New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-25
America and Europe.


terially contribute 20 the weakening OF
the very wide and sincere sympathy felt
in this country for the Allies and for the
cause which they represent. This Is the
growing feeling Of contempt and bitter
ness for the United states which Is only
partially suppressed 10y the censorship and
finds too ready expression IN the comment
Of those who return from Europe stirred
ty what they have seen and felt IN the
fighting nations.
1t is easy to understand that war breeds
n wholly irrational state Of mind in the
people who are fighting. There Is natu-
rally small comprehension and less justice
done TO a neutral state by those who feel
that they are fighting the battle Of civil
ration and regard a. recreant those na-
tions which. processing the same faith
decline 70 hazard all in defence OF that
faith.
Now. thousands Of Americans sympa-
thize with the spirit and purpose Of the
British: even greater are the sympathy
and appreciation felt in this country for
France. Not a few Americans have en-
listed in French and British regiments;
many American men and women have gone
10 the front or TO the hospitals. Belgium
has become almost an American charge.
Looking backward to the time of our
own great struggle-to the Civil War-ls
Il possible to find in history any parallel
service rendered by the British or French
nations N America? We in the North
conceived that we were fighting for civil
yation-for the abolition Of human slav-
cry. for the preservation Of the great
democratic experiment which is the United
States. And what were France and Great
Britain doing?
The French Government, Louis Napo-
leon. was eagerly cndeavoring to persuade
the British Government to join him in
aiding the South openly and officially. In
addition there was beginning the effort to
establish in the Mexican Republic Haps-
burg sovereign and a monarchical state
backed by French bayonets and in defiance
of all American policy and principle. And
what was the British Government doing?
There is the Alabama case, there is the
\ spoken word Of Gladstone championing
u the South. there IS the official record Of
Y the long struggle Of Adams In London
which lasted until Gettysburg and Nicks-
burg at last made clear what was TO be
the outcome Of the war
Englishmen now are accustomed TO con
trast the present Chief Executive Of this
nation with Abraham Lincoln. But this is
hardly happy reference. Let them lool,
back through the files Of their own news
papers and see what they said Of Abra-
ham Lincoln in the days Of his great trial
let them compare this with what American
newspapers are saying now Of Britain
let them compare official London in 1861
'65 with official Washington In 1914-'l6.
II is time, and it is full time that both
in England and France there should be an
understanding of the American situation
rot in terms of the present European
situation, but I'm terms Of the attitude OF
\ Europe. of official Great Britain and
France. at the hour when VIC Americans
\were giving life and moro than life quite
ts freely as either Frenchmcn or Britons
ere now.
II IL an idle and a foolish thing to be
leve that a nation which fought through
cur four years Of Civil War fought on It's
own territory and endured the destruction
az life and property ON its own soil, is
"too proud to fight It is a vicious error
TO saddle nation which still preserves
the memory Of its sacrifices of fifty years
ago with the words Of a present official.
Shall we judge the French democracy
by the words and deeds of Louis Napo-
leon in 1876? Shall we Judge the real
British sympathy with America-and 1t ex-
Isted-by the official attitude and action?
Or by the fashion in which British mer-
chants traded in our own agony and mis-
fortune?
We have not done this. We have for
gotten all that unhappy time. We have
recognized that the blunders or worse of
the governments did not represent the
Gold sentiment of two nations. We have
given TO France and 10 Great Britain out
Of all proportion 10 what they gave to us.
We all who sympathize with the Allied
cause feel .hat what has been given Is far
TOO little; we all wish that America would
do more.
But the French and the British, and not
n few Americans who have witnessed the
war from behind the battle lines in the
belligerent nations, are becoming far too
intolerant Of the American attitude and
of American sentiment. II IS time that
all these turned TO the history Of the Civil
War and refreshed their memories.
On the last day Of July, 1914, Great
Britain, with her existence at stake, with
her French ally in deadly peril, hesitated.
Such naners H. "The Manchester Guar