South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-18
By Franklin H.. Giddings, IL. D.
Professor Of Sociology and the History OF
Civilization at Columbia University.

gan is It worth while to ask whether
we who have watched it from the vantage
ground Of distance and OF peace have attained
a fairly true view of IT,? Do we know. at least
approximately. what has happened? Do We
see in broad outlines. If not in detail, the map
Of Europe. the political organization Of the
western world and the outstanding features OF
civilization as they will be when peace Is
made? Can we understand. estimate and
Judge In a measure as the historian will under
stand. estimate and Judge half century from
now?
In q measure. yes Wholly perfectly, Of
course no. Important facts now unsupported
will become known to the public. The perspec
tive Will lengthen But II is by no means GER
tain that these alterations in the conditions
OF the problem will affect the final conclusion
essentially IL the after hfssory OF former
vars throws light on the question, it will be
the worlds verdict upon specific acts OF indi
Viduals rather than our analysis Of impersona
forces and transformations that will undergo
revision. It is then. presumably possible to
arrive at approximately valid Judgments now
and, II 1t is possible, 1t Is worth while.
There have been great wars that were swift
and meteoric. The Franco-Prussian war OF
1870 was the most brilliant Of these. Other
great wars have been disappointingly long
stubborn and exhausting. Until now the Amer.
lean Civil War was the most tremendous and
sort. The European war that began on July
81, 1914, was intended and expected to be a
summer storm. At the end OF one year it has
assumed the aspect OF an exhausting struggle
There Is not likely TO be, from this time on
any change In the judgment at which the
world In general had arrived last Autumn upon
one fundamental fact. The miscarriage of the
German plan was consequence Of German
failure to read Alright the mind OF Belgium and
the mind OF Great Britain Had Belgium as
sented to the German demand for military right
or way through Belgian territory or had Great
Britain ignored the violation of Belgian neu
uallty, the march upon Paris would In all nroh
ability have been accomplished before serious
campaign In the East could have been forcad
by the Russian offensive. The DELAYS ana
losses about Liege and the support of the
prt.iet anu oeIelan lett oy the small force OF
British regulars under General French made
possible the dramatic halting of the western
campaign In the battle OF the Marine
IL was Great Britain, and not GERMANY that
gave TO the world the spectacle OF an achiava.
ment swift far-reaching and tremando,1S g. a.,
consequences Nothing like the completeness
ane sWlftness with which Great Britain swent
the oceans or German ships and German com
merce was ever witnessed before. Following
up this isolation OF continental Garroarr GO,
Britain has. item by item, taken over the more
important German colonies The entire mari.
time enterprise and colonial expansion that
Germany toilsomely built I'D for quarter M a
century has been snnihilated
Thess two results Of the initial operations OF
the war, which Germany did not foresee, de-
termined the character OF the military and
naval activities that have followed Slow.
moving Russia had time to make a formidable
advance into Austrian territory and to threaten
German possessions IL East Prussia thereby
compelling Germany to organize the tremen-
dous eastern campaign, which now, after ap-
palltng expenditure, she has waged to results
OF substantial victory for the time being
Compelled thus to divert vast forces to the
east Germany could not put power enough into
her furious drives on the west to reach Calais.
or to break through the French centre in
Champagne. The war then developed its ex-
perimentA features, the actual value OF which
so far has been curiously small, the potential
value OF which Is not yet known. Trench fight
ing Zeppelin raids. submarine assault and bat
terry one day may nave Importance COM
mensurate with their novelty and terribleness.
To the present moment they have not.
Because these things happened, one after
another. in quite orderly. inevitable causation.
and not at all by accident, Germany has been
having FOR three-Quarters Of a year, and yet
has. her opportunity TO prove herself "uber
allies" She has Rrrayed the greater part OF
Europe against herself; her ally Austria, is at
war with Italy, and her own relations with
the United States have become dangerously
strained.
Never did any Great Power dare so much;
never aid any Power find herself. whether in
tantionall-- or otherwise, committed TO a strug
PIE so gigantic. Never did any Power in all
the history OF the world wage war upon so
long hattie front. AND never against SuNn
o5Ss Of distance circumstance and enemy
strength aid any Power achieve such prodigious
military results AS matters stand today
Germany has conquered Belgium and northern
France; she has nearly conquered Poland
Wee the war TO stop now and no change what
soever be made by the terms of peace In the
geographical lines actually marked by military
occunatior. Germany would henceforth extend
from the walls OF Warsaw TO the wharves OF
Antwerp She would be without colonies and
without foreign commerce. but she would con-
troll the richest natural resources or Europe
and ports entirely adequate for a vast future
growth OF ocean trade. The future historian
would undoubtedly say that. whether intention
ally or otherwise she had waged on the whole
successfuily. gigantic war OF conquest
Such are the results. so far, or actual military
and naval operations Perhaps there has never
been a war about which noncombatants have
selt so strongly that it's consequences in the
human mind we're likely 20 be more important
than the changes that II may write on the
nan AS a man thinketh so Is he; as man
Eind thinks in the next twenty-five years, so
v-i1t mankind do perhaps for hundred or nFe
hundred years thereafter!
The world is asking once more the Oldest OF
.,,estfons-what are the true realities, Wnat
,he tbings worth while? II is asking whether
,bose things which xe have thought OF ae CIV.
tit1stion are after all. vital. and 80 endowed
,,I,h vitality as 90 endure In struggle Tor 4
t.tsaea more unarciiass chan the conflicts " the