She burglar
ized Belgium. If she was MANNED while do
ing she simply a victim of the risks
of the burglars profession. Every house,
breaker who operates with revolvers and dyna-
mite knows what he may expect.
Germany has doubtless not gotten in Bel
gium what she expected. but she has received
nothing but what she deserved. However, 1
will not seek to anticipate the tribunals verdict
Let suppose that the court has convened,
heard the evidence, deliberated, and given a
verdict. You say that would not stop the war
or course it wouldn't But am morally quite
certain that the effect Of the verdict would be
enormous. That verdict would resound through
the world with a reverberation louder than all
Germany's guns put together. 1t would be
immortal
Urges United States to Lead
1.-The United States. and the United States
alone is qualfed-nay, more. by reason of the
previous appeals to her she is authorized-to
take the first step in the direction have indi-
Gated To my mind here lies her duty to
civilization. haven't attempted TO work out
the scheme in detail, My talk is necessarily
crude. But will stand by the essentials OF IT,
winston Churchill has reminded us that
this is no ordinary war No Ordinary meth
ods OF treating the moral situation arising from
1t are in place. It would be no ordinary thing
for the United States President to initiate the
action have ventured to suggest But he is
no ordinary man. And America occupies no
ordinary position in the world. either.
i've told you already the English opinion
OF President Wilson. He Is Enthusiastically the
man OF the hour The grandeur of his oppor-
tunity and the vastness OF the issue should
appeal to the heroic quality in him. I say no
more and let me repeat. that what 1 have
said is said with dlffidenee and the deepest re-
spect. My manner is possibly no difident, but
you must not Judge by that"
Mr.. Bennett, leaving war and talking shop,
impaired TO me that he is in the midst of a
new novel, to be finished during the coming
winter His play "Mllestones" has Just been
revived In London, which seems to be finding
war time appropriate season for "reviyaIs.'
Many Of the plays now running are reprodue-
tiong OF old favOrites 'AIestones" and "The
Great Adventure" (Bennett's other successful
play, which Is still in the midst OF an unbrokeu
two years career) have achieved the record
runs OF the eentury-betWeen 600 and 700 Lon
don performances each.