New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-23
CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
Norman Angell's Arms and Industry =.
Welcome New Edition of an Admirable
Life of Lincoln-Other Reviews.

would be to have them still belong to
Mexico. Another was the Boer war.
Those who most severely condemn the
/ British policy Of fourteen years ago
concede that the Union Of South Africa
is a great improvement over the OLD
status Of those countries. A third eX-
ample might be found in the Franco
German War of 1870. Costly as 1t was
TO France, we are not sure but thai
she is at least as well off to-day as
she would have been without IT, while
to deny its immense economic profit
ableness to Germany would be absurd.
In other respects. too. Mr.. Anglers
zeal outruns his discretion. or mis- logic.
THE one unquestionably useful work
of political organization and govern
ment," he tells us, d" has been the elm
ination of coercion between men," We
cannot agree that that, though I'M
doubtedly immensely useful, has been,
as he implies, the only useful work.
But let that pass. A more serious
error is in his drawing the analogy
that a similar elimination Of coercion
between states is inevitable. 1t ought
to be obvious to him, as 1t surely is to
others, that that analogy Is radically
faulty. Coercion between men has not
indeed been eliminated. 1t has been
transferred. Formerly the stronger
man exercised 1t over the weaker. Now
a government superior TO and stronger
than them both exercises 1t over them
both. But how can that be done be-
tween states? Where Is that superior
and stronger power which they must
both obey?
Mr.. Angel himself perceives this
point, in his recognition Of the essen
tial functions of the police. Some
armies, too, such as the British in
India, perform purely police service:
wherefore he would not at once dis
band all armies and break up all ma
vies. But there is again the same dif-
ference. which we have already noted.
between individuals and states. A
police force is the agent of a single
government, intended to exercise CO.
ercion over that governments subjects
or citizens. But where is there an IN
ternational police TO coerce sovereign
states? There can be none until we
attain the parliament Of man." For
one or two or several great powers to
oct Itch nd ka
others to respect it would be nothing
in the world but the waging of war of
oppression and conquest of the strong
against the weak.
There is. o, in this book, lack of
discrimination among wars; a fault rot
original with Mr.. Angel The PROPOSE
ton that there never was a good war,
nor bad peace" cannot be main
which were good in their results. There
have been others which were good in
their purpose. 1t must be conceded
that war Of sheer conquest and de-
have planned war which would COM
pletely crush and ruin France, econom-
ically as well as politically-"bleed her
white" If so, then that great man
was guilty of an egregious folly, for
such war would have been unproGt-
able to the victor as we'll as to the
vanquished. We have said that Ger
many has enormously profited. eco
l he 80
, she has done so largely because Of the
marvellous recuperation of France and
her restored prosperity. Had France
been completely crushed and "bled
white" Germany would have made far
less progress and enjoyed far less pros
perity. But when. in a hundred years.
has there been 4. war waged with such
a purpose between civilized states?
Jealous propagandists like Mr.. An
CELL, always in a white heat of passion.
too often forget that it is unwise to
generalize too confidently. In his care
we may forgive excess of zeal with
little difficulty, because Of his undoubt-
ed sincerity and because of the indis-
putable desirability of promoting peace
to the fullest possible degree. Indeed,
the chief feeling must be one Of re-
greet that in so much going to extremes,
and in his occasional iapses of logic, ne
does injustice and injury not SO much
to the other side as to his own. His
very vehemence weakens the cause for
which he pleads. Yet even with that
fault he is still one Of the most engas-
/ ing and persuasive of irenic advocates.
/ perhaps, in paradox, because in plead
ing for peace he is himself SO tremen-
dously belligerent