New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-08

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
! Sir: 1t is a common occurrence in the Far
West for 2 lone highwayman with brace cf
revolvers and sawed-of shotgun TO hold up
and rob an entire trainload of passengers.
Recently in the National Park one highway
man held up and robbed seven stages in sue
cession. The passengers were unarmed.
When a robber holds Up an unarmed person
valor is generally subordinated to discretion
The same law and policy that govern the
hold-up game in a small way govern it in a
large way. They apply alike to any number
Of individuals, as to small group Of inGi
viduals or to a pair of individuals. When
the hodee finds himself suddenly looking into
the muzze of gun the hold-up means that
he must give up all that is in his clothes.
! When the present war is over Uncle Sam
/ is going to find himself the holdec in an III
ternatonal hod-up game lie is going to
/ find himself suddenly looking into the muz-
zles Of a few hundred 42-centimetre guns.
/ into the muzzles of several thousand long
range field guns, into the muzzles of many
/ thousand automatic machine guns and int
| the muzzes OF several hundred thousand
/ shoulder rifles; and it will be the better par;
of valor for Uncle Sam to put his hands
right up into the air like little man and
let the enemies who hold the guns go through
his pockets and help themselves.
There is much talk about defending our
national honor and getting satisfaction for
| the loss Of American citizens and for insults
to our flag. 1t does not seem to occur to
I = 4La. 10, - d,
with Germany we should have no opportunity
Of mending the break or of satisfying ouG
honor during the present war, and that if
Germany should happen 10 win in the present
war or come out Of the struggle in condi-
tion possessing anything like her present
strength we should have to fight Germany
after this war is over-a task for which we
are absolutely unprepared.
/ As a matter of fact, as compared with Ger
many We are utterly helpless and if we break
with Germany now we shall have to pa;
Germany's war debt in full and with interest
During the last quarter of a century this
country has been dominated by pacfsm. We
have been preparing ourselves not 10 defend
ourselves with arms, but with moral persua-
sion and with the aptitude and excellence %
our diplomatic language; in short, with ex-
actly what is now failing
Recently we have exhausted the pacifyin
possibilities Of the most masterful use Of the
English language and stumped the dictionar
in our Technology to avoid break with
Germany, and at this writing it looks as
though all our fluent diplomatic eloquencc
has failed, notwithstanding it has been so
transcendently expressive that he who runs
might read, and also that the spaces between
the lines might be read and made pregnant
Of almost any meaning, according 20 the
taste and inclination of the reader.
We have been prepared by pacitism not TO
oppose force with equal or superior force
but. on the contrary, pacihsm has imposed
on us the obligation that. when smitten upon
one cheek. we must turn the other cheek also
Therefore, let us, for heavens sake, nov
apply this only means of defence with which
we are prepared, and not jeopardize the
property and lives of our people in an at
tempt to defend ourselves with means which
we have not We could not now, By any pos
sibilty, stand against Germany with force.
This is an excellent opportunity 10 give
pacifism a fair trial. I am unalterably op-
posed to pacihst preparedness, but il is all
we have | am unalterably Of the opin. ION
that armed preparation is the only practical
safeguard against war; but without adequa. .
armed preparation. and with only pacihst
preparation, our best course is not to commit
national suicide by trying to defend our
selves without even a fororn hope of success
and with only oEe possible result-that of
disaster
The only sane thing for us to DO now is 20
use the truly paclnst means OF national de
fence with which we have prepared our