Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-11-16
9lns Berlin uirO gcmcIOet, Ooil i'd
BETHNIANN-HOLLWsG KEPT US
OUT OF THE WAR.

OUT or THE WAR.
In his book Tomorrow" Professor
I Muensterberg of Harvard gives the
German Imperial Chancellor Beth
mann-Hollweg credit averting war
between Germany and the United
States; he says:
II know not few in Germany be-
lieyed that the American Govern
ment was playing game of bluff
when IT. threatened Germany with
war. 1t was the good luck OF the
German nation that its responsible
leaders.madc moderation triumphant.
Not Lansing but Bethmann-Hollweg
secured the peace between Germany
and America. And do not forget
that America would have gone into
this war with perfect knowledge that
no German had the slightest feeling
of hostility against America and that
everyone Of those belligerent German
acts about which America had reason
to complain were regretted by the
Germans too, as far as the harm to
on-belligerents was concerned.
Moreover, 1t was an hour at which
the first indignation had long since
died out and the issues had become
abstract and technical onesH the
Americans insisting that the sub
marines must behave in accordance
with international prescriptions
agreed upon long before submarines
existed. and the Germans claiming
that here, as in every field, the new
technique must lead in new inter
national rules. You remember that
at one stage Of the great contest
compromise seemed almost reached
lit was when Lansing proposed that
the submarines might treat the
armed merchant ships as warships.
The psychological issue must indeed
not be confused by bringing in tho
American regret over the lost lives.
A few months after the Lusitania the
Eastland sank in the harbor of Chi
cago. II was torpedoed by careless
ness and negligence. Ten tunes more
Americans lost their lives there, and
yet within a short time the Elstland
and the drowned victims were for
gotten. Recently the railways posted
a placard saying that in the forego-
ing year five thousand two hundred
and forty-seyen Americans lost their
lives trespassing on railroad proper
ty. This could be easily avoided
but who cares? Ten times moro die
from the neglect Of the simplest
hygieaic measures in factories and
mines. No; it was not the question
of the lost lives; IL was strictly
question Of the abstract principle OF
right. But Germany. TOO, certainly
believed itself in the right 1t took
the stand that when millions fight
against millions and o country like
Germany has to defend itself against
q iyefold superiority it has no moral
right to surrender its strongest
weapon because some unintented
harm, in spite OF the best will, may
befall q neutral. That standpoint
may be wrong. 1t is again an abb
stract legal question If two great
nations differ with regard to rights,
il is exactly the condition under
which arbitration would have ap-
peared the only justified solution to
the Americans of q few years ago.
But the newspapers stood behind the
President when he insisted on using
force instead OF peaceful means. For
IL Is force wnen war is threatened
against a people whom its enemies
are trying to starve by a blockade
ana TO crush by the armies OF nine
nations. Yet the President could not
think otherwise and the papers could
rot tako another stand, because the
wave OF nationalism had swept away
tho 'old-fashioned' ideas"
In another chapter of the same
boob the author attributes feeling
against German Americans TO Brit
ish politics; on this subject Professor
Muensterberg says:
"The millions of German-Amcr-
icans who form the membership OF
the German societies all over the
country have at no moment stopped
being faithful American citizens But
they were unanimous in one demand
of their heart: America must remain
neutral in the European war, and
must not support the English side
against the Germans. Such national
| impartiality was thinkable. II would
not have excluded personal sympa
thies for the one or the other side;
but public opinion would have
watched the terrific fight with sincere
respect for both groups OF nations,
! both Of which sacrifice their life