Evening journal., 1917-03-03


Drising. II It serves to convince
many Americans OF the true meaning
OF German policy in the world it Will
only be because these Americans have
SO far turned a deaf ear and blind
eye TO the supreme fact IN the world
OF the present hour.
A number OF years ago the rulers
OF Germany and the makers OF Ger
man policy adopted as their purpose
the creation OF a German world power
which should dominate the globe.
They asserted tho doctrine that Il
was the sacred mission OF Germany TO
impose a German civilization upon
the world They affirmed the doc
trine that what men called good and
what men called evil were, In fact.
good and evil only as they were ad-
vantageoHs or injurious to this Ger
man purpose.
Today. as Yesterday, as on all days
since this great struggle began, Ger
man policy has remained the same. u
WAS advantageous to Germany to
cross Belgium, and Germany crossed
in defiance of all the agreements of
German statesmen and the interna-
tional conceptions OF right Those
Belgians who resisted German tres
pass placed themselves beyond the
pale, and the men we're murdered. tho
mastered I'm consequence.
From that day to this the process
has been the same. Were there a
neutral right a consideration OF hui
mainly, justice. right interposing be-
tween Germany and her purpose,
these were instantly destroyed. not
because Germans we're otherwise
more ruthless than their fellow men,
but because Germans considered that
where Germany was concerned
neither men, women nor children. of
any race whatsoever. had right to
life, liberty or the pursuit of happi-
ness
The fundamental mistake in the
United States has been the belief that
IL was possible to remain neutral I'm
the presence OF such a policy and
with regard to a nation practicing IT,
I'm 50 far as European nations fight
over provinces, trade or power, as
rivals, our country can have no ma
tional concern. Il might have sympa-
thies, but it could not have interest.
And it was this conception OF tho
present struggle which has brought
us TO our present pitch.
But with nations. as with neighbOrs.
IL is impossible to remain neutral
when policy is proclaimed by one
nation which threatens the existence
OF ALL No one can remain neutral
while there is mailman In the
neighborhood. even n the madness is
limited to a habit of killing only those
who happen to get between the lu-
natic and his immediate object Nor
is Il possible to remain neutral in the
presence of a murderer who seeks
only. to assassinate an immediate foe
and consents to spare all those who
can get out of range of his gun or
reach OF his club.
The rulers of Germany proclaimed
the German destiny to be that OF
world supremacy. The masters OF
German policy from the morning of
the war proclaimed that II was n
German right to trample on all other
rights inconyenient or hampering.
And for more than two years Ameri-
cans have imagined that they could
remain neutral in the presence Of
such a policy and under the shadow
OF such a purpose The result has
been inescapable. our dead have been
scattered over the Seven Seas, our
flag has disappeared from the ocean,
our own country has been torn by
violence and sedition Today we find
that on our borders German agents
have sought to manufacture war. as
within our boundaries they have pro-
cured murder.
And the cause OF all is the same
When a nation or an individual pro-
claims and employs the doctrine that
there is only one right. and that per-
sonal, then there can be only one of
two states left for the balance of
mankind. They must be bclligerents
or slaves. they must submit OF fight,
they must subordinate their rights to
another or maintain them by force OF
arms.
In the end we shall have to fight
Germany, because IN the end the peo-
ple Of tho United States Will not con-
sent to subordinate their rights TO
Germany or sacrifice their own lives
as the tribute paid to German will.
Between right and wrong there can
be no neutral. and the German policy
is wrong. Whatever the merit of the
German case against France, against
Russia against Britain, whatever the
balance OF right and wrong between
the nations now at war. the essential
wrongness of the German policy Of
enforcing its viii by the murder OF
noutrals and seeking its ends by the
invasion of the rights, the liberties
and the lives of neutrals is clear. One
must repeal all the laws of humanity
all the concepts Of civilization. TO JUS
tify tho course OF Germany-not with