New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-22

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In considering peace terms we should
ask how a repetition Of 1914 may be pre-
vented in the light of a fundamental differ
ence of aim between autocracy and democ-
racy. To understand this difference we
should recognize that, however altruistic our
own determination not 20 annex Cuoa OF
Mexico may be, IL represents also our reIusai
70 complicate further our hard task OF gov
eminent BY grating into our body an alien
race. not only with alien traditions ana
noints of view. but unassimilable. because 1t
cannot be mixed intimately with our own
neople and so peptonized. We consented,
however reluctantly TO hold the Philippines
because they are unciyilzed, and hence not
to be so grated upon US. Our determination
10 set them free as soon as they are clvlllzeu'
however much of altruism 1t may nave rep
resents this same unwillingness to. graft an
alien mass into our body This
lie because our people have 10 do our govern
ING and because if we annexed civilized
neonle we could not exclude them from shar-
ing the government with us, and so lncreas-
ing intolersbly our already distraeting gov
ernmental problems. 1t is not because we
are Americans but because We are an ad-
vanced democracy. AS democracy develops IN
other countries, it disinclines them more and
more TO annex other civilized people. The
;rredentism OF Italy, France and Denmark,
tho wish TO re-include their own people sew
cred forcibly from them, does not cohn'ct
with this law. nor does the predatoriness OF
the first French Republic, for it had not
crashed the conditions of enduring democ-
racy. nor get does the wish to COLOMBO ana
thereby to civilize uncivilzed lands.
II is because autocracy is autocracy, be-
cause it does not truly share the government
with any people. not even with its own, that II
seeks 10 annex other civilized states, and to
that end wages wars of annexation, as Prus-
STA has for centuries 1t is because frus-
sianized Germany is determined to annex
other European states while the European
democracies are determined that neither she
nor any other state shall, that this war is
death grapple. Here, indeed, lies the great
promise of to-day, that the German autocracy
NAV be changed to a democracy at least IN
mart. so that German mechanical and organz-
making to a peace-seeking agency.
However impossible it may be to democra-
tie her from without, it may be very possible
TO cause her to democratize herself. For
even before the war, when Hohenzollernism
offered every proof Of material fitness, hav-
ing enriched and strengthened the people,
frightened poverty. and comforted age, it was
opposed by very formidable minority, the
Social Democrats, and was regarded by an
other very large group, the bourgeoisie, only
as the less of two evils. Its political op.
ponents are silent now. so that they may
survive and attack it after the war. After
they have then shown by evidence which We
know to be irresistible that the Hohenzollern
government deliberately brought on the war,
and tina. il was both able and base enough TO
deceive its own people completely on this
point, they will plead cogently that the war
itself. and the loss not only of the country's
best blood, wealth. colonies, and trade, and,