The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-11

war. More Of these letters are printed
here as giving the views Of the writer's,
not those of THE SrN.
u TIE Error or THE Sus 49, SIR:
ougu' We not In discussing European
affair, TO give more weight than we 10
20 the fortunate accident OF our geo.
graphical position and less to our moral
superioriiy? one distinguished educator
in a recent communication to the press
sreaks Of tho armed peace Of the last
tHir,, years as the folly and wickcdness"
Of Europe. and he adds that the belllg-
erents by trying to put the blame OF
the war upon each other, show that they
are all ashamed of IT, II might show
,nis OF course II they were all to blame
But must not that very question be
net'lcd FIRST?
Bo'n hclligerents In a war are often
70 blame. to be sure. Dut this is not
always true. Napoleon was to blame for
the wars OF hundred years ago. Fred
erick the Great was to- blame for the
war " the Austrian succession. Eng
land was to blame for our war OF 1912.
In each Of these cases the other side
sincerely wanted peace and would have
met II more than half way Such may
have been the case here And II that be
true. Y tNtTe was III an l1lNtltTtl'
trouble maker that surely would have A
bearing upon the question Of folly and
wckedness on the part Of the others In
masking ready with armies and arma-
meuts
Of course II is easy 20 say they were
all 20 blame. II saves time and reflection
md has a specious air OF loerality and
fairness. But Judge does not so decide
CAUSES He does not usually turn both
parties out Of court saying that their
statements cancel one another. that he can
make nothing Of them, that they must
both be 10 blame.
Too often, It Is 10 be feared. such
GaWIp attitude springs from that very
indi.cs renee regarding the war upon which
THE -,UN has so torcbly commented. Let
It hut happen that there is among the
nations oae--Germany. Russia, England
It matters not--which really has hos
tile purpose toward the others. wants
something o. theirs their territory, their
sea coast, needs It in her business"
Til. soft Answer.
The soft answer Will not help in such
a case. II will he no satisfactory equlva-
lent for the coveted seaport, the bit of
territory.
Perhaps, too It will smell OF cowardice
II the aggressor nation thinks that physl-
cal vslor is OF supreme importance and
that a people which does not stand al
ways ready TO defend its possessions has
no light to keep them
BE hard" said Zsrathustra. spare
not thy reighbor DO not believe that
thou uayst not rob" Such possibility
ought not 10 be completely ignored. Ma
poe0n Is fact We. to he sure. in
America. have never been so situated, but
suppose that we were. Should we not lose
faith In the soft answer. and make ready
great ornaments with all possible speed
And would 1t be folly and wickedness II
We did this?
When the United States wanted NOR,
slave territory and took Texas from
Mexico IN lS46-4S tor that is about wha
the transaction amounted to-. would &
have been folly and wickedness 10 Mexico
having long anticipated such an event
had had on hand great ornaments with
which she was able successfully to re
sdst our attack?
Another distinguished educator think
that because Canada and the United
states can get along without arrning Flu
rope ought to and could we're II not tina
her ideals arc those OF lighting. powe
and domination, while ours are those o
peace" But perhaps Europe would lik
10 have the ideals of peace II she could
Canada and ourselves are PRACTICAL.
clone on this continent, nations lsrgel,
akin, speaking the same language. ricl
III ttTT1lpTNs ntll0tT covering lnlnt IN
other possesses. Can II be that for the.
fortunate facts We are entitled to an
moral credit One would Judge that W
were
The situation Is surely more Difficult
IN Europe There persistent diversity
the order ~ the day. A Frenchman
not like German, nor like an Italian
and he has no motive for wishing to b'
There Ia no common type as In the Unite
States. Each country In closed, almos
sdt-Sufflcing civilization. Differences 4
language alone are m immense obstacl
70 mutual understanding
The institutions. the histories the III
eratures-an dating back for thousan
years or more-are unlike. Such differ
enc.s breed hostility as surely as the su
rises and sets.
slaves Of Their Environment.
Yet these nations mus: get along some
how They cannot transplant themselvr
bodily away. II a nelghbor does not su
them they must s:ill put up with hin
They are the unwilling slaves OF IN
status quo. What opportunity has a ma
ton so placed 70 forget the nations
Ideals Of fighting power and domination
II IS A problem indeed.
But W on this sile Of the Atlantic sa
mat there IS no proo,' because Canad
and the United states can get along withol
'I'HtlE dEftutl one another ana ueCduf
We ho'h cultivate the ideals OF peace
Doubtless I'm the back of our minds Is n
recollection Of how well on the whole II
United state has dealt with the dirferel
nAo0nalitles in nor midst But when fo
elgnArs come to this country they Al
subjected day and night to the nigh,
ana resistless pressure of our atmosphel
and Institutions
They are away from every other mile
every cnunteraCtng influence, and tn,
soon become more or less Americanize
- far as they thus adapt themselves, "
endure them SO far as they do not, "
'-Slke them. We insist on a high degr
~ uniformity, When we have TO de
win nrtoualities in our midst which W
~ become American!zed. which rema
''emse'ves as the Chinese, Indians. n
Erocs-can We honestly say that we a
tolerant and cosmopolitan? Is II NJ
rather the truth that we feel and displs
frank dislike which were we livir
under European conditions would pro-
ably land us In a war within twent
FOUR hours
Europe surely should he Judged
conditions prevailing I'm Europe To judi
= by conditions prevailing here is sir
i,, use SIS, Yet we hear from a hu
dred pulpts and a hundred newspape
NV America has solved the problem.
ESQ. This does not help Europe unless o.
conditions can he transplanted across q