New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-14
these territories without confessing that
they have lost the war and that those who
produced the war are responsible for a
great defeat.

they have lost the war and that those who
produced the war are responsible for a
great defeat.
This is the vicious circle in which Ger
many has involved herself. 1t does not
concern the United States. 1t does not
have any relation to our war aims as they
are expressed in our actions. But to in
terject discussion Of territories and prov
inces, to put the United States in the
position of adjusting, moderating, shaping
the war aims of the other nations fighting
Germany while Germany remains loyal to
her old policies and purposes, is to serve
the cause Of Germany and to contribute to
the triumph of Germany in her war with
us and to establish in the world the doc
trine which has brought US into the war.
If the American people would review
the sequence of events which led to Amer
lean entrance into the war they would
Perceive that we are fighting because the
Germans attacked the lives and the liber-
ties and the properties of American citi-
zens. They would perceive that Germany
adopted the doctrine which would make 1t
necessary either for the American people
to abandon the seas or to fight They would
perceive also that logical extension of
this German policy was the offer of Amer
lean territory to Japan and Mexico and
the building up Of huge conspiracy in
side the United States against the peace
and order of this country.
This is why we are at war with Germany.
So long as Germany pursues this policy
we must fight, and we must fight because
it strikes at our own existence, at our
lives, at all we have, at every right which
is sacred and at every right which is guar
anteed by international and domestic law.
When Germany renounces this policy
the war, so far as the United States is
concerned on its present basis, will be
over. Unless the United States definitely
adopts policy with reference TO European
questions which makes it the champion Of
certain claims, the redresser of certain
wrongs, the United States war aim will
remain definitely comprehended in the
case between the United States and Ger
many; but as long as Germany continues
to pursue toward the United States the
policy which she has adopted and which
brought US into the war, American aid
and American support will necessarily be
given to the nations and to the aims of
nations fighting Germany, because our
armies and our wealth will add TO the bur-
den Of Germany and deduct from her
strength and resources.
But there ought to be clear thinking and
there ought to be plain speaking in this
country to make clear to the American
people that we are not the catspaws of
Europe, that we are not sacrificing our
lives to advance issues, just or unjust,
which concern the enemies of Germany,
but that we are fighting for our lives and
our rights, and that Germany deliberately
brought us into the war by assailing them.
The Tribune would like to see the United
States made a party to the war aims of
the Allies which concern the liberation and
restoration Of Belgium and Of Serbia. But
this attitude the United States has not yet
assumed. Even this, however, is incidental,
because it would be impossible for US to
accept a German remuneration of the
policy which brought US into the war which
did not, as an evidence of good faith and
sincerity renounce the policy toward Bel
GUM and toward Serbia. Nevertheless,
this is, as far as we are concerned, an
American war. 1t is, so far as we have
progressed, war fought in defence of
American rights, and our single war aim
is the preservation of those rights for
which governments are constituted and
which, in the last analysis, are the main
business of nations.