The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-02-04

M xz!saE..3s:s
development. And Its cause will be a
noble cause, not selfish one.
The progress of the war makes less
probable the final triumph of the Ger
man ideal. l say less probable because
there IS always the possibility of the un-
expected happening. But every day of
delayed German victory makes its ulti-
mate defeat more probable and certain.
All its military leaders were agreed that
Iermany's hope of victory lay in striking
a sudden and crushing blow at France
pefore Its Allies could gather in force.
Ii Germany could have entered Paris in
August, the war would have ended in
victory for it. That was the sole reason
for the violation of Belgian neutrality.
Belgium afforded the easiest way of ap-
proach to the French capital. But the
German host did not enter Paris and the
allies forces have been gathering
strength with each passing day. Britain
IS another army of over a million men
to put in the field in the spring. The
Russian hosts, almost innumerabe, are
Just getting to the place where they are
to be feared. Germany is at her full
trained strength-the allies have not
even arrived at this point as yet, though
now In sufficient force to alarm the Kai-
ser and to be in greater force in the days
to come. Between the millstones on her
Eastern and Western frontiers Germany
with Its doctrine of might must be crush
ed. Every day that brings no word of
German victory is surely making the
cause or the allies stronger and their
nope OF success more promising. While
neither side has scored a decisive victory
the honorS thus far rest with the allies
for they have thwarted Germa ny s great
purpose and are just getting to the place
where they are assuming offensive oper-
ations.
AS the war has progressed, it has
had its inevitable effect upon the life
of the world. 1t has had profound eff
feet upon the economic forces of the
world, upon its moral forces, and upon
its spiritual forces. The first of these is
the most heard of for somehow or other
the money question has a way of thrust
ing itself into the foreground 1t is
nothing to the credit of our own Amerl-
can government that not until the war
began to affect our commercial relations
could 1t find voice of any kind for pro-
test. Germany may ride rough shod over
the Hague Convention, to which we are
party, and violate the neutrality of
Belgium. 1t may SOW the sea indiscrim-
inately with mines to the peril of de-
fenceless seafarers or drop deadly bombs
from the air upon the defenceless towns.
1t may raid unfortifed coast towns and
kill helpless women and children or raw
age starving country and then calmly
burden its people with enormous taxation
to carry on its aims in their country. 1t
may destroy valuable monuments of ar
chitecture that are the worlds heritage
from the past, and ruin valuable libra
rles with priceless treasures and for all
these crimes against humanity we have
no voice in America to raise in protest,
lest We violate our strict neutrality. But
when the issues of war strike at our
p-cketbooks we have an instant voice
for protest. Wrongs against humanity
are not of as much concern to US as
wrongs against our commerce. | am not
saying that the recent note to Bri ain
was not just. 1t was right. We do not
want our commerce unduly hindered or
hampered by any of the belligerents.
And Britaln's preliminary reply shows
that its government is as anxious to be
just to US as we are to have it. No one
doubts that this difficulty will be arrang
ed amicably with the British Foreign
Office But do want to emphasize the
fact that we have allowed commercial
interests to supercede our thought of
justice TO humanity. | have no doubt
that were we in Britain place we would
follow the same plans to prevent contra
band goods reaching the enemy. Britain
and France have too much at stake not
to take every precaution possible. And
if they are fighting the battle for democ-
racy, the cause of humanity the world
not to exert every legitimate means to
prevent supplies reaching Germany.
| will not take the time here 10 discuss
the Gripping of many industries all over
the world, but especially here in Ameri
the war, or the folly which all these
years has kept US from building up
merchant marine to take care of our own
commerce, or the opening of new fields for
the development of trade, especially in
South America, which have come as a
result of the war. Our people will not
be slow to take advantage of the oppor
tunities for commercial expansion as
they present themselves. And now that
the first shock of the war is over, COM
mercial interests will become more set
tied and business ought to become more
nearly normal.
1t would seem as if this great conflict
has made of more effect all the dreams
of universal peace which men have had.
1t was only natural that the neutral
countries of Europe should be stirred by
the war-that Switzerland should imme
diately mass it's armies Italy and Portu
gal and other nations should do the same.
1t has eve produced feeling of uncer-
tainty here in our own land and set on
foot the movement for large increase
in our army. But the old theory that
preparedness for war is a preventive
of war has been exploded by this conflict.
Germany was prepared in the extreme
so was France-but the war came. We
must not put our trust entirely in stand
ing armies but we must work harder to
bring nations into abiding peaceful re-
lations; not simply 'peace on paper,
which we have seen amounts to nothing,
but peace with penalty attached for
it's violation. the penalty to be eXacted