Washington Journal., 1916-08-11

are OF w kinds: the irresponsible acts OF soldiers addene by OppOAuUh
or yielding to brutal passions and the deliberate acts of commanders seeking
to terrhy a conquered people into submission AS to the first kind OF
atrocities" we have testimony that they have been committed by both SIDES
and with due allowance for prejudice, believe that both sides have teshhet
truly l feel sure, however, that less of the irresponsible butchermg and
less than by the French and British, simply because ! believe the Germans re-
on the whole, under strcer discipline and these wanton and useless acts OF
BsIaum fr raons :" edS m nsresSty Like the violation of Belgian
neutrality they car be justified only by the event If the Germans now retain
an iron hold O Belgium, without molesaion of any consequence iron TIT
to a policy of deliberate severity, including the execution of responsible persons
in towns where the troops were surrepuiousy attacked n even, IN some
cases. the destruction Of such towns by fire. Here, as elsewhere there is a
mass of conflicting testimony, but it seems likely to me- on general principles
that the situation is as I have suggested On German territory the French or
the British might have been forced to take like measures provided they had the
frmness o adopt them.
A word here as to the dGngs of the Russian army N East Prussia and in
Poland and GaGca We have heard enough of "pogroms' and Cossack bru-
taGtes in times of peace to understand the likelihood of worset things in times
of war But the wholesale and stupid burnings murders and outrages that
have marked the track of the Russians aye Tar exceeded anything which any
other European forces have been guilty Of 1t is not the least Of the counts
against England that she should rave been Wiling to throw IN lei lot with
semi-cvhzed, semi-orental Muscovy' with whom she has absolutely nothing
in omnon except the animus against Germany Fortunately the alliance is
doomed to crumbe the moment the war is over if indeed it can hold out that
long. The recent discovery OF British Journalists that Russia Sc long dis
trusted for its hostility and dsdaned for its barbarsm, has suddenly become
the home of all the virtues arouses my violent amusement when it does not
provoke my conemptuous disgust
Attacks by aircraft and waraips upon unforh6ed places are in part explain
able from the policy Of striking fear into the enemy by showing him he is not
secure een IN his most central locations. 20 the los part however Inc
injuries to noncombatants in such attacks at least from airsmps result from
the necessary inaccuracy of bomb dropping from great heights Public build
ings military stations and stores of munitions are the targets in all such leases
and, if any moral stigma attaches to a bad am it must be shared by all the
bergerents, for such attacks have been made by all
Submarine activities and the "Lustania" You have been waiting impatenty
for me to o. to this which for many Americans is the crx of the whole
situation. AS between Germany and the United States might have several
things to say which would be nut of place in thSleter. al lot now Judging
between Germany and the United States but between Germany and her foes,
and it seems to me fair in such a case to try to put aside the natural feeling Of
resentment at the destruction Of American lives The question is, first whether
Germany would be justified in abandoning a weapon as valuable as the sub
marine because in its use a number of non-combaans arr certain to be killed
and, second, whether submarines are bound to refrain from attacking enemy
stips carving var supplies because they also carry passeneers-even American
passengers. To warn every ship of a submarine attack 1--WE ms remember
that many of them haze been warned) and to wait until their crews have been
removed to a place Of safety would be simply to insure the destruction Of the
submarine o the escape of the victim, or both Nothing of the kind is ex-
pected O. land. A benigeent noncombatant desiring to transport military
supplies aross territory under the fire Of the other side would take his chances
of getting hit by the shots which would most certainly be aimed at his cargo.
The guests in hotel containing a thousand tons OF ammunition would consider
themselves lucky to be told a week in advance that the ammunition would be
destroyed by hostile gunfre. If they did ct vacate after the warning we
should hardly call it murder if some of them wereb blown up with the building
Yes Q say, but the sea is the highway of nations and the rule is not the
same n sea as O. land. That is true as a matter Of international law, but as a
matter of ethics is there any real difference? Mind you, would stand firmly
for every recognized right of Americans, and would not stop at a mere
protest But in passing judgments N nations att r, W should be careful not
to confuse questions of international law with questions Of ultimate morality
The use OF other novel weapons may be passed over quickly The Germans
began it, but the Allies have been prompt to adopt all such Improvements in
the fighting business Personally fail to see anything worse in chkong a
man to death with laughing as than in shooting him to death. If anything
it strikes me as more decent People forget that the object of war is o win
enemies as possible If you car poison them easier than you can shoot them,
that is the way to do it. If the systematic killing of non-combaants were the
quickest way to end a war should advocate that method If the execution
of prisoners were n expedient method of warfare it would be right Here,
at least there is ne question Of anything except the end to be sought-vstory.
It is not az matters stand, expedent to kill prisoners of We wholesale nor
generally ito deliberately kill non-combatants, and that is all there is to it LET
us rid or minds of can't about all these matters
Of entrance to a quarrel but being in,
Beart that TIL opposed may beware of thee"
Let us by every honorable means avoid war, but if we must have it. let it be
war-as terrible and therefore as brief as possible In all this P think
you agree with me, for you have 10 more patience than with people who
wan Ito make OneleS WITHOUT DredkIg ggS
I an glad now to leave the discussion of dreadful things and com to the
goo. side of the war. The galanty of the German people, their unity of pur-
Ipose, their discipline, their efficiency their self sacrifice, none will. deny. During
the early weeks of the war when their armies were sweeping all before them,
ones sympaIies naturally went out to what seemed to be the conspcuousy
weaker side For France PROSTATE a second time under the iron heel of in
vndbe Germany, all ones romantic feelings were enlisted. 1t was not worth
while to sympatmze with the conquTos. But the situation is no longer the
same Hemmed in Of sea and land, inferior to their adversares in numbers
inferior in material resources largely because neutral America is closed to
them as a sourceo o.. supplies while open to their enemies), the Central Powers
still maintain an unbroken front OF every part The chvalrous admiration of
neutras must now go out to them rather than to the Allies Were they filled
with the evil intentions their enemies attribute to them, we should still be
obliged to yield them the natural tribute of their excellence in every quality
which var car illustrate. And whence does this excellence come? 1t was not
born of the war 1t is the result of the whole habit of thinking and acting Of
the German people for a century or more. The Germans are O a mild,
good-natured and harmless people who have suddenly gone crazy. They were
the same earnest thorough, disciplined and devoted people when att peace that
they are at war. Their preparation for this contest ws not a special prepara-
ton of military training and muniton manufacture alone; it lay in their whole
Iahr IL The neonlat hernuLes n Nor are we to thrE hit Pr;a; - nut Af