Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-07
Not a Commercial War and
We're Not Fighting to Make
Democracy Safe.

That this Is not commercial war
and that the United States is not In
IL to make the world safe for democ-
racy." Is declared by Lord Northcliffe,
head OF the British war mission. in a
plain-spoken article. entitled What
America Is Fighting For" TO appear
in the October issue OF Current Opln-
ion Magazine" Lord Northcllffe takes
issue with President Wilson and re-
flutes n stock argument OF the yelled
pro-German press in stating that III
this country had meant TO take up
arms In defense OF British or French
interests or in the interest OF Bel
GUM. or in order to spread democracy,
It would not have waited until April.
1917. II its aims had been CONNER
cial. II would have been In the war
long ago. The motive which brought
the Uni~td States In was not SYM pathy
with any other nation, was not desire
for gain, was not an abstract fondness
Tor democratic as opposed to auto
cratic government: Il was self interest,
rcif- preservation, solf-respect. The
American people are not fighting to
make the world safe for democracy,
but 20 make the world save for them
uelyes."
Make Her Admit It.
The only way TO do this. Lord North
cliffe asserts, Is to make Prussia ad-
mt that her theory OF a state which
has no conscience, a state which can
do no wrong. Is out OF date. THE
German people" he adds have been
purposely deluded into the belief that
they are defending themselves against
does who are set upon crushing them
out OF existence, a design which no
body but a lunatic would conceive or
Imagine possible OF execution Austria
fancies that she went to war TO de-
fend herself against Russia. the truth
ocing that she was used as q cats
paw by the HohenLollern gang. Bull
saria rs stu under the delusion that
her by Prusian junkerdom for her
treachery TO her fellow -Slavs.
Even among the allies there eNis.
misconceptions as TO the causes and
aims OF the struggle. a number Of
English people still fancy that Brit
ain could have kept out OF the oon-
flict II Belgium had not been in
vadcd. These people are still unable
to understand that Prussia's object In
forcing war upon France and Russia
was I'm order 10 clear them out OF the
way ana be able 10 attack England
and. In course OF time, tho United
S'"NN'f "'N.A "a hNeN EAS'fNNN VI SHNNNS'
Inter on.
IN Russia the pro- Russian propa-
gandists have infected many with the
craze notion that the new republic
has no interest OF its own 10 defend
against Germany, and only remains
In the war for the benefit OF France
and Britain. / have even heard the
French people speak as II their Ncoun-
try took up arms for the purpose OF
regaining Alsace and Lorraine. where
as we know that France would never
have brought upon the world the
frightful calamity Of war for selfish
aims.
Hero In the United States I am
told and have discovered proof for
myself, that there are people de-
luded by German and German
propagandists into supposing that
this Is a commercial war II is
not very easy TO make out exactly
what these people mean by that ex-
preston. SO far rs I can learn, they
suppose that the cause of the war
was commercial rivalry and that the
combatants are each seeking to OBJ
TIN control of the worlds markets"
1t is the British empire that fing-
ers arc pointed when there is talk OF
this being n commercial war, Lord
Northcliffe complains, and asks:
what would have been the good OF
Britain going TO war with Germany
in order TO secure markets? AS soon
as she had secured them, they would
have been open 10 German as freely
as to Rrish trade. The German vice
chancellor. Doctor Helfferich, has as
serted that Great Britain's object was