The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-09-03

In another column We print sum-
mary of a book by Lieut.. Col. W..
Won Bremen, a German officer. which
aimed to show the Germans their
weakness from the viewpoint of mill
tary preparedness. In it will be
found little to give confidence to the
kaiser, as it shows Germany and
Austria would be outnumbered by
nearly 100000 men without count
ing Great Britain, while Italy could
not be relied upon 70 stand by the
Triple Alliance. Emperors, unless
they are military geniuses like Ma
polean, are not eager to rush into
war when outnumbered by more
than a million men on land and COM
pletely overshadowed on the sea.
Americans, not having been placed
in an environment where they could
feel the pressure of rival races, nat
urally form the opinion that the
great military establishment Of the
German emperor is responsible for
this war, and they cannot under
stand how a thing that appears so
small to them as the Austro-Servian
imbroglio should result in this pan
European confagration. This atti-
tude on their part is due to their
ignorance of conditions that have
obtained in their own country. Only
a few months ago the United States
invaded territory of Mexico and seiz-
ed her greatest port because a Ger
tain salute was not given to the
American flag. Doubtless the Ameri-
can people would have been much
aggrieved if Europe had Knocked
them for entering upon hostilities
for such a trivial cause. Americans
are inclined to condemn the strenu-
Gus methods adopted by Austria to
punish Servia for the assassination or
the heir to the Austrian throne, yet
our own government refused to rec
ognize the authority Of Huerta on
the ground that he was implicated in
the alleged assassination Of Madero,
a Mexican-a refusal that resulted
eventually in the invasion of Mexican
territory.
If one of the European nations
having island possessions near the
Caribbean terminal of the Panama
canal should dispose, by a perfectly
legal sale, of her islands or island to
another nation, the United States un-
der the Monroe doctrine would en-
ter a protest and, we doubt not.
would be ready to 60 to war. Twenty
years ago this country was on the
verge of war with England over
Venezuela and the Monroe doctrine.
Could not Europe very justly ridicule
our clinging to the intangible thing
called the Monroe doctrine, which
has no place in international law?
To the European the doctrine may
seem very Insignificant indeed, but
to Americans it appears to be vital
to the future welfare of the republic
and sometimes for which the nation
is justified in going to war. We who
watch over the doctrine with nervous
care are scarcely in position to
shout "militarism" at the Germans
or Austrians when they risk the ar
bitrament of war for principle OF
racial homogeneity that may nave
Just as solid basis in the needs OF
the people as has the Monroe doc
trine. One very important thing the
American people should learn is that
each continent, each people, has is
sues peculiar to itself, and that 1t IS
not proper for country thousands
of miles away to evoke from the
depths of its isolation sneer or a
criticism for people who may be just
as faithfully'living up to the neces-
sites of their national existence as
did the American people in 1851
when they preferred to precipitate
the greatest civil war in history
rather than see part of their fedora
ton withdraw to form a separate ma