South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-17

OF war the ablest men rI2y lose touch
with the spirit OF the citizens of a
free foreign country.
Infamous Proposal.
Yet the details Of German negotia-
tiOns with the British government
fully match the blindness Of these
courses. That Germany wanted TO be
free from English naval opposition is
self-evident The means she thought
would be successful In securing our
neutrality are unbelievable on the
29th day of July, 1911, the German
chancellor solemniy assured the Brit
ish ami assador at Berlin that he ac-
cepted the principle of British policy
towards France which he stated 10
lie that Great Britain would never
stand by and allow France 10 he
crushed, and equally sClemnly sought
to secure British acqutescence in the
crushing OF France by a promise that
no part OF France when conquered
should be annexed 10 Germany, but
that all her colonies might be. AS
insane an offer for Germany TO make
as it would have been, I'm Mr.. AS
quith's phrase. an infamous bargain
for England 10 entertain.
And English credulity was no less
taxed by the bargain we were offered
in respect OF Belgium We were TO
pay. money down. in the good coin
Of British neutrality-our fleets kept
in harbOr. our army in its barracks
while Germany Overran Belgium with
her troops, and get in return a prom
Use that in the hour OF victory Bel
gium would be evacuated by Germany
whose entry into IL would be itself a
violation Of a previous promise made
10 the whole of Europe.
These things show that Germany has
kept but one-half OF Bismarck's pol
10
full his stern belief in blood and iron.
They have lost entirely the keen in
sight into the motives Of foreign
governments and peoples, and the
careful resource by which he concil-
lated unnecessary opponents. or en-
cOuraged reluctant friends. We may
be sure he would have foreseen the
resistance Of Belgium and averted
the neutrality Of Italy. that his offers
TO England If not more successful,
would at least have been less fatuous.
Treatment OF Belgium.
The treatment of Belgium provides
the main proof of the dishonesty and
Injustice of the ideal of force. The
ruthless columns of Prussia are today
trampling on the soil OF Belgium in
defiance Of the plighted honor of their
nation. If the guarantee which
Prussia gave the Belgian integrity
and neutrality in 1899 and reiterated
the military plans OF her generals in
their campaign against France. there
is an end OF any rule OF Righteousness
among nations We shall have de-
livered ourselves undiguised TO the
rule OF fraudulent might.
A nation which violates thus its
pledged word, at the bidding OF a
military caste is not likely TO heed !
the suggestions or humane sentiment. |
In answering pursuit OF the object OF
force mines are being laid by German /
ships in the open water of great /
neutral port. The sinking Of one Brit |
fish warship is, in German eyes. gain |
worth any peril 20 the merchantmen |
and passenger boats OF Europe and !
America ct peaceful citizens of the J
United States go To the bottom if only /
some few Of Germany's foes may pre-
cede or follow them.
The whole policy OF the present |
German war on European civilization |
shows that the learning, the culture. |
and the humanity OF the German |
people have abdicated in favor OF the |
iron ideals OF a group OF Prussian |
generals. nurturing amid ignorance OF |
all other elements in our common |
nature a blind belief In the omnipo- |
tence OF organized might.
There is no space here for a review |
OF the course OF diplomacy and indeed /
the spirit with which in the last |
stage Germany tossed about ulti- |
matums suggests that, whatever the
diplomatic course. she meant ult- |
mately TO impose upon the rest OF
Europe war or surrender. But that
peace could for the time have been |
preserved, Notwithstanding the gen !
uine Balkan difficulty between Aus !
tria and Russia, If only Germany had |
really exerted herself with her ally
in Vienna can hardly be doubted. Our
ambassador in Vienna more than once
reported the militant bias OF his Ger
man colleague: unfortunately the
German Ambassador IS himself so
Identified with extreme anti-Servian
feeling prevalent in Vienna that he
Is unlikely the plead the cause Of
peace with entire sincerity" And
again a few days later we are told
by the same authority that there is
even greater tension between Ger !
many and Russia than there Is be- |
tween Austria and Russia" and that !
"the German ambassador at Vienna /
desired war from the first, and that |
his strong personal bias probably /
colored his action here" The final
rupture thus came not from Austria !
and Russia, who had a quarrel but 4
from Germany who had none
England For Peace.
England, as the published record /
shows, strOve earnestly FOX peace. /
Now that she has been reluctantly 1
drawn into war. the essential right |
ness OF her cause has been demon
strated nos less by the policy OF her !
enemies than by the speeches and dis |
patches or her own statesmen. other /
nations in other wars have had TO seek |
a casus belli. Germany had forced |
upon Us a righteous issue, We night
in the first instance 10 preserve the
Independence OF a small free kingdom
guaranteed by our own pledged word.
and menaced by Germany in defiance
OF hers and for her own cynical OBJ
Jects OF war. That this last sentence
Il no eNaggeratiOn is Borne out bv
the speech OF the German imperial
chancellor in the Reichstag on the
4th OF August. when ne said