New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-19
KILL PRUSSIAN MILITARISM
Theodore Marburg on German Mis-
treatment Of Belgium.

} treatment OF Belgium.
+ THis statement pGs issued on
Theodore MdrJWg, former tntted
states Minister to Belgium, rho ar
rived yesterday OIL the LHsitantd.
The cruel way in which devoted little
Belgium is being trampled to death
simply because it lay in the path OF a
war mad government makes ones blood
boil.
The Germans, dominated by a heart
! less military class, are moving back the
practices of the world. Their acts are
/ characterized by utter disregard OF the
: international code so laboriously built
up and of the common dictates OF hu-
manity.
THE violation of Belgium's neutrality,
involving a breach both of information
al law and of Prussia's own solemn
pledge, the dropping Of bombs on Ant
werp, the devastation of Louvain and
the heartless treatment Of non-com-
batants, substantiated independently by
Belgian, Dutch, French and English
witnesses, constitutes q fearful indlct-
ment. Added to this is the ungenerous
and unchivalrous wringing of money
indemnity from q people who had cher
ished no hostile designs against Ger
many, but whose country was simply
defending its neutrality, as it was obli-
gated to do by international law and
| by the law Of self-preseryation.
! am not in favor Of the United
States embroiling itself unnecessarily
| in European controversies, but state
of affairs exists in Europe, which, If
the love of decency in international
conduct and of fair play and Of COM
mon justice is in our hearts, must
lead US openly to espouse the cause OF
! England and her allies.
True, we were not parties to the
guarantee of Belgium's neutrality,
| though perhaps we ought to have been,
( and il we had been that neutrality, with
all it's possibilities Of future influence
on a valuable principle, would have
( had more chance of being respected.
But there are great human causes
which are universal and to bring US to
I the aid of which no treaties should be
needed. Germany is not and has not
! for years been amenable to reason.
Only force will avail. She must be
heaten to her knees to stem this flow
of barbarism, to free the German
masses from the grip of the bureau
cracy and ruthless military class, and
to arrest militarism itself.
/ In the recent published life of Lord
/ Lyons will be found a dispatch from
Lord Clarendon in which it ia suggest
/ ed to Bismarck, about 1867, that France
| is ready to reduce her army if Prussia
will do the same. OF course the offer
was rejected as not quite fitting in
with Bsmarck's designs.
But the episode makes it clear that
/ the whole of modern militarism had
/ it's origin in Prussia. 1t would have
been stemmed long ago but for Ger
many, dominated by Prussia, and can
not be arrested now except by the
| thorough defeat of Germany.
/ Any one who has occupied himself
with the question Of institutions calcu-
lated to prevent war knows how at
every turn Germany blocks the way to
! progress in that direction. Positive
/ agreements which would obligate Ger
many to arbitrate instead of fighting
are out of harmony with her dreams Of
conquest. Even Mr.. Bryan's useful
treaties for obligatory investigation, in
V, living the clay of year before war
may be declared, are distasteful to Ger
many because her strength, she be-
lieyes, lies in superior preparedness,
an she declines to be held back,
though after the Belgian tragedy the
world for many years to come will feel
T. 1t, after all, Germany will observe
he treaty obligations only so long as
she considers it t" her interest to do