The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05
Americans Hopelessly
Sentimental, Is Charge

oencc OF Americas hopeless scntimcn-
tality," declares Rudolph NJ. binder.
professor of sociology of New York
University.
Commonly. we get the followinS
definition In effect from the average
dictionary: Sentimentalism is feeling.
partially enlightened by the intellect
YET refusing to he controlled by II.
lieduccd to its ultimate terms 1t re-.
solves Itself into n desire to get some
thing without paying the price for 1t.
This may seem like n thoroughly pa-
tcrial analysis Of sentimentalism, but
unfortunately II is the dominant mott
In pretty nearly every expression Of
Americas social life. .
The most important lesson any
man can learn Is the fact that every.
thing worth while must be paid for IN
oxertion. patience. work and system
attic application. Statesmen OF Europe.
experts, 30 to speak. In the national and
international problems. especially OF
the Old World. did their best months
before the outbreak Of war TO prevent
recourse to arms: millions of lives
n billions OF treasure have been
given since hostilitics began in an ef-
fort to settle BY bloodshed questions
that apparently would not lend them
selves TO diplomatic adjustment: and
the men in the trenches and their fell
lows on the battlefield have undaunt-
edly faced appalling forms of attack.
and have fought against odds unpar-
allcled In the history Of human strife.
And yet the bitterness grows between
the rival belligerents.
Now comes Henry Ford with his
peace argosy: and, seemingly utterly
unmlndful Of the state Of affairs in t.u-
rope. he blithely proposes to sail 10
the other side with n crowd of mis-
guided enthusiasts for the purpose Of
calling. a strike in the trenches--in
short. summarily TO bring the conflict
to a s%tandstill. Angels. " We arc
told, fear TO tread where certain hui
man beings are wont to rush in.
There Ia no need to he harsh. how
ever. for Mr.. Ford undoubtedly means
well. But IL is plain that he
quite forgets that peace can he
bought only AT a price. n his hope
less s~entimcntalism has blinded him
to that fact. Apparently he has not
asked himself: Why should We in
t%erferc; what right have we TO do 80?
Nor has he pondered how his probable
rebuff may reflect upon the American
nation and even promote further irri-
tation toward us.
Mr.. Bryan resigned from the Cab,-
net to promote peace. 80 he has said;
but BY the irony of fate he was most
severely criticised abroad by the very
nation he seemed most DESTROYS OF
placating. He left his chief just when
the ship Of state was amid stormy
waters: but as he saw it. that was
the road 10 "a short cut to peace, IL
only others would follow In his foot
steps. Out Of dreams n fabric of in
ternational amity was TO be fashioned.
quite forgetting that precious blood
had dyed the basic threads. blood
that would OF necessity demand n ac-
counting.
Again. Jane Adams and her kind
Went 10 Europe 70 promote peace
women unframed in international
problems seeking to settle ofhand The
graves; of questions. Miss Adams
and her coterie We're politely received
by diplomatic underlings. thanked for
All'll Soob ii4ANI.Al'iiT anu N'ti '''E
dismissed. Scntimentalism had dared
To butt in 10 use a colloquial term,
and. with characteristic nconse-
quencc. hoped TO halt the irresistible
grind of that dire machine. war, Did
those good souls stop for a moment
TO think what the price would be II
that machine We're not allowed "a
lose its grim momentum through nat
. ural processes? Were tn American
people ready to pay that price? No
decidedly not: but American scn'l-
mcn,alism wanted 20 reach the goa
without travelling the necessari,,
rocky road.
These manifestations OF sontimcn-
;..lisn In the cases instanced are cN-
pressions Of IA very widespread STATE
e, OF mind. rad they bear directly II the
end upon the question Of u ovr
? security and the price Of preparedness
No sensible man wants war. and leaS,
OF 81 the soldiers in the trenches. We
want, to keep the peace, but even SO
w must pay the price OF that do
M. site calm Schiller said: Even me
most pious nan cannot live i'm Dcd',
. + his wicked ~ueishbor dislik's HIM.
Inc,rentlally. then, the wicked moi
must bc mad. 10 respect .. i!oI'
ncichbor. IS peace is to prevail; au'
show uf force is alb, ut the only cf-
! fCrtiv. argument in such a cas-"
b, Homer has told US that IN" Troiau'
+ lustcd for the tight, while the Greek
T, fought only when II was necessity
. thus picturing in a phrase III, 1--WE
extreme planes of civilization. tt,
Greeks realized the value Of pre-
p%arodncss and knew that their ma
tional well being depended upon II
/ even though their ordinary pursuits
were directed toward far higher
/, things.
But II We want peace at any pr!c'
I we must lie willing 10 endure snuh'
( and TO accept insults. II II resent
an Insult there cannot he peace "a
that word Is understood 10y its mos
ardent disciples here in America.
, am satisfied that the Idisitania crirn'
was the consequence of lack a
military force and the official a,ti
tudc of peace at any price, AS repre-
+, sentative Germans have told me, thu
. Fathcrland believed that we were WI!
: Ing to he h%ulldozcd. Hence her Ions
Il delays In answering our notes. A
; .Inscph II. Choate has said very r."
q Gently. speaking Of the American Gov
crumout. II has issued many notes