New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-26

from the Chesapeake here against an
American army many times their mum
ber Why? Those men whom Mao'
son drove out 10 see and IN 'front.' Oh
whose rout he drove rapidly back were
the sons of the men who fought ~
Bunker Hill and Saratoga and YORK
town, and they were the fathers OF the
men who fought at Petersburg ana
Shiloh. They were AS brave, as many
as their fathers or their sons, pu,
thew fed in rout before force Oh
men of the >lme race, far, far inferior
in number why? Because they didn
know how TO fight Helpless as a sneep
before a wolf. They didn't know how
A little trimming beforehand would nave
taught them how.
There must be an industrial tram,
ing. industrial organization, industrial
preparation. AS well as the provision OF
men. And beyond all that. when war
comes people have got TO live. INC
industrial and financial processes OF
the country have got to go on and. II
they are 10 go on, Notwithstanding the
vastly disturbing forces of war. Ihat
means not merely the organization OF
an army. but II means the organization
OF a nation. No army and no nation
can be effectively organized unless the
shirt is within il which gives II
motive power.
People Don't Realize Danger
"Well. now, why all this? Why need
we disturb ourselves? ! think that Is
the great trouble. | think that is the
great obstacle that you men and wom-
en- Of this congress have got to meet IN
the country, the fact that great mass
of the people of the country don't be-
lieve a word of it, don't believe there
is any necessity of our talking about
it, don't believe the trouble Is eyet
going to come To be sure, we hay
had warnings all along, little over
twenty years apart, during our entire
history. II is nineteen years now since
the last, and we are due to have one
pretty soon.
THE present war which is raging in
Europe was begun upon an ayowai oil
principles of national action that no
reasonable and thoughtful neutral
ought to ignore. The Central principle
was that a state exigency, state inter-
est, is superior TO those rules OF moral
ity which control individuals.
"Now, that was not an expedient, an
4 excuse. StlLtu upon JuSAiA. VIC "
ginning of the war; il is fundamental.
The theory of the modern republic is
that right begins with the individual.
"The ancient theory, the theory OF
monarchies and alike of the ancient re-
publics upon which they went down 70
their ruin, was that the state is the
beginning, the foundation, Of right and
that individuals derive their rights
h.
exigeneies of the state are superior TO
all individual rights.
Principle That Brought War
"Now it was upon the continuance
and assertion of that principle that
this war in Europe was begun. And
upon that principle il was declared that
there was no obligation upon nation
20 keep the faith of a treaty il II did
not suit its interests. Ii was declared
that there was no obligation upon a
nation TO observe the rules of that law
of nations upon which all civilized
states have agreed if il did not suit
its interest.
"Now, mark, / am not discussing the
right or wrong, | am stating the prln-
ciple of action which was followed and
which was asserted TO be right. Upon
that principle little Servia was served
with an ultimatum that demanded the
surrender of her independence; and
upon her failure to comply 10 the ut
termost she was overwhelmed
upon that principle little Belgium.
that had no quarrel with anybody, was
served with demand that she sur
render her independent rights as a
neutral and violate her solemn agree
ments TO preserve her neutrality, and
upon her refusal TO surrender her
rights and violate her faith, she was
overwhelmed. And that principle is
still maintained and asserted to be
right.
ct doesn't matter much what you and
] think about these things; it doesn't
matter that | think they are immoral
and criminal, as | do il doesn't matter,
] think, that if that principle of ma
tional conduct is TO be maintained and
approved in this world, then liberty and
civilization must die.
Menace TO American Freedom
what does matter is that APPROX
mately One-half the entire military
power of this world supports that prop
OsitiOn. And | say TO you-and | wish
could say IL TO every American-if that
principle Of national conduct be APP
proved in the struggle that is pending
be approved by the free people OF
America, be approved by the conscience
of the civilized world, then our Ameri-
can freedom will surely die, and die
while We live.
Look for minute al the German
+ note proposing peace conference
/ which used a phrase which aptly de
scribes the concrete application of the
principle about which ! am talking. II
said: we we're forced TO take the
sword for justice and for liberty o.
national evolution
Liberty of national evolution! j
was national evolution that overrar