The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30
SEES DANGER TO Y. S.
IN GERMAN TRIUMPH

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: You
are no doubt inundated with views Of
correspo ndents about the titanic European
struggle. Nevertheless / venture to add
my quota without any pretence TO au-
thority except as what is said may APP
peal u intelligence or common sense.
First. as TO responsibility for the whole
sorry mess. Austria meant to bring on
the war and left Servia, which she has
always shown a disposition to throttle
no loophole OF honorable escape. The
eliminating pretcxt was the assassination
Of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife by
Servian at the instigaton OF other
unnamed more responsible Servians, not
on Seryian soil but in an Austrian prov
ince, where one would suppose II the
duty OF Austria to protect her own rep
reSentatives. For instance, would the
United States be justified in declaring war
on Colombia or Mexico IL Colombian or
Mexican assassinated a high American
official at San Francisco? But granting
that Austria mad good reason for dcclar-
ting war on Servia, surely Russia had as
good casus belli In refusing 10 look on
and see her protege. Servia, deprived of
indep. ndence
Now comes Germany. Austria's ally,
with a peremptory veto 10 Russia. the
alternative being war with Germany re-
peated in the case Of France, Russia's
ally, The German Kaiser almost GER
tainly must have known before he left for
the north what WAS coming and could
have stopped Austria with a word In
stead the two consprators as they may
well be called. Austria and Germany.
! arranged FOR tho outbreak without even
consulting Italy. their copartner, whose
opposition they anticipated and then
demanded that she share In an issue in
which she had had no voice Italy's stand
seems thoroughly Justified
Tragical as the war is there Is some
thing almost comic in Germany's sur
prised Indignation at Belgiums refusal
! To accept her Offer Of compensation at
some one else's expense for violation Of
Belgian territory. compensation which for
Belgium II accepted would have ever
| remained a badge Of dishonor.
No sane man can maintain that Eng
! land desired this war or that she did not
! do her utmost 10 prevent II. The de-
/ struction OF Germanys commerce may OF
! course be consequence OF her participa
ton In ii, but It is absurd 10 speak Of II
/ as Englands object in view Of Germany's
attack on Belgium. As to England fight
/ ing on the side OF Russia, who, It may be
asked OF the cultured Teutons, were
/ the allies who entered Paris after the
I battle OF Waterloo? Is the Muscovite
less civilized now than a hundred years
ago, and what was the cause of the al
i nance tneN'
Personally believe that neither Franco
nor Russia desired war, at least at this
time.
Coming now to the possible conse-
quenccs OF tho war and referring "a
"N.'s' letter in TIE sun, so long as Eng
| land retains command OF the seas. the
/ British and French colonies in the West
ern Hemisphere are perfectly secure. As
/ to Canada, she Is perhaps fully able "a
protect herself against European aggres-
sion. Germany unless she wins on the
sea, IL little likely In that way to be-
come near neighbor OF the United
States, But should she win on land she
may become one, without even infringe
ment Of tho Monroe Doctrine. In this
way-opinion only, Of course After Z
victorious war by the Germans. Austria
anneXes Servia and ultimately extends
her dominion 10 the Acgean. The fat,
reserved FOR Belgium. Holland and Den,
mark is at best membership in the Ger
man BuHdesrath, with all foreign rela.
tons in tho hands of the Government al
Berlin.
Automatically. st. Thomas and Dutct
Guiana become German outposts and. as
usual, In course of time strongly forti,
fed outposts, three parts offensive to one
part defensive, and a constant menace Sc
FAR as the Gulf OF Mexico, the Caribbean
Sea and. IT may bc added the Panama
Canal are concerned Add to this a Ger
man seizure of or "A German naval leas,
In tho Azores, II pressure on Portugal
can force It, to protect" tho German
cable station, and Brazil will be Just a.
open To German colonization as Germany
chooses tn make IT,
America thus becomes drawn into tn,
vortex OF European mlitarsm She vii
inevitably have TO double her fleet as rap,
idly as warships can be built and prob
ably have to double, perhaps quadrupl,
her army, To be prepared for all eventu
al.ties. With German domination reach
ing from the North Sea and the Ralt
across central Europe u the .Egcan. tn
position of America in the continEencic
supposed will be bad enough. hut tina
OF the other European nations win b.
piuable, unless or until they show un