New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-02

lcssly ard accepted without limitation. AS
matter OF fact they are, in way, figures OF
speech in that they are purely relative and
must be so considered Were this not so,
when the war is over Germany, in case OF
defeat, will have ceased to exist There will
not be man in the empire 10 turn lathe or
guide plough This suppositlon is, OF course,
absurd Long before total exhaustion comes
the Germans will see themselves approaching
the end OF their resources. When they do
they will nrst begin 10 give ground and then
to dicker for peace There will still be enough
left both OF men and money TO begin prepara-
tons 70 force our hand
How soon after the war do you think this
will happen''
II. IS difficult TO tell. Only one thing is
certain. # Germany intends to come over
here at all size is not going TO wait until we
are ready She Will strike when She IS ready
and We are not, Just as she did in Europe in
1914"
Then you would regard defensive ALI
ance with England as the major part OF our
national defence|
Essentially so. In the first place, such
treaty would presuppose the recognition by
England and possibly by her allies, OF the
Monroe Doctrine as international law. The
Monroe Doctrine is az once our greatest pro-
lection and our greatest source OF danger,
through the necessity OF enforcing IT. II
England were to loin With US for its defence
no nation in the world would dream OF dis
putting it, II would mean national suicide.
AS I SAID before modern war has been
proved TO be q war not OF men, but OF money
and the machine and the lathe. II the re-
sources OF England and America were banded
together for common beforehand these re-
sources constitute the greater part OF the
wealth OF the civilized world do not think
there is any group OF nations that would dare
TO make offensive war against them. Sueh
an alliance would DO more TO bring forward
perpetual international peace than all the peace
societies thst have ever been formed.
But this treaty would have to be mads
now or not az ALL The only thing that could
induce England 70 make such treaty with
us would be her present emergency IL Is
probable that this would De a SUFFICIENT motive
a. this time Later. when the war IS over
there would be nothing TO offer her as an IN
duccrent. There IS, OF course, TO be consid-
cred tic question OF the Germsn-American
population in this country. DO you think that
in the event OF our declaring war on Germany
we could count on their loyalty|
y believe the majority OF them would be
loyal" replied Dean Johnson, although un-
doubtedly there would be some who would be
against US.
That is another point that ! have always
had in mind. Even though such move on
our part would infame certain Germans IN
this country TO rise against US, / still think
all the advantage would be on our side IN this
respect. For in any scheme for our naoon.'
defence il would be worth good deal 70 tn''
country TO know just where the foreie" oo
population will stand. There is TO me inc,
advantage to US and to the world 20 '1'" 80
such an alliance as we have diseus'so' ill
hope that before the war Is .,.;or take
either voluntarily or through fonnpui' .Sa .,,s.
N. step and save this country ''0" wv
e,v.r tia, is now rending Europe