Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-04
WAR

OF war fever have blown clear across the 1900
miles Of water, and several victims OF the
malady, having formed a National Security
League in New York the other day are COM
mencing to lombard the magazines with ar
ticles. Indications in this months magazines
suggest the beginning of a campaign Of mill
tarist agitation for increasing our armament.
OF 80 articles on the war in II current
magazines and weekles, 10 are purely de-
scriptlve, and 10 take up special issues. Edi-
torial resumes in the Review Of Reviews and
Current Opinion are neutral. OF the re-
naming Ia articles three are in defense of
war and IL are opposed to II and concerned
with the possibilities of permanent peace. All
three of the articles defending war are by
Americans, advocating increased armament.
or some form of compulsory military service.
OF the 10 articles on peace three are by Eng
iishmen and one is by Frenchman.
The most violent case Of mlltarismus Is
that of Colonel Roosevelt He began with
series of full page Sunday Specials" in
the New York Times. He has an article on
Utopia or He'll" In this weeks independent
and on America on Guard" In Everybodys
He has Just signed a contract with the Met
ropoltan for series. His relations with the
outlook ceased some time ago, but his infu-
ence seems to lnger. In lieu of his utter
ances, the Outlook this week interviews Sec
retary of War Garrison on America I'm
ready" a.:
If" says Mr.. Garrison, tomorrow any first
class military power should attack the United
states In force and should succeed in getting
her warships and solder-laden transports past
our fleet, landed out of range of our coast de-
fensesi once fairly ashore, she could puverize
our small regular army and punish us to n
humliating degree, If not actually make us sue
Tor peace before we could raise and train
volunteer army adequate to cope with the in
Vaders. Our army numbers little more than
twice the size of the police force of New York
city-that Is, not large enough for our great
country, even as mere police force"
Taking Shot at Dove of Peace
Colonel Roosevelt. hero OF the strenuous
life, takes the to-be-eXpected vigorous atti-
tude on war. He is wtheringly scornful Of
our not having gone to Belgium's defense,
and those Americans who are glad to keep
out of the great world conflict can find in
his own words occasion for thankfulness that
he is no longer occupant of the presidential
chair. He writes (2):
Poor Belgium was almost destroyed because
great neutral nations-the United States being
the chief offender-have not yet reached the
standard OF international morality and of will
ingness to fight for righteousness which must
be attained before they can guarantee small
well-behaved, civilized nations against cruel
disaster.
1t Is noxious to work for peace based
on righteousness, unless We put force back
OF righteousness.
The all-inclusive arbitration treaties in whose
free and unlimited negotiation Mr.. Bryan
takes such pleasure are OF less value than the
30-cent dollars whose free and unlimited coin
age he formerly advocated
The Deadly Parallel
In an article on American Mtarism" (3)
Amos Pinchot, a former political associate
of
rather startling parallelsms between the
writings of the Colonel and General Won
Bernhard:
hardi are both victims of n common error. ''There
are higher things" says Mr. Roosevelt. than
the soft and easy enjoyment of material COM
fort. 1t Is through strife, the readiness for
strife that a nation must win greatness"
God will to it," says Bernhard. that
war always recurs as a drastic medicine for
the human race" 1t is because Mr. Roosevelt
and General Won Bernhard life in terms
OF the ruling classes OF the bourgeolsie,
rather than in terms OF the majority of the
people. that they believe the war element Is
necessary and potent alternative, which civl-
zation i'll afford to dispense with.
Mr.. Roosevelt says in the article previously
quoted:
Writings like those OF Homer Lea. or Metz
sche or Professor Treltschke, are as OBJ
jectionable those OF Messrs. Bloch and An
gel
In view OF this criticism, some quotations
from an article by Mr.. Angel on America
and the European War" (4) are especially
interesting as illustrating what Mr. Roose-
yelt finds Objectionable, in addition to the
fact that they are very illuminating in them
selves 1t is a coincidence that Mr.. Angel
should be considering one Of the very men
with whom he is classed.
You cannot deal with the problem OF Prus-
sanism, tho moral attributes IL connotes and
the military conflicts which It provokes with
out asking the questions, For what purpose
do states sxist?' what are the essential
realities OF life2"
When the Nietzschean extols war and force
as beautiful and desirable in themselves more
beautiful and desirable than affection and
laughter and all the other components of hap
piness we able to point out two thngsi
first that his ideal Is not common or universal,
but, second. and much more important. that II
cannot be, for the reason that no one desires
to be the Yanqushed the victim OF war and
force His philosophy is only for half the world,
the top half We all believe II our duty 10
give our lives rather than be subject to the
rule OF foreigners OF aliensi yet this philosophy
of conquest and imperialism demands that
others shall accept the rule Of aliens That
which we believe moral degradation for our
selves we try 20 enforce upon other mlilohs
of our fellows; Il Is an arrangement which
makes as some one has said. OF the tep dog a
bully and OF the bottom dog cur
A Riff in the Clouds
A brief ana to-the-pont article on Recon
struction in Europe" 90, by an Englishman,
writing from London, not only strikes note
OF hope, but says something new, something
which none OF the other writers has touched
upon. Mr.. Brailsford hnds In the number OF
nations involved in the ware factor which
has hitherto seemed only an added horror
ground for hopefuness. He writes;
The organization Of European solidarity has
made some progress We have solidarity
enough TO render any war universal var We
ict onl, the solidarity 10 make permanent
psacs It Is possible that this colossal eoniiiet
nav prove to be for Europe what your Sltii
war was for North Alneriea'-the nnAl '.liilT
,nsfsss 81 the indissoluhla unity q a continent