New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-04


enemy imagining that it is anxious for peace.
Yet the rulers of every belligerent state must
be anxious for peace in their hearts; if only
because they must begin to realize that the
edifice of civilization is tumbling about their
ears and that dynasties and castles run con-
siderable risk of being buried in the ruins.
That there is an intense longing for peace
among the peoples-especially among the
working classes and the peasantry-cannot be
questioned. But as the entire machinery at
the disposal of the governments for infiu-
encing public opinion is engaged in fomentlng
national passions to the highest pitch OF IN
tensity, by representing the enemy-country
as the embodiment of evil and treachery and
by crediting the enemy-country with the pur-
pose of utterly destroying its adversarles, the
very longing for peace becomes spur to
national fury. Indeed, the governments rec
ognize the popular desire for peace and cum
ningly pander to it. A lasting peace" they
cry. "can only be secured by the complete pull
verization of the enemy'-whereupon they
know full well that that would mean the in
definite prolongation of the war and its re-
newa at no distant date: for you cannot pull
verize a people Here in England the very
recruiting placards with which our cities and
towns are plastered almost invariably urge
men to join the colors IN ORDER TO HAS
TEN THE ADVENT OF PEACE. 1t is every
where the same in one form or another. The
admitted desire of the peoples for peace is
used to exploit them for prolonging the war.
The governments decline even to hint at the
terms upon which they would be mutually
prepared to discuss the basis of possible set
tlement And so the slaughter continues on an
even vaster scale. Yet some day. the govern
ments will have to discuss or perish. Mean
time they are blind leaders of the blind; straws
upon the elements they, in their folly, have
unclaimed; incapable of controlling them;
knowing not whittier they are drifting.
WHAT THE PEOPLE BELIEVE.
Every belligerent pcople-except the ltal-
ian-believes that it is fighting, and every gov
eminent asserts that it is fighting, in self
defence. for national existence, for the right to
preserve its own traditions, its own modes of
life. its own homesteads If what the govern
ments assert be true, then each and all of them
are suffering from hallucination; for assuredly
it is in the interest of no single people that It's
adversaries should lose their national exis-
tence and be destrOyed-snce civilized lie Is
built upon foundations of human exchange, ana
the lack of clients with whom to exchange
would spell national bankruptcy And the truth
lies lust here All the belligerent governments
ARE under the spell of an halucinatlon, the
hallucination of fear. The driving force OF
fear. it was, which made possible this WlcKeu
and suicidal struggle | am not in the MAORI
tv. with those who maintain that the rulers OF
Germany deliberately planned this war ana are
wholly responsible for it. That they have
large measure of responsibility for 1t Is patent
That others share responsibility with them can
be gainsaid only by such as have come under
the spell of the hallucination. Fear caused
this war. Fear is prolonging It, rear Is ae-
cravatinp its natural bestialities. Fear is
making every chemical laboratory into cham
ber for the connection of new and more terrlty-
ing modes of human destruction. 1t may yet
evolve some substance capable of destroying an
army corps or of firing city in few mo-
ments. The end might thereby be fastened, 1t
is true.
The fear of the governments is conmunl-
Gated to the peoples, and millions who are not
engaged in killing are employed IN manulacV-
uring implements to kill. To such pass has
come our clVllZallOn He ClNlIiai PNP
in every belgerent state is becoming drunken
and maddened by fear For it is the support
bv the civilian population of its rulers when
nrolongs the war 1t is the civilian population
that fears; not the men who fight. They do
not fear. Neither do they hate with the same
intensity because, being Injured by their occupa-
ton to physical bravery, they respect 1t IN their
foes. They respect too, the keen competition
in brains behind the firing lines. And respect
cbases out hatred. Moreover they know tnat
what the papers print of their adversares are
mostly lies; and that sckens them. Every day
some incident occurs even in the hours OF car
mage. that helps them to remember that those
n whom they are opposed are men ike them-
selves. full of courage and resource as them
selves. obeying orders even as they themselves
suffering even as they themselves must suffer
II Il rested with them the war would not last
long
From the civilian population this deep, I'M
deriving fraternity of suffering and common
diecinline is hidden. Fed every day upon the
lowest garbage of sensational journalism, Its
passions stimulated by every imaginable de-
vice, torn by the cruelest tremors foS loved ones