Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-15

nns we're the kesnss, Tor the ash,. now only
the Ts as to u conaSsr
enthusiasm for the var does not exist for
10 Il. Sou 0u Tn. 'G sae ahs su VI.
endure German soldier TO a swiss pro-
The longing for peace is intense with U.S.
{ a. least With all those who are at the front.
warlike passion OF the soldiers they lie,
deny that this passion i. abs,in9 You as esn.
not think how indignant We arc at such
Of things they do t"G no,
or: rather. lot them come here. not az chap
their hands Perhaps s" then n ahey Viii Nil,
perss &c ,son The inner change which Is going
p S man who has no passion for war
OF are n' hy dsss to
without bout en,hSsiasn, for the war, and hating
holy war ! know OF no holy war only
hns 9 ,hs, i. ana ha is tho Of
| In man. visitation OF God and a cali To r, :.
! or allowed themselves to he drawn Into f.
Goo has plunged men into this hell In order
German people. the war seems IN be /. chasa
tsement and a call to contrition-addres1cd
nrht OF all to our German Church.'-(The
same
.,, ~" end: no end 10 the, war. which for
treasure happiness. This feeling il the
! same with the others q. G.. the French with
one OF whom, an officer. he rcnorts touch.
Ing conyersationl. Always the same picture:
We are both doing the same. we are suffering
| precisely why We are such bitter cnemies."~
tLe1.er OF lieutenant OF landwehr killed
The opening OF second year Of Eu-
ropean war. without prospect OF an
early or even a visibly approaching
| end puts term to hopes OF widely
(
| power looked for a short campaign in
the West, rapid occupation OF Paris,
| and successful assault on Russia fol-
| lowed. after crushing victory or two.
by an easily negotiated peace. These
| staff plans have miscarried and those
who conceived them are in the best
position to realize all that their fail.
ure involves. The defending or resist
Ing powers INDUCED In no such rosy
calculation They had not. like Ger
many, made the arithmetic Of con-
! quest the great mental preoccupation
OF their governing minds. They know.
what war with people organized for
! destruction must mean in it's duration
and in its severity. But they cannot
have forescen-no mortal man could
have foreseen-what 1t meant TO let
| loose on the world virile race, trained
to devote reason and organization TO
the service Of anarchy and madness
| Still moro acute is the disarpoint-
| ment of those hopes and beliefs Of man
Kind which are the possession OF no
single people, but live in all bosoms
| not wholly possessed by egotistic cares
and illusions.
The idealist who never expected to
see another European war must now
realize that, when once 1t happened.
| II was bound to be sustained and
fearful ordeal This is the first war
OF nations-that is. OF organized COM
ttk,tf tor III
| and knowledge to the science OF war,
and therefore to develop an unhcard :
| OF destructiveness. We must there
| fore. aim at making il the last. for
two such blows can never he struck
without bringing the house to the
| ground. 1t cannot be ended to-mor-
| row, but neither, we think, can il drag
out into seven or even three years
| war. Even two years campaign i'm
plies that the national armies must re-
turn to deeply impoverished commu-
mites. in which religion. social relation
ships. the means and distribution Of
wealth. the laws. habits. interior or
aanizations OF the peoples. will have
sustained devastating changes In
| what mood Will they return? Not. II
countless witnesses be true, rejoicing
In the pomps and triumphs of war.
! Pomp there Is none; triumph. In the
sense OF spoil or accretions Of wealth
and dignity. will be equally lacking.
for we have all been spelling each
other. These armies are not formed
merely Of the military castles. They
are the people. suffering with and for
those they have left at home
We should expect to find the clearest
expression Of this establishment in
the German soldiery IT can, indeed
he read In the poignant letters from
the moro intellectual and sensitive
| types OF German officers and soldiers
which NJ. Roman ROLAND has col
lected in Swiss journal. and some
| OF which we reproduce at the head
OF this article. Many Of these indtS-
nant or sorrowful voices are now silent.
Many more will be stlled before the
war is over. They utter the lament
| OF youths whom their elders have laid
on the altar Of sacrifice. Middle-aged
Europe decreed this war: her young
men are waging 1t. bearing on their
shoulders, like one more sublime vic
l>tim, the iniquities of US all. The
| tragedy Ia that the German soldiers
and officers who write these despair.
| ing letters are tho executants Of ideas
| which they realize Will have AS evil
All issue for them as for us. They
| eypect the knife, knowing, like Iphi-
| evil one Such experiences exhibit the
moral force OF mankind at issue with
it's physical energies, or powerless to
| assert Itself against tho directing will.
From that contradiction either a worse
| holl will befall Europe, or she must
attain the conception OF q new moral
world, and arrange a political consti
| tuition to suit It,
The conflict. therefore. can only be
useless and Irrational If 1t results In
tho victory OF militant Teutonism. II
| cannot rcRl1y and In draw" for