New-York tribune., 1915-08-04

small best to bring upon that bloodthlrsty
old humbug the fate he and his so ricnly
deserve-the fate that was meted out 70
Louis XVI and the Austrian in France more
than a hundred years ago.
! For we know that wars are never really
called for nowadays by the people of any CIV
! ilized nation, but are brought about by
hereditary or financial rulers as means OF
carrying out their own schemes for aggran-
dizement and plunder. We know, too, that
the only way these rulers can work their
people up to the fighting pitch is to start
great hubbub about patriotism" and spread
the terrifying news that the people OF some
other nation are about to fall on them and
slay them. In Europe this time-worn pro-
gramme has had two highly satisfying re-
suits for the gentlemen who stood back of
it. First it has induced the people to bear
the burden Of great armies, and, second, 1t
has put everybody under military orders, so
that whenever their royal masters got ready
to start a war that should add to their do
mains and military prestige, or offer new
fields of exploitation for their capitalists all
they had to do was to issue call to the
colors and the would-be protesters against
carnage would automatically become either
humble and obedient soldiers or slain mutt
neers.
That is exactly what happened in Germany
year ago. The doctrine of preparedness
had been so successfully carried out that
every man had become soldier. On one
evening the halls of Berlin were filled with
people Indignantly protesting against war
and denouncing the leaders who were bent
on precipitating it. The next morning these
same people were marching away into Bel
eium, knapsacks on their backs and rifles on
their shoulders-to defend the Fatherland
against Russia. Was it righteous" war?
Certainly. There never was a war that wasn't
righteous, a necessary means of defence and
imperative to the upholding of the nations
high dignity.
And that is exactly what would happen
here if we ever got sufficiently militarized
We'd be no sooner through with our re-
cruit drill than some fine morning we would
be hiking over the line into Mexico to res
cue the national honor by grabbing all that
fat, rich country and turning it over for
the exploitation of the Guggenheims and the
Rockefellers. And there would be no op-
portunity to protest against it, for every
man, according to Mr. Roosevet's plan, would
be an enrolled soldier, and to soldiers cor
ders is orders" Theirs not to reason why,
theirs but to do and die"
tion-enslaved by its own leaders. It is all
very well to say, as Bernard Shaw said, that
the wisest thing for the soldiers of all the
contending armies to do would be to shoot
their own officers and go back to their
ploughs and their workshops, but it can't
be done-it is too late when once they have
donned their uniforms.
| suppose that il German expeditionary
force landed on our shores | would be one
of those to pick up rifle and go out TO
meet it in proper style. And granted that
all the world except US, who seek only the
peace of righteousness" which means what
ever Mr.. Roosevelt sees fit TO make it mean
are bloodthrsty robbers intent upon murder
and rapine we've got to find some plan TO
protect ourselves. But there is an increas-
ing number of people who have discovered
so many "niggers in the ferce" behind the
plans of the staggering rulers and leaders
of men that when are told that IL we
don't organize ourselves into an army and
swear obedience to some one we1l be slain
in our tracks by an invading foe we wax
exceeding wary
Perhaps DR.. Johnson exaggerated some
what when he described patriotism" as the
last resort OF scoundrel," for there is
sort of patriotism that is the noblest of
human sentiments-the patriotism which
seeks the happiness and development of all
the people of nation. But we have learned
that patriotism of the junker variety is the
habitual resort of greedy rulers and schem-
ing politicians. We know that since the be-
ginning of time the people, poor dupes, have
been led to their slaughter to make fine mill
tary regulations for Kaisers and Kitcheners,
for Tirpitzes and Theodores. And then as
a reward they have been called noble heroes
and decorated with tin crosses and such