New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-16

that their fellow countrymen might ulti-
mately learn the truth.
What is true to-day is that the lesson Is
learned. Millions of Englishmen who saw
little of the meaning of the strife two
wears ago see, believe, feel all now. From
one end of Britain to the other there is at
last clear recognition of the fact that
when the war has ended the fate OF the
British Empire as far as man can see into
the future will have been decided and the
future of the institutions and the ideals
which are the permanent meaning OF
Britain in the world will have been abol-
shed or preserved.
No man can put his finger on the
calendar and say that on this day the
change came. 1t did not come thus. Lit
tie by little more and more light was
brought to Britain by those who came
from the battlefelds of Flanders and OF
France. The German idea, the German
method and the German purpose were dis
closed. while ever in British ears there
sounded loudly and still more loudly the
chant of that Hymn of Hate which at
first had reused only wonder and amaze
ment. Waking from long sleep, the
Enclishman was confused by the noise that
he heard and the chaos about him. HIS
leaders. his statesmen, his prophets had
given him no warning; he had had no
authentic promise of the storm such as
had come to Slav or Latin.
But there was day when he under
stood. Perhaps the terrible agony OF YER
dun marks the turning point; perhaps the
change had already come and it was tins
glorious and ever memorable stand OF
France at bay which served to bring 70
his lips the words he had already framed
But it is clear that in the Verdun days
the voice of Britain began TO be heard at
home and abroad, a clear and calm voice
speaking the determination Of nation at
last conscious of its peril and awake 70
its duty.
We are accustomed to measure the prog
ress of the war by the oscillations OF battle
lines. But, after all, this is but Incidental
The defence of France at the Marine was
the expression of whole race, which stood
in its own mind and thought actually a.
the day of doom and knew that with defeat
there would be an end of all that France
had meant for two thousand years. Less
stirring, less moving in the nature OF
things, but not one whit less momentous
in its meaning for the present and for the
future. is the answer that is now coming
from Britain, the late but not too tardy
answer to that German challenge which on
the lips of German soldiers singing LIS
sauer's HYMN of Hate, on the wings OF the
night by Zeppelins, in the dark and fog OF
the sea bv submarines has been rolling IN
upon Britain for these two years.
For Britain the war is just beginning
but it is beginning in a spirit that no man
who knows British history, who knows the
English people, can mistake. There is 10
more of the spirit that amazed and shocked
world when the brave handful of reg
MARS went to Mons and to destruction and
Britain blazed with signs of Business as
Usual" and the mass of the British people
remained in the fog and dark as 10 the
meaning of the strife beyond the seas.
Not only is business not "as usual IN
Britain now, but there is no usual busl-
ness and there will be no usual business
until those who by the million have taken
arms return or complete their duty and
remain on foreign battlefelds.
Sadly. grimly, the British are going now
about their work. There is no hymn OF
hate in their resources, they have no Mar
seillaise": theirs will be a slow, silent, but
relentless action. Between Germans and
Britons little quarter will be exchanged
and there will be an ever-decreasing COM
nlaint because of German cruelty. What
YOU have to feel and see is millions Of men
who are at last awake to the fact that all
that life means to them nationally, NOR
allv. spiritually, has been threatened.
What Won did feel of pain and regret that
so many Englishmen failed to see this has
passed forever.
After the tradition of his race and the
fashion of his nation the Englishman, mill
ions of him. has now gone out to Kill and
be killed until the work that is to be done
is done. Once that spirit was clear in Eng
land. then those of us who believe that all
that America as well as all that democracy
held best in the world was at stake in this
war could afford to roll up the war maps
and put aside the battle reports. The IN
cidental changes would mean nothing and
they will mean nothing. "They come so
slowly" the Frenchman told you of his
allies six months ago, but in saying this he
added out of his race consciousness Of half
a thousand years of Anglo-French conflict,
''but when they do come they will never
stop"
"They" have come; this is fact at once