New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-21
10 he Editor o. Thc Tribune.

10 me fdltor o. nc rlDuh''
Sir: Mr.. Maurice Leon. "a VOL as other
contributors express disappointment at the
position which The Tribune has taken IN the
peace discussion. Mr.. Leon fears that msny
will believe the strain Of protracted neu-
trality has so demoralzed The Tribune con
ccption Of right and wrong as TO cause 1t "
wabblc sadly at this critical moment lie
may be quite right. but I venture to state
that eventually it will be found there are
very great many who do not share either ms
fear or his disappointment
The negotiations many no; produce peace,
but lot US hope they "ill so clarity the stun
/ tion a. 10 permit the laying Of a foundation
on which peace may eventually be built.
Emerging from the mists Of this gigantic
struggle we shall presently perceive the ulu-
mate object Of the Allies. A programme thst
demands "thp abolition OF German militar-
ism. the overthrow Of the domination OF
Prussia and the destruction of the Hohen-
1olcrn throne may appeal powerfully to our
Lopc. but it becomes ptiful sob when II
takes its case into the court Of our reason.
There arc three stumbling blocks in the
path Of this ambitious military and political
programme One is the German army; an
other is the German people, the third is the
German soul.
It is conceivable that the Allies may crush
the German army. However il this is writ
ten in the book OF fate it must be we'll on
toward the end Of the volume, and the Allies
are still busy with the first chapter.
As a little exercise in Imagination we can
conceive the military domination Of the Ger
man people. This would necessitate the
tramp Of the Allied armies through the
streets Of Berlin. as limited by our friend the
Gar at the beginning Of hostilities. l. my
self, am so heartily pro-Ally that | am per-
fectly willing that this shall be done.
! Up to this point our imagination need not
faltcr once. The German army has been
crushed and the victorious Allies are dictat-
ing terms from the imperial palace of tho
Wihelmstrasse We now come to the third
and final step in our programme the recon
struction Of the German soul. Or as sug-
gested By Mr. Henry Sedgwick in his letter
appearing in the issue of December is, the
casting out Of Gcrmany's evil spirit have
got 70 confess that ~ this point while my
enthusiasm and my hope are as virulent as
ever and both are running strong. my lmagI-
nation abruptly peters out. Josh Billings
saws that a mule never mas any disease that
can't be cured with a club. This may be true
OF the Germans also. believe some Of your
contributors think so.
/ have never been an exponent Of such
theory Many times when a boy my father
tried TO regenerate me with a trunk strap.
and any acquaintance OF mine will join me IN
stating that he was not successful In my
poor unassuming way | have always had an
idea that devils are never pulled out, but arc
invariably pushed out. Regeneration comes
from within. It is change OF heart, based
on a consciousness that previously you had
made a mess Of things spiritual. 1t IS
willingness TO say Father have snned
against Heaven and in thy sight and am no
more worthy to be called thy SON." For
such the fatted calf is killed. No matter
how this war ends it is my opinion that the
German people. as a nation, will not dine on
fatted calf
/ hone that as result Of this fearful war
The German people will be born again" But
such a rebirth will not be founded on a con-
seriousness that they have been wrong. but
that they have been foolish. They will see
quite clearly. as all the world now sees, tnat
regardless of the merits OF the case war as
method OF advancing national destiny Is
failure. Standing to-day in the solemn
shadow of million graves wherein lie their
bravest and best the German people. say:
come let US sit around a little round table
and see if there is some way by which we
can adjust our differences Next time the
demand for the little round table may come
first instead Of last. as 1t so easily could have
come in that fateful August OF 1914.
IVAN BECKETT.
New York, Dec IS, 1916.