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

Britain had no duty in the premises, ard
British public men held to this view even
after Belgium had been invaded. Yet de-
spite the 5000 miles that separate the
Atlantic soaboard from Europc-thc 5000
miles between London and San Francisco
British and French commentators now
grow impatient and censorious OF Amerl-
can failure to understand the issues OF a
war that surprised the mass of English
men. under whose eyes the storm had been
gathering for more than decade un-
needed and unapprcciated.
Nations not at war never understand
the issues rs belligercnts see them. Most
Of Great Britain. most of France, totally
sniled to see in our Civil War the battle for
human liberty and national unity which
for all Of us Americans of the North was
unmistakahle. We dared. suffered, sacri-
feed; we fought our fight to the end-but
of -oficially-we had from France
the invasion Of Mexico and from Great
Britain the Alabama.
Americans who return from France
in her heroic and noble temper. from
Great Britain at last reused to the true
British spirit and already paying the
price in noble dead are naturally mpa-
tent contemptuous, bitter in the presence
of their own nations ignorance, indiifer-
enco selfshness. They despair of the
Republic. and they lament the decay Of
old Americanism. Then they give CON
firmation to the suspicious Of Europe, they
.iniurc their own country abroad and they
make more difficult the task Of presenting
the situation as it exists in Europe to-day.
More and more every day Americans are
awaking to the meaning TO them OF the
Great War. More and more rs the under
standing spreads there is appearing the
cd spirit. the old democracy, the old
Americanism. If we have slept, did not
France sleep between 1895 and 1905 with
on omen frontier? Did not Britain sleep
from 1905 10 1914 and awake reluctantly
at the last?
They do Americans an injustice who
believe that we are at once aware of what
has happened and are turning our backs 20
duty and TO honor. 1t was only ON the
crave of Lincoln that England laid the
tribute which was a confession and an
apology of previous insult and injury. il
we have been blind that blindness Is COM
mon to all nations. and if we have been
selfish. the very nature Of democratic gov
eminent breeds selfshness in all but mo-
'ments Of national peril.
II is time to talk Americanism abroad
quite as much as TO talk Of Allied action
al home. We shall make a grave mistake
if in idolizing France we forget that
France was silent and the French Govern
ment hostile when our own great struggle
was going forward.
Such failure as there has been in off,
cial America can safely be left to Ameri-
cans to deal with. Those who believe
nation too proud TO fight" because Pres
ident said it was will do well TO inquire
into our history. Many Of us wish that more
Americans understood the issues or the
war az some Of US see them. Many Of us
wish that it were possible 70 do in a mo
ment in America what it took years to do
in Europe in the last century. in so far as
/ il is possible this is what many Americans
are trying to do.
But it does not help to find some Amori-
cans, in Europe or at home, comparing the
America Of the moment with the France
or Britain Of to-day. As well compare the
France or the England of 1861 with the
United States, North and South, in the
same hour.
A great deal of effort has been expended.
some judiciously, some unwisely in en-
deavoring to explain France and Great
Britain to Americans. It is time for
patriotic Americans TO explain their own
country to Europe in terms Of European
attitude in the past. Our democracy can
only learn, as have the European democ-
racies. and we are learning quite as fast
and quite as completely as did France and
Great Britain In our case. To expect more
of us is unjust and TO misunderstood IS
mischievous.
Dill E-oto-l