TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1916-12-16
Mediation Is Not Alone Our Duty
to Humanity, But Also a Measure
Of Future Safety For America !!
Chicago Examiner, Thursday, December IA, 1850

Of the allies.
The peoples Of England, France and Russia, like the people of America
have been deliberately deceived into the belief that the central empires
we're being defeated and disheartened. Now that the truth is becoming
known to them and they begin to realize that the wear is closing with th
Teutonic armies mistaken in the West and everywhere VIGOROUSLY crushing
their advewanes in the East, the anger and disappointment Of the people
is finding vent in overthrowing the rulers who have failed them and wh
have covered up their failures with receptions.
In England, the government has been turned out in a fiat of popular
rage, and Lloyd George has been given practically the power of a dictator
In France, the Radicals and Socialists have secured control Of thu
Chamber Of Deputies, have decreed that there shall be no more secret
discussions, have resolved to GUST the ministry, to change the form o
Safety, and to depose Jofre from command Of the armies. These are
precisely the steps which preceded the French Revolution, and are, them
selves in the nature Of a revolution.
In Russia, the Duma is in control Of the government, which means
that it has behind it the military and naval forces in the region of PeuO
grad, and the Car is to all intents and purposes a fugitive somewhere
among the troops in Southeastern Russia.
In Greece, the King and army have at last turned on their invaders
and oppressor, have chased them out Of Athens, have resumed control OF
lines Of communication, mails, telegraphs and cables, have occupied strong
natural defensive and offensive positions on Sarraips flank and are deter
mined to fight rather than to yield to further humiliation, insolence and
theft Of Greeees ships, artillery, arms, ammunition and Notifications.
It is plain that the people Of the allied nations have at last come to
were elatlng them with news OF victories and promises OF triumph, they
were really losing the war through ssupendous plumbers Of the ministries
and hopeless lack of coordination between the military stats.
And that is the reason, the the only reason, that they ire expeling
their rulers and generals from power
Rulers and generals who are really winning victories and conducting
successful war ar not dismissed by any people.
The truth, which a small minority Of discerning men have seen clearly
all the time, and which the Examiner has constantly repeated to you, is
that the Teutonic Empires have at no time been anywhere near defeat
and that, at the very time when the British newspapers were filling
English and American newspapers with columns and pages Of exultant
stories of British victories and crushing German defeats this Summer, the
real truth was that the German armies were everywhere stopping the
offensive on the Somme dead in its tracks, checking it to death in its own
blood, with awful losses to the assalants, and at the same time preparing
on the distant eastern front the tremendous armies which have lust
obliterated Roumama and which you will soon see launching another and
far mightier forward advance upon Russia and upon the penlously situated
allied forces which are in Greece.
Weeks and weeks ago we told you, in exact detail, what was really
occurring in France, in Greece and in Roumania, and assured you that you
would sooner II later discover that we were telling you the absolute truth.
Now, we say to you that the allies are being more and more dis
astrously defeated every day, and that out, of the wreck Of Europe there
is likely eventually to arise a gigantic Gemanic empire 50 overwhelmingly
powerful that the balance Of power in Europe will be completely destroyed
EvnFy consideration r. e0up poipy and r. or ou cIfSpfaroc fbnra
fore dictates that we should powerfully move to bring about peace, while
there is hope Of preserving the reasonable balance of power in Europe, and
not wait until peace is enforced by the cOnquerng German sword
1t is the talk of fools that mediation now is the interest Of Germany,
that it is to save Germany from defeat.
We should mediate, not to save Germany from defeat, but to foreaa1
Germany from Selling the undisputed hegemony of beaten Europe.
Common sense should tell US that the longer the war and the more
decisive her victory, the greater will be the demands of Germany.
The appetite for spons grows with feeding.
Now, Germany is disposed to be reasonable. But if the war goes on
with ever increasing German successes, what bounds can even the authority
of the Kaiser and the influence of Gernanys moderate statesmen set to
the popular clamor for recompense for the sacrifices and the victories of
their amazing armies?
Citizens it is high time that we put aside the petty, childish, ridiculous
discussions and recnminations which have ha-marked our national con
cepton Of this war and our attitude toward this war, and think and talk
and act like men of information, foresight and good sense.
Instead of worrying about brutal incidents, which are daplorable, to
be sure, but which always occur in war, let US recognize that this gigantic
struggle affects our destiny for years. perhaps for centuries, and that our
first duty is not to war victims in Belgium, in Greece, in POLAND, o any
where else, but to the destnhs of mankind, the fate Of generations to
come and above all to the fate and the destnies Of our own dear country
and our children's children who will people it IN years to come.
The apparent inability of most Of our public mn and most of our
press to comprehend even family the present military and political con-
dfdons of Europe and the petty animostes and prejudices, IS well as the
amazing Ignorance Of the underlying racial and national causes Of this
world conflict, have made us painfully ridiculous in European eyes. We
are the laughing stock Of welinformed circles in every capital in Europe.
Now, we have nc right to be Europes jest, for we are al intelligent
people, when we see fit to use NJ native common sense and to inform
ourselves And that is what We should dc.
1t does seem at times a hopeless task, when We see and hear college
faculties. in huental journals, eminent judges and members Of the Cabinet.
the Senate and the House splitting the vault Of heaven with shrieks and
eamor over stories of Teutonic barbarty, concoced by London press
agencies and bearing every earmark Of fiction or Of gross exaggeraton;
when We hear the same sort of men solemly affirming that this war
originated in and is being waged to protect the sancdy Of treaties and the
rights Of little nations, with no idea that they are ridiculous; when we
hear he same sort If men nroIaiFinU 4bf Euronn op pavor he cote
and free until German midtarsm is destroyed, apparently unconscious that
the most dangerous and despotc miitansm in Europe has been for years
the mihtansm of Russia; and when we perceive in the press, in the
magazines, in the colleges, and in political circles an ignorance Of world
history, of world relations, Of world politics and Of world movements that is
a dIsGredit to any thoughtful and weIinformed man.
But the task Of obtaining a true conception Of Europes conditions and
of the world problems hanging upon the decision for peace or for pro-
longed war is not beyond our people, for all the painful and childish non
comprehension evident in high places
In fact, our editorial contempt for the average intellect in high places
is frequently Teat-f we do always strive politely to conceal it. But
our confidence in the ultimate good sense, recttude and intelligent COM
prehendon and action Of the COMMON PEOPLE Of the United States