The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-07

are widely exaggerated; whatever forces
the Germans have at command they
must assuredly have put to use in these
first six months. We are justified in
assuming that they have no unused
powers.
The weightiest factor in the whole
problem is the incredible supine weak
ness of Great Britain No one can
doubt that II she had put her hand in
her pocket she could at least have in
sured the neutrality of Turkey. 1t is
admitted now that if she had offered
sufficient monetary inducements to her
own population she could by this time
have thrown another million of men
into France or, better still, into Ostend
But the conditions she has offered to
her volunteers and especially to the
widows and orphans of the men who
may be killed in fighting for her are
disgracefully mean and paltry. what
man will feel Inclined to fight when he
knows that II he Is killed his widow
will only get 81 a week or so to live
upon? And 1t is only lately that as
much as this has been offered. Under
the circumstances it says great deal
for the fighting spirit Of the Briton that
over two millions Of men have offered
their services.
But what must be thought of the
British Government, which at the last
push Of fate sacrifices vi,tory to pick
thank meanness? English Ministers
are still intent on waging war ION the
cheap" when, had they shown the spirit
and resolution Of Cromwell or even OF
Chatham, they might have already de-
cided the conflict. Chatham had given
them the lead. but they seem incapab.
of even proftng by his example.
They began the war with all the
chances in their favor, all the powers.
Already their lack Of insight and will
has made the issue of the struggle
doubtful. a few months more of their
characteristic waiting upon fortune an |
1t will be too late. VIII they wake
up" In time?
The triumvirate of Asquith, Winston
Churchill and Kitchener is on trial. so
far they have done about as little as
men could do and have brought the
world to wonder at their poverty Of
invention. They deserve the bitter gihe
| heard from an American the other
day: The Germans will fight to the
last German, the Bclgans to the last
Belgian. and the Brtons to the last
Frcnchman."
Sir Edward Grey, on the other hand.
has shown himself the cleverest diplo-
matist in Europe; at the beginning of
the war he won the sympathy of all
neutral peoples by the horror he ex-
pressed at the violation Of Belgian neu-
tralty by the Germans; he almost per-
suaded America that Britain was fight
ing for little Belgium, outraged and
overwhelmed by German hordes. Now
Americans are beginning to realize that
England wanted Germany's trade and
was jealous Of her astounding growth in
Industry. commerce and naval power
Sir Edward Grey has done splenddIy
for his country all through, and Il the
contest were to be decided by diplomatic
cunning and verbal skin, 1t wouldn't
be difficult to select the winner.
Even now If England proposed TO
Italy to defray all the money cost of
her participation in the war with the
additional bride of the Trentino and
Trieste in case of success it + as GER
tain as anything can be that Italy
would take the bait, and at once the
position of Germany and Austria would
be greatly worsened. By spending two
or three hundred millions of pounds in
this way England would be saving
money in the long run; but she stlll
hestates and fumbes.
Nobody who knows them expects
much from Asquith, Winston Churchill