New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-27
The Moral Crisis of the War.

ton in the United States for the real opin-
ion of this country. Three separate and
utterly dissimilar clements are represented
in this present agitation. First, the sincere
pacifsts, who belong to precisely the same
group which in France and Great Britain
proved more useful to German plans than
Prussian army corps; second, those who'
seeking personal or commercial advertise
ment. have seized upon peace talk and
activity as the cheapest and most advan-
tageous method Of advertising PERSONAL
ties otherwise obscure or wares on sale IN
every market place; third, the German
propaeandists, who are eager TO use every
tool and every agency to assist their Fellow
countrvmen in harvesting the fruits OF
their great labors and sacrifices. This Is
the census of the contemporary peace
movement in the United States, and 1t IS
in no true sense representative OF Ameri-
can opinion.
As contrasted with these groups there Is
q considerable and well-defined group OF
Americans who recognize that the moral
crisis in the great World War has now
arrived. and that the next few months Will
decide whether the war is to prove one OF
the greatest landmarks in human history,
one of the most beneficial and splendid
struggles for liberty and righteousness that
has ever taken place, or whether prema-
ture and illusory peace is to perpetuate the
OWLS that the war has disclosed, and leave
new generations to wrestfe with the same
perils and the same dangers which have
for nearly fifty years turned back the
wheels of progress and subtracted so much
from the development of the world.
The military crisis of the Great War came
in August and September, 1914; 1t was met
by France almost single handed, and II
Was met and mastered. On the field or the
Marine il was decided that the Prussian
dream of world supremacy, attained by
one gigantic, terrible, merciless sweep, by
q defiance of all the laws of men and OF
God. was not to be realized. Inferior IN
numbers, resources, preparation, the
French, by devotion, genius, sacrihce'
rolled back third barbarian inroad upon
the civilized world, and threw back the
Germans as they had thrown back the
Hun and the Arab.
So much France did, with but handful
of British and Belgian troops rendering
valiant but slight aid This was the French
contribution TO the sum total OF human
happiness and freedom, contribution no
whit inferior to that which it made in that
great French Revolution, the value anc
meaning of which are even now too little
understood by English-speaking nations
This done, there remained to France the
strength and the courage to hold the bar
rier erected against the food. to man the
walls which, like those the Romans built II
their time against the outer darkness OF
barbarism were the sole protection Of oul
civilization against destruction as terri
BILE as that which laid Rome in ruins ant
carried fire and slaughter over the face Of
a world that had been civilized.
Such was and remains the French con
tribution. This Americans day by day are
learning to appreciate more fully and ad
mire more generally. What Marathon anc
Valmy were TO the human race, what Poi
tiers and Chalons were to mankind
Americans are slowly beginning to under
stand the Battle of the Marine was to an
other world, threatened by the storm which
burst upon earlier generations Of men
Rut there remains another task. II is stil
for the organized forces Of civilization U
restore the world that was so shaken ant
injured by the barbarian outbreak OF 1914
and 70 wiring from the savage invaders
themselves the last semblance OF reward
which they have gathered solely by theii
violation Of all the rules and laws that
represent the sum total Of civilization and
human progress.
Peace now would not mean immediate
Prussian supremacy. The. worst OF the
dangers that threatened US all a year age
Is banished. But peace now would mean
that Germany, the Germany that is ex.
pressed by those who now dominate and
direct Teutonic fortunes, would take home
from this struggle rewards which would be
but the incentive TO new inroads and fresh
efforts to complete the conquest Of Europe
and the utter destruction of the libertie,
and happiness Of the small peoples and the
numerically weaker races II would NEAR
that Prussian rulers would still have some
thing 10 show their people as the fruits O,
their leadership and the justification Of
their command.
premature peace would be but al
Interruption in the progress Of a campaign
and a crusade, the campaign and crusade
Of Germany against all civilization. i
would mean that those who conceived
planned, directed the present onslaught
would have new opportunity TO gather
up their strength, profit by their errors