The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-14
ANOTHER SORT OF WAR.
We Must Struggle To Preserve IRE
storey Our First Ideals.

TO EDITOR OF THE SUE-Str: Some
months after this country's spasmodic
outburst of sympathy for Belgium, over
run and destroyed by invasion, I said
proudly to an elderly French friend OF
mine who had what I conceived to be q
rather cynical attitude regarding Amer
ica's relation to the war:
What a generous nation this Is ]
Belgium despoiled and suffering opens
this peoples hearts and pocketbooks i'm
mediately. And before Belgium II was
Italy and Martinique and wherever great
calamity had fallen upon a community"
He looked ut me for q moment before
responding. and there was hat In his
eyes which his words explained:
rs 1t SO generous for your Mr.. Car
negie to give Libraries or your Mr.. Rookie
Teller to support the foundation which
bears his manner II I have enough and
TO spare Is It generous that I give .
beggar q small part Of my plenty7 No.
no. my friend be honest with yourself
and our beloved country"
But" ] smiled. puzzled at his mean
Ing. I'VE give what is in our power to
give and what, for the moment. IL
needed most-money. food, clothing and
the sympathy OF the American people,"
THAT Is the least you could do and
continue to be human" he replied
quietly. There remains much for you
to do-more than giving money. food,
clothing and your sympathy something
you must do because Of q stirring.
thrilling urge within you. and X you
don't DO II voluntarily the loss will DO
yours to the end OF time"
"Oh. now. come" ] said. you wouldn't
have us declare war on Germany out
OF hand. would your"
IT," he retorted scornfully "of course
not. There are enough nations in this
death grapple already. But"-he paused
a moment-"it may be forced upon you
In the end to fight another sort of war,
a struggle In which the soul Of your
young nation will be finally at stake.
Your opportunity is nov to rise to true
greatness. to como into your birthright
as the heir Of the ages and all the
worlds past sufferings. Your hour is
now TO bring the soul OF FOUR nation
TO its eyes-to sweep aside doubts and
fears. as your forefathers swept them
aside on tive great occasions, and stand
for something big and fne--a great
principle. IL you will"
"Ah. you mean that We should come
forward as the peacemaker In this world
war" 1 was glad and surprised to find
tha; he and I were really In accord.
for l was in those days a peace at any
price blliu IOllONer OF the Dino.
"Peacemakcry" lie echoed q little
scornfully. You could do no greater
hurt to France and England. even to
Belgium and Serbia. yes. and to the
Russia II the Germany and the Aus
tria those nations are to become, and to
all the generations of the world yet
unborn. than 10 interfere now. than to
do anything which would bring about
an indeterminate peace. This war Is
hut begun. and it Will go on and on
I'LL millions are dead and many more
millions are MANNED and the great
question at stake is answered with such
n finality that 1t may never recur.
w or Europe are paying the price
Of our folly. Of our blindness. Of our
greed for national power II wealth
We were only a short while since like
the man h lives to eat but now. and
henceforth. We are like him who eats 70
~live--our values are changed. We have
been playing q game, and. thinking that
the stakes We're power and wealth, really
lost our national souls-France. Eng
land, Germany-all: America too. II
took this great cataclysin to give us
French this new birth. TO make us Sc.
that life has "A greater purpose than We
guessed. as plainly apparent as the
SUI and as simple as the mind OF n
child. TO live and let live. And the
English. the Germans. the Austrians. the
Russians. all who are involved In thi:
war, may be a little slower but are Qui!s
as surely passing through the resur,
rection OF the souls of their respective
uationalities, until they too shall Civ,
expression In their several ways to thi:
great, simple truth.
II don mean that with peace, III,
final determinate peace. will come /,
| millennium Far from ~ Nm fla nsN,
viewpoint will come. the beginning Of
another set OF values In which mel
Will "a their "a for work done. AnC
IL viii not bear the name Of democracy
or socialism, this new human relation
1t Will be something more nearly akin
to brotherhood than the world has ye
known.
"Over there human souls are goin,
through AL the agonies OF birth, ant
when the war is over men Will lool
on n another not as physical mel
but as human souls-a recognition
which may never wholly recede. for
spiritual fact when once recognized an,
acknowledged Is never forgotten.
You Americans, as individuals anC
as a nation. have our opportunity now
The wealth Of the world is being poure,
into your Golfers, Power Is yours 70
the taking. And IL you continue L
accept both In the spirit You o sloy
you too will become drunk with wcaltl
and power, as you long since hay
shown signs of becoming. and Will carr,
III the point of view agaius which W
Of Europe are fighting. And then yoI
Will be the object of "A warfare which
while less bloody, VIII be quite as ter
rible In its results as this slaughtc
nov going on, a war for the world
markets in which you Will suffer. an,
/, suffering. Will somewhat tardily Civ
, birth to the wonderful national soul no,
, lying asleep within tho body OF you
? great and growing owe
1T Will be "a var for the eXtcrmina
ton of the OF your countr
or Europe. II YOU win, yours Will h
the greater loss and the world will tax
a long step backward. II you los,
then YOU may win back your nationa
|. ideals, your soul But now is your OF
-, portunity to try 10 get Europe'S mooC
, to learn the lesson thai Europe is pay
/ ing for 80 dearly.
. There is no other way, either 20
. must come with US OF Europe now. nc
, necessarily as voluntary bclligerents. a
I though that would. in tho long run
be far less a calamity than it seem'
or wait. rc,arding the world progress
by that much. and in the end suffer "A
that is being suffered IN Europe"
4 My French friend paused and l brok
Q out with
= "rhat : all nonsense, We American
have faith in our country's destiny
Z "But what destiny" he interrupte
5 quickly. THE destiny Of the man VIII
lives to eat! or tn" nation that viii
to puWer, that lives only to SuCCeed?'