The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03
Chancellor Ma cCracken
Says Conflict Should BE
Called a Drawn Game and
Disagrees With DR.. Eliot
Over European Struggle
, HANCELLoR EMERITUS HENRY
MITCHELL MAcCRACKEN OF New
York University and President


Emeritus Charles William Eliot OF
Harvard University disagree over the great
European war.
You m ght say there's nothing extraordi-
nary about this. Other men differ in their
war views. why not DR.. MacCracken and
DR. Eliot? But consider the Accomplishments
OF this particular disagreement. Both men
have lodged with logic and supped with
science for over half a century constantly.
They have trained tens Of thousands Of
young students in the way Of using Their
brains 10 the best advantage. They are both
renowned as educators who are broad in
their views and unbiased In their analyza-
tons. Yet they disagree as to the cause and
effect Of the present war
Not onlv do Dr. MacCracken and DR.. Eliot
disagree on this topic but they disagree
fundamentally and radically. It isn't a
case Of fine shadings OF opinion radiating
from basic blend of thought. The two men
are antagonistic in their deductions and con-
illusions down TO the very core. Two Hit
crate dsputants could not be more irrecon-
cllaby at odds. Yet both are well past the
threescore and ten years mark and ripe
with the wisdom that comes from deep,
broad thought. How do you explain It?
II can't be explained. vent up to Uni
vers!ty Heights the other morning to have
talk with Dr. MacCracken about the war
no angle barred. The points on which he and
Dr. Eliot dsagr o were discussed at length.
L plain the two great educators were
at variance from the ground up. II the
thing were eXplainable it would have been
made clear then and there. But when went
away l was as much in the dark to why
TWO great thought leaders disagree on the
very fundamentals Ga the question as when
l entered.
This war sh, I'D he called a drawn game
and stopped at once said DR.. MacCracken
emphatically at the most inteI sitting point Of
our long talk THE main thing is to stop
the shedding of blood. The argument that
accomplishes this quickest is the best argu-
ment. / cannot understand how DIR. Eliot
can believe that any reason-any reason
whatever-wil justify its continuance a mo-
ment longer after it can be stopped No sys-
tenn of diplomacy, no policy warrants the kill
ing of another soldier fit can be prevented"
Call it the clergyman in DIR. MacCracken
talking II you VIII, MS utltTdHCe WIS GER
tanly forcefv with heart argument against
further military murder He rose 10 his full
height very tall and slender, with the scholar
and deep thinker apparent in every line and
move lie walked to the window of his Ii
brary where we were and looked across the
athletic field of the university to the Hall Of
Fame, whore his opinions as to the merits
Of celebrities have helped 20 fill many of the
inches. His finely drawn features bore
marked resemblance to the paintings OF
some of the Venetian doges, even the silk
skull cap lending additional dignity to his
appearance.
"Dr Eliot says that to stop the war before
the forces that started it are overwhelm-
ingy defeated would be to leave humanity
exposed to its certain recurrence. l abso-
lutey disagree with him.
There is no guaranty because a war has
been long or severe tina. longer time will
elapse before another war is started How
can we be sure OF such thing? We are
sure when a war is stopped that 1t is
stopped II it be stopped quickly know
for a certainty that we have halted calam-
ity. Not to stop bloodShed now because
blood may be shed again some time in the
future is to countenance the continuance OF
any evil on the theory that evil will come
to life again no matter how often stranRed.
Il say let there be a truce declared at
once so that a decisive triumph cannot be
claimed by either of he CONTESTANTS. Let
there he no award Of spells to any one Of
the five great nations that went to war
because of contracts with one another
belgium alore who had no part or plan in
this war. should he cared for in a class by
ITSELF
81 cannot viUr any comfort contemplate
the continuance of this awful slaughter. It
IS .u n.y r.cd NIGHT and 7nS fhA woLnding
and hunn.; Of these hurGrrd OF thousands
Of men tn, horrible .n'ur'n ma -, awful
blood .c.t pg-- / en- nnot shv, odl OF my
uuHgrrs
DR. Eliot would seem to tHinli that we are
houal To ne a world of Kilkenny cats
bound 20 fight now or in the future and
that the more Kilkennyike we are now the
ASAA so We shall have to be in the future.
cannot agree with his apprehcnsions for
the future. And were they true they should
no. authorize or justify bloodshed now. stop
o., 40, nu~ AMI ~rh sea about stopping
the future war that Or. Eliot fears when it
comes.