South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-03
TURN IN THE wAR TIDE.

in Europe has, TO our mind. began ITS
search Of the eastern horizon. Quite
evidently the beIligerents are begin
ming TO think and when men think
they have something else TO do be-
sides fight. The natural tendencies of
thought-sane thoughts toward
peace. perhaps not peace at any
price" but peace at some price that is
sane and reasonable.
1t is hard 10 credit the cable news
from Germany and England these
days. 1t is so astonishingly full Of on
pressiOns Of good will. The foreign
situation has changed so suddenly
that we need a little time to get used
20 it.
Germany, which only lately was
breathing fire and slaughter, purrs
with friendship and promises repara-
/ lion for her offenses and better be-
1 havior hereafter. And England. not
10 be outdone. hastens to modify her
blockade for our benefit.
Tbs blockade must stand, British
statesmen explain. but it Will be con-
Quoted in a spirit of consideration
for the interest of neutrals,' avoiding
undue hardship" II American com
merce.
We are TO be permitted to import
from Germany goods im~peS&tively
needed in our industries and our
Christmas trade. Not only may we
get h shipments already paid for
and held up in foreign ports, but in
general Great Britain viii let through
the blockade lines goods which have
merely been contracted for by our
importers. And evidence Of such
j contracts may. for convenience sake,
be presented 10 the British embassy
at Washington instead of To the Brit
ish government at London. The dye
! stuffs which we need so badly. Eng
land explains. have really been held
up by the German government;
orders vent from London long g 10
let 1ham pass.
Apparently nothing is to hinder u
receiving more OF such supplies if
/ Germany wants 10 sell them to rs.
The blockade is to be strictly opera
tive against shipments TO Germany
\ and Austria. but not against ship
ments from those countries. Wheth-
er the present irritating embargo
against the entrance Of our goods in
! the neutral countries adjoining Ger
many is TO be relaxed remains to he
seen.
We know, Of course, that these
concessions are not due to mere good
will. Germany Yields because h
sees at last that we are in earnest,
: and also because she thinks nat by.
yielding gracefully in the submarine
matter she can induce us to do the
generous and graceful thing in re-
turn-use our influence 10 make Eng
land modify her blockade against
Germany. And England likewise is
actuated by motives OF interest. she
j seeks TO discount any such tendency
On our part by showing beforehand
that she can be as generous and
J graceful as Germany can. The two
great enemies are simply competing
with each other in placating this ma
ton. Each is seeking our good viii
20 use as a weapon against the other.
This Is undoubtedly the light in
: which they see it. in which they in
tend it: OF which they are conscious:
but il means that they are regaining
their heads. and reason is being re-
enthrOned 10 take the place of pas
4 sion. II may be months before there
is another similar symptom made Wis
ible. but with these belligerents try
Ing 10 b.acate the United States, in
seIf-interest, we see the dawn of an
awakening that viii cause that sense
of s~elf-interest To grow and search
for more reasonable channels OF de-
votion than war and bloodshed af-
i ford. In the full sunlight il will ap-
pear that prosperity through war is
an impossibiiity. and the crumblins
of armies will not be far off. The de-
elm of the foreign money market
will also play its part and thus
through indirection. and without de-
sign. hope finds its star and hears the
rustIing OF a wing-that of the dove
of peace.
And IT is an American triumph that
Il is so-not a triumph of the uto-
plan pacihsts who go about preaching
peace at any price and certainly
not for equivocal peace" organize
tons which are using the stars and
stripes and the badge of labor TO
i cover AN alien -propaganda in the in
i terest OF Germany. IL viii not be n
triumph. either. for the jingoists who
4 have hlled the land with clamor. but
4 whose shouting and frothing have had
little effect on the great mass of sane
II Americans.
4 II will be a triumph for the intel
ligent and patriotic leaders and rep
resentatves OF public opinion-edi-
tors. statesmen. businessmen. lectur-
Il ers. etc.-who have urged from the
FIRST a rational military preparedness