New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-24
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The past three years have enriched
our language with few phrases which VIII
probably live First, we had the scrap OF
paper" Then we were given new deiini-
ton Of neutrality, real neutrality, which I'M
ported not only that the nation should
scrupuousy fulfil all the obligations when
rested upon a neutral, but that all it's indi-
vidual citizens should be neutral in thought
and expression" quite a novel proposition
which does not seem TO have been generally
accented Then we were told that nation
might he "too proud TO fight" Also, 1t was
stated that if the captain Of peaceful mer-
chant vessel. armed for defence a. such YES
sells had been with everybody's consent for
generations. should try to use the arms to
defend the vessel he was a "franc-tireur OF
the sea" and, If caught was to be incontl-
nently shot.
And now here is a new one-"Peace with
out victory" whatever that may mean. Ihat
Certainly is novel conception. without
thumbing the pages Of history or going back
beyond the memory of persons now living
in the forties certainly ended with victory;
the flag of the United States flew over the
national palace, City of Mexico, and we ac-
quired many hundred square miles OF Mex
can territory. Thanks mainly to the untir-
ing vigilance Of the United States Navy, our
Civil War ia the sixties ended with one side
victorious and the other defeated The Span
ish War of 1898 certainly ended with victory,
since Spain was expelled from the island
which was the casus belli and which she had
owned ever since its discovery. On the other
side of the Atlantic, in the Schleswig- Bol-
stein War. the Seven-Weeks war austria
Prussia. the Franco-Prussian War, peace
came with victory. IL it likely that the pres
ent war will be a unique exception? War Is
not like football game, which ends on sig
nal at predetermined time, with whatever
record there may then be, although there
may be reason to suppose that half-hour
more might change the score. This war will
certainly not stop just because some outsider
gives a signal, even though the whistle be
blown by the spokesman Of great neutral
ration.
Then. too. there Is a the phrase, Freedom
OF the seas" We have seen much OF that IN
diplomatic correspondence from one Of the
belligerents. There it apparently connotes
the proposition that for all sea-borne COM
merce conditions shall remain the same in
war and peace. Is there any likelihood that
we are presently to see the age-old PROPOSE
tions Of contraband and blockade thrown into
the scrap heap? Is it a reasonable supposI-
ton that Great Britain, an island which can
not possibly raise the food TO support her
population. will now exchange substance for
shadow-that she will give up a fleet strong
enough to keep her home ports open and 70
secure access thereto from every corner OF
the Seven Seas, and accept in lieu thereof
scrap Of paper containing a naked promise
that her commerce will not be interfered
with. even though military necessity should
tempt a promisor TO break his word?
This latest deiverance contains many
beautiful conceptions, but it also recalls an
other picturesque phrase, coined genera
ton ago by Senator of the United States
"an iridescent dream"
L. HENRY LACOMBE
New York, Jan %, 1917.