New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-07

that verdict. but Belgium Is innocent,
and il is on behalf of Belgium that so
much of the world rs vs. still at peace IS
waiting for a word from you. No other
question need be prcJudiccd N Ger
many maintains her claim TO right OF
way through Belgium on matter
which she believed however erroneous
ly. to be one Of life and death TO her as
a nation. Nobody not even China
now protends that such rights of way
have not their place among those COM
mon human rights which are superior TO
the more artificial rights of nationality.
Il think. for example, that If Russin
made "A desccr, on your continent un-
Ger circumstances which made II es-
Scntial TO the maintenance OF your
national freedom that you should move
an army through Canada, you would
ask our leave 20 do so and take It by
force if we did not grant II to you. !
may reasonably suspect, even # all our
statesmen raise a shrek of denial, that
we should take a similar liberty under
similar circumstances IN the teeth OF
all the scraps Of paper IN our Foreign
Office dustbin. hut the right Of way rs
not the right way, not the right OF cor
oupst. and even the right Of way was
ined. a matter of life and death at all.
but militarist hallucination, and one
that has turned out so far TO be mill
tary mistake.
you can leave every question be-
tween the belligerents fully open, and
Yet in the common interest OF the
world ask Germany 90 clear out OF
Belgium into France or across the
Channel into England, If she cannot
go back home. if she can force no other
passage, hut at all events, out of Bel
GUM.
"A like request would, Of course, be
addressed to Great Britain and
France. Here in England and France
men are going TO the front, every day
women and children are ali within ear
shot and no man Is hard-hcarted
CROUCH TO say the worst that might be
saiu OF what is going on IN Belgium
now. We talk 90 you of Louvaln ana
Rheims I'M the hope OF enllstng you
Cu our side or prejuGIcing YOU against
the Germans, forgetting how sorely
YOU must be tempted TO say, as you
look on at what we are doing: We'll, IT
European literature as represented by
the library of LOuvaIn and European
religion as represented by the Cathe-
dral of Rheims have not got us beyond
this, in Gods name let them perish
81 am thinking of other things, of
the honest Belgians whom have seen
nursing their wounds and whom | rec
ognize at a glance as plain men, lnno-
cent of all Warhke intentions, trucking
10 the wisdom and honesty OF rulers
and diplomatists who have belied them,
taken them from their farms and their
business TO destroy and 10 be de-
stroyed for no good purpose that might
not have been achieved better ana
sooner by ne.ghborly means.
81 am thinking Of authentic news
that no papers dare 90 publish. not o.
lies that they all publish 10 divert at
tcnti0n from the truth ln America.
These things can be said without drv-
inr American mothers and wives mad.
Here we have 10 set our teeth and 20
forward We cannot be just. We can
no; see beyond the range Of our guns
The roar Of shrapnel deafens Us. the
black smoke OF the h0witZer blinds us.
and what these do TO our bodily senses
our passions DO 20 our imaeinauona
we must 90 as medieval cities did
call Foo a stranger. You are not all
together that 80 Us, but YOU can look
az al of us impartially and you are
the spokesman of the Western Dem
ocracy. that is why / appeal 20 you