New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-14

particularly, but all the Allies in meas
ure. announced that they purposed to
abolish German militarism, TO overthrow
tho domination of Prussia within Ger
many and destroy the Hohenzollern throne.
Setting out with a clear and utterly just
determination to defend Serbia and res
cue Belgium. the Allies at the same hour
undertook a crusade against the German
system Of national existence which can be
compared only to the crusade of Monarch
ical Europe against the French Republic
of 1892.
We must recall that this French Re
public had been guilty Of atrocities which
seemed as terrible to the Europe Of that
time as the Belgian crimes Of Germany
seem to-day. We must remember that the
republican ideas Of the France Of the Rev
olution seemed as subversive Of human
rights and of civilization as the German
system seems to-day. But as long as the
battle was between the French people and
Europe France not merely defended her
self. but carried the war into hostile ter
ritory. And although, after twenty-five
years of struggle, Europe was able TO
place a Bourbon on the throne, the re
stored dynasty lasted but fifteen years and
France, having first elected Bonaparte
Emperor, returned to the republican form
Of government, which has subsisted to the
present hour without in any sense imper-
Hing the freedom Of Europe or the foun-
dations of civilization.
No newspaper in America has more
severely criticised the German method and
the German purpose than The Tribune.
It seems TO The Tribune that if Germany
were able to impose her will upon Europe
then there would be either a new series OF
wars or else a distinct decline in the stand
ards Of human life and breach in the
rampant of human liberty. But granted
all this, is it essential that Germany
should be made over by her foes and that
the institutions which she has chosen and
supports should be replaced by those
which are not her own and do not express
the genius Of her race?
In the mere matter of militarism it is
well to recall that in 1906, after he had
conquered all the Prussian armies at Jena
and Auerstadt, Napoleon set out to limit
he Prussian military system; but he
failed, although he had complete control
over Germany, and he failed at a time
when the population of Prussia was but
100000 as contrasted with over 100000
900 to-day. Not only did he fail, but
Prussia became one of the most potent
forces in the liberation of Germany and
a Prussian army insured his ruin at
Waterloo.
The Tribune does not believe that Eu
rope can reorganize Germany, exile the
German Emperor or destroy German mill
tarism by reducing the influence of Prus-
sia in Germany. 1t believes that the ulti-
mate extinction Of German militarism will
only come when the German people have
recognized that this militarism does not
win them the domination of the world and
does bring them suferings comparable to
those Napoleon and Louis inflicted upon
France. But even then it does not be-
ieve the German people will destroy their
military system until they are satisfied
that the integrity and independence of
Germany are not in danger.
Germany's present proposals Of peace
are totally inadmissible if they do not
amount to a frank and complete recogni-
ton that the independence of Europe, the
permanence of the balance of power and
The right Of small nations to exist cannot
be questioned. They should be rejected,
and they viii be rejected, if they claim for
Germany a foot of territory or one slight
est bit of expansion Of power in the coun-
ellis Of other nations, born of Germany's
in the present struggle. But not
less patent, it seems to The Tribune, is
the necessity for the foes Of Germany to
what was just among the things
that they went to war TO accomplish and
not seek to use Germany's unmistakable
crimes and offendings as basis for i'm
posing upon Germany their own system Of
government or their own ideas Of national
No matter what happens, there will be
more than 65,00O.0OO Germans in Europe
after the war. They will not be weak
Dr. their nation long impOtent, even if they
should be totally crushed now, which
seenrs absurd TO think of. These millions
mean to be German, as the French of the
Revolution were determined to be French,
and they are equally determined to main
tain their institutions. Europe never sue
-eeded in remaking French institutions
but the French people and
French statesmen in due course of time
that France could not for any
long time dominate Europe and that the
costs of brief supremacy were beyond all
The rewards.
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