New-York tribune., 1916-06-23
EVEN If GERMANY LOSES
The Security Of Our Position as Nation
Will Be Greatly Impaired.
To thu Editor of Tho Tribune.

To tho Editor oil mo IrlDune.
sir: Short sighted Americans may perhaps
think OF German victory without Alarm
on tho theory that the fruits OF that victory
tho retention Of Belgium, Eastern France,
Russian Poland and Serbia, the suzerainty OF
the Balkans, OF European and Asiatic Turkey
and Of Persia, the absorption OF the cream
OF her enemies colonies, the recovery OF all
her own and the mastery Of the sea, Will
occupy her so fully and will substitute such
land plethora for her past land poverty that
she will probably leave the Western Hcmi-
sphere alone for n generation or more, when
is as far a, the myopic care to look before
settling down to develop these conquests she
would, Of course. extort some billions from
U. BY menscing New York and San Francisco
for the whole collectible wealth OF the Allies
will not, In her opinion, pay for her damage
from the war That extortion we can face
calmly. What we really dread is an efface-
ment Of our institutions themselves, like that
Of the Christianity Of North Africa by the
Moslems
Can we hope for such an escape II she is
defeated. while retaining the Hohenzollern
autocracy? The Monroe Doctrine, which
Germany thinks an impertinence, has been
tenabe hitherto only because she has known
that the British feet would cooperate with
ours TO uphold t. Will that cooperation
again threaten her? There two reasons
why it should not. First, the Allies now see
that the present explosion results IN part
from their locking the safety valve in pre-
venting Germany from getting colonies
which would let her expand as easily and
freely as they have. That Germanys land
poverty results from Bsmarck's plan OF let
ting her neghbors weaken themselves in pre-
pairing colonies for her to seize as soon as
she should become strong enough is unim-
portant here What is important Is the
Allies consciousness that they owe the war
il part TO their holding Germany in land
poverty when she sought part Of their land
plethora. and that they can lessen the danger
of her exploding again by letting her relieve
pressure by going into South America.
Second, the international team work with
US which brought Britain to our aid when
Germany threatened Venezuela and the
Philippine. has lost its attraction by our
unwillingness to act when our turn came.
German victory over the present great coall-
ton OF democracies with Russia would imply
that the Hohenzollern form Of government
exces democracy so greatly in military eff
cheney that in time it will displace IL forclbly
everywhere. We say III Germany wins our
turn will come next" But even those Of US
who recognize the community Of danger are
silent about the community OF duty ana OF
interest 20 smother that danger by cooperat-
ing now actively with the Allies.
We ignore our part Of the team work.
When Germany's threat was direct against
us and indirect against Great Britain we re-
joiced at British aid. To-day when that
threat is direct against Britain and indirect
against us we will not even talk about our
part We hide behind Washington's advice
against "entangling alliances" though the
geographical isolation which alone made that
advice wise has become Ineffective, and
though in place Of il we have only volun-
tary isolation which, however well it may
shut of aid hereafter. is only an invitation
to invasion, an isolation not from enemies,
but only from friends.
Strongly as We should work for an interna
tional league TO enforce peace, We should ask
frankly, first, whether our people can be
brought TO enter il. and, secondly. how erec
tive IL will be when we, who have refused 70
discuss our duty in past team work, are in
turn attacked. VIII not the excuses offered
then for not helping US be as valid our
present silence as to our present duty? These
question. We should study we'll.
HENRY " HOWE.
Bedford Hills, y. Y, June II, 1915.