Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-11-10

that the United States j. not in il Ia make
the world safe for democracy" l. declared
hy Lord Northcliffe, head of the British
war mission. in u plain-~poken article. en-
titled, What American l. Fighting For.
IN the October issue Of Current Opin
ION Magazine. Lord Northcliffe takes
issue with President Wilson and refutes n
stock argument of the veiled pro-German
press in stating that 'if this country had
meant Ia take mp arts IN defence Of British
or French Interests. or III the interest OF
Belgium. or IN order ia spread democracy,
it would not nave waited until April, 1871
III i'll aims had been commercial. II would
have been IN the war long ago. The motive
which brought the United States in was not
sympathy with any other nation. was not
desire for gain. was not an abstract fond
ness for democracy n opposed To auto
cratic government .t was self interest. sell
preservation. >elf-re.pect. The American
people are not fighting To make the world
safe for democracy, but Ia make the world
safe for themselves
The only way t. DO this. Lord North
cliffc a~-ert-. l. to make Prussia admit
that Their theory of q state which has no
conscience. a state which can do no wrong.
i out of date. .The German people. he
add-. shave been purpo~ely dcluced into
the bchcf that they are defending them
selves against foes who are set upon crush
lng them out Of existence. Il design which
nobody hut u lunatic would conceive or i'm
asime possible Of execution. Austria fan
ric~ that ~hr went 10 war 10 defend herself
against Russia. the truth being that she
was used n a cat's paw by the ilohenzol-
lern gang. Bulgaria l. siill under the de
fusion that She will gam the reward prom
i~cd her BY pru~-ian iunkerdom for her
ireachery "a her fellow Slav>.
Even among the allie, there exist ms
conceptions a Ia the causes and aims at
the struggle. \ number of English people
It'll fancy that Britain could have kept out
~ the conflict II Belgium had not been in
vaded. These people are still unable 70 nm
der~tand that Prussia object iii forcing
war upon France and RUSSIA wa in order
tosclear them ont ~ the way and be- able e.
attack England and. ii course If time. the
United >tatc-. with \ good prospect 81 sue
cess later on.
In Russia the pro-Pru>~ian propagan-
dist have infected mann with the crazy
notion that the new republic ha- ~ inter
c~t~ II IT, own to defend against Germany.
and only remains IN the VAR for the benefit
of France and Britain. ! have even heard.
French people speak n If their country
took ~ arms for the purpose ~ rcgalnIr-
.l-ace and Lorraine. whereas We know
that France would never have brought upon
the world the frightful calamity of war for
selfish aims.
Here III the United States am told. and
! have discovered proof for myself. that
there are people deludcd bv German and
pro-German propaeandi,t~ into suppo~ing
that 'thi~ D. a commercial war II = not
very cay ~ make ont exactly what these
people mean ~ that expression. - far -
can learn They suppose that the cause 81
die war was commercial rivalry. and that
the combatant~ are each seeking To obtain
control II the world markets.
II ~ M the British empire that fingers
are pointed when there T. tain ~ thi- beng
= commercial war. Lord \orthclIfie com
plains. and ask: "Nhat would have been
the good Of Britain going 10 war with Ger
many i'll order ~ secure markets, a. soon
~ ~he had secured them. they would have
been open 60 German a. freely a. io Brit
18Th trade. The German wee chancellor. DIR.
ilcltfcrich. ha- asserted that Great Brit
aim object was 'thc economic oppression
1T Germany How could Britain uppre-~
any nation economically "a long a. she al
lowed the trade~ Of all nations Ia compete
with her own trade upon equal terms!
"Thc people Of the British empire did
not want war. They had nothing IT, gain
from war. They were threatened. They
were attacked. Whether Prussia had in
vadod Belgium or not. Britain would have
been obliged 10 fight IN self defense. ltl
was not Brussels that the Germans wanted
when for strategic reason they marched
their troops across the Belgian frontier
which they had signed q solemn contract to-
respect. They wanted Antwerp. which Ma
polcun called. with clear-~ightcd under
Standing. pistol pointed al the heart of
England" They wanted IN outlet for their
oceun-going submar uc-. They wanted
Calais.
THE dclu-ion lndu-triouslv sown in the
United States ~ Germans and those who
are M favor of Pru--iani~m. including. u
ann sorry lo say. many freshmen. that Brit
am alwaN- fights Tor commercial advnni-
age has long been \ Pru~SIan SANDER.
Irtit-chkc. the writer on whose teaching
kai~er William the Second wa~ nnrlurcd.
taught that England wars were always
undertaken with a view to the conquest of
markcl-. lie did nni-eXnlaIn why EngIand