New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-14

Taft. as president of the league, is
meeting with favorable comment
among European scholars. Utterances
in the public press by Premier AS
quith, Lord Grey and the beloved Wis.,
count Bryce, former Ambassador to
this country, have caused a general
discussion of the idea.
Gilbert Murray, Regius Professor Of
Greek at Oxford University, recently
wrote an article entitled The United
States and the War in which he
analized for the benefit of his coun-
trymen the reasons why America has
not entered, and will not enter, the
war and then goes on to say among
other things:-"If America can help
it colossal iniquity like the present
war will not be allowed to occur again.
The feeling needs no explanation.
William Howard Taft's series of arbi-
tration treaties, following on those
initiated by John Hay, made him the
natural champion of this further eff
fort to organize the prevention of
future wars. The general idea is quite
simple and we'll known: League of
Powers bound to settle their differ
ences by conferences or arbitration,
and equally bound to make joint war
on any Power which, in a dispute with
one of them, refuses arbitration and
insists on war This is obviously no
fantastic scheme. 1t is accepted by
the leaders of both parties and by
the enormous preponderance of Amer
conservative, both educated and I'M
educated. Almost all opinion in Eng
land agrees; so, as far as my Informal
ton goes, does opinion in France. But
brought the movement more sharply
to the front and faced it with a far
more emphatic alternative. If we and
our allies respond to this movement
If we reject it there is before us not
merely the possibility of some un-
known future war, such as there was
before the present shaping of the ma
lions; there is peril clearer and more
precise. There are definite seeds of
international rivalry already sown and
growing; there are on both sides Of
the Atlantic the deliberate beginnings
of movement which, however justi-
fable at present, needs but a little |
development to become dangerous;
there is the certain prospect of those |
thousand disputes which are bound I
to arise between two grand CONNER !
cial nations competing hard for the |
same markets."
Racial antipathies> are not the only |
causes that lead nations to war. The |
struggle for commercial supremacy
had as much to do with the present
war as anything else. Europe, in a
seeming deadlock, realizes that. The
nations at war know that while they
are fighting to the death America at
peace with the world is gradually
gaining new markets. AS the COM
merce of Europe diminishes the COM
merce Of America expands. And, as
America has grown greater CONNER
cially, she has also grown bigger and
stronger as a military power. The
preparedness movement which was a
by-product of the European war has
resulted in a shaking up of Ameri-
can naval and army activities These
are the things Europe fears. The
in Europe, because by it's very first
principles it would prevent the arms
of America from being thrown into
a war with any nation without arbi-F
tration. Europe that knows what
war means does not want to see Amer
lea in future war, deep as Europe
may resent our having kept out of
this one War viewed as a colossal
Europe, has no charms for America.
All this talk about America being
too proud to fight ETC., and because
of that there is disrespect for the
American flag is mere rant. The
truth is, any nation in Europe would
willingly change places with Ameri-
ca, and then take steps to prevent