TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1914-11-02

Triple Entente. Europe, tho chief
scat Of civilization, 10 the chief scat
Of the Norld-oid struggle OF the Q
also, especially eastern and south.
oe'tern Europe; tho drawing OF tho
races together by the concentrlc
chords of modern life has only In.
tenAin0d that struggle. Europa also
ia The scat OF the modern struggle
" economic ambitions; industry In
our day has become the afalr not
OF individuals but OF nations. But
as eolnrs released from their anch.
orage run together. the races drawn
out of their isolations arc merging.
ana Industry no longer a matter OF
small spheres is concentrating into
larger and larger spheres. neither
races nor economic spheres can bs
kept separate longer by nationa,
boundaries. Within tho thirty years
between my first and last visits 10
Europe this process OF things bocom.
ING alike Including people, has
transformed Europe from a land OF
picturesque differences to a land
resembling America in identity Of
dress, OF mental attitudes. and OF tho
internal spirit as well as external
appearances Of live affairs. That
means that the day OF a larger
political concentration is al hand
also. What led France and England
10 back Russia, wrong, In this Ans.
tria-HunGary matter against Germany,
right, was, undoubtedly. their an
prehenslon that Germany successful
over Russia would be Germany nOt
simply p%reeminent, but preponderant.
politically as we'll as economically.
among the nations Of the continent
That apprehension may have been
Justified by the probable fact. The
spread OF the war 10 the whole OF
Europe, In consequence, history NAV
Justify; am only stating what be.
ieye to be the basic cause. But this
thing every honest mind must admit.
II this was the Big causi. underneath
the smaller causes, that brought
France and England into the struggle,
Germany, by every law that entities
a nation 10 honestly grow. was en-
titled to resist them. And If war
on side Of this apprehension was
something not to be denominated rs
monstrous, war on the other side is
equally above that common epiphet.
is not impossible OF course that
Germany made a mistake in believing
war with Russia, or surrender to
Russia, was unavoidable, through con
ference. Only OmHiscience and the
Russian Cabinet knew. It is NOT
impossible that Germany made n
tactical mistake-that the partieipa.
ton OF England on the side of Rus.
might have been avoided by that
conference Only omniscienoe ami
the English Cabinet knew. And Il
not impossible that Germany made
a mistake as to her own strength.
when ready, against her
enemies u~nreadiness. The event will
prove. But the duty and the respon-
Of balancing these, as 10
whether he would wait for such con,
ference or not, was with the Kaiser
and his councillors. He knew that
Germany was ready. And who has
The right to say. that If war either
or a little later was inevitable
I the attitude Of France and England
supporting Russia, wrong, against
Germany, right, In the Austro.servian
matter, revealed their true attitude
the natural growth of Ger
many In the family of nations-who
has the right to say In that event
hat William was bound to wait until
his own preparations had been
matched by theirs? / am not I'M
'~eservedly for Germany, nor for
o. England in this war. There
S much | do not know that might
urn the scale either way. But / am
or an open mind The question is
lot: Who struck the first blow? The
question is. Why was any blow made
necessary?