New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-23
WAR IS SACRED TO
FRANC0-BRITISH
John GalsWorthy Says
Allies Can Keep Patri-
Otism Sober.
HAVE NO FETCH OF
WORLD LEADERSHIP
Saws Fatal Defect of German
Character Is Lack of Self
Criticism.
By Cab. 70 Tn. Tribune J

London. Jan. 22.-"The Daily Chroni-
Gle" publishes letter written by John
Galsworthy 70 Andre Chevrillon, the
distinguished French writer and nephew
of Taine, the historian, giving some Of
his Impressions on the war. Mr. Gals
worthy says:
There is in the blood of the French
and British a salt which inclines our
peoples to individual liberty and 70
those democratic forms of government
which alone permit of enough philo-
sophie humor and self-crlticism TO keep
patriotism sober. The inspiration Of
an ideal that far transcends the idea Of
glory to our individual countries has
made this most terrible of all wars yet
waged sacred for your country and for
mine. At this time Of day We fight pri-
marily, of course, for self-preservstion,
but if We did not believe that in doing
so we were lighting for the very
foundations of what makes life toler-
able, for individual liberty, democracy
and the sanctity Of treaties, for the
right TO believe in chivalry and altru-
ism, 70 save alive at least modlcum Of
sentiment in our struggle FOR exist
ence, neither Frenchman nor English
man speak of the maj orities- would
have had their whole hearts in thus
dropping their coats of peace. IL is
-. tlo. ehal paeurna those
coats till all danger to our ideal OF life
is past.
But We cherish no ridiculous or vain
illusion that our victory will eXslt
either France or Great Britain 10 the
leadership of the world. We are old
countries. The old countries find IT
easier to fight for ideals and for hu-
manity without believing that the good
Of mankind al large is identical with
the paramountcy OF particular race;
America too has that salt in her blood
which is generated by democracy.
LET me do the Germans justice.
Their patriotism, bravery and self-sa-
crifce are not inferior to ours by any
means, but though they affect TO be
lieve, and most Germans no doubt do
believe, that they entered upon this
war for their national safety, they can
not get away from the fact that their
general demeanor and the stream OF
their utterances for a long time past
have persuaded us all that as nation
they are or were convinced of the su-
periority of their race and intent upon
its paramountcy. In fact. their heads
have been affected by that disease
/ which follows lack in a nations or
ganism of this special kind of salt.
~ do not say that the individual Ger
man has no sense of humor. He has
his particular brand But, collectively,
the Germans of to-day have no phllo-
| sophie humor, no power OF seif-critl-
cism. 1t is terrible national defect.
Whether emansting from individual
deficiency or from living under des-
/ potic bureaucracy organized as state
/ despotism. know not"
/ In another passage Mr.. Galsworthy
says:
when Great Britain went to war
with the Boer republics and lost, for
/ time. the worlds sympathy, there was
at least a stiff minority IN our islands
protesting with all its heart, whatever
/ NAV be said as TO the deep-rooted IN
evitability of that struggle. When Ger
many violated Belgian neutrality and
moved the life of that unhappy little
land level with the ground, how many
| German voices were raiSedg The occa-
sion, the nation said. was too tremen-
/ dous, the issue was life or death. mat
violation may, indeed. have made II an
( issue OF life and death, but with de-
/ fensive policy against France 1t was
far from being that. In free country
/ there would have been at least sec
/ ton of opinion protesting against what
was not only a crime against the law
/ of nations, but one of the most dire
political and strategic blunders ever
made BY any people,