New-York tribune., 1917-07-18
The Question of Peace

At time when the Wnole Worio 10 DC
ginning to discuss the question OF peace
there is perhaps a certain appropriateness
In reviewing briefly those facts which seem
pertinent to this discussion. 1t is, in addi-
ton, necessary that The Tribune should
set forth its view quite definitely, since
r.rtaIn of its readers have seemed in re-
cent DAYS to misunderstood its statements.
At the outset we may say that the
United States, like all the nations fighting
Germany, is at war because Germany has
attacked not merely or mainly the ma
terial interests of the United States, but
has assailed that whole body and frame
work of international law and common
humanity which represents the meaning
for us Of the word civilization. The Ger
mans have done this thing with the delib-
crate purpose of accomplishing thereby
certain ends and aims, profitable and de-
sirable to themselves.
When Germany invaded Belgium she
tore up, not a treaty merely, not sin
gle guarantee of specific Belgian rights;
she thrust a German sword through the
whole basis of international right. When,
having done this, the Germans sought to
terrorize and subdue the people whose lib
erty they had invaded by systematic arson,
murder, rape; by carrying the methods Of
the battlefield into their relations with
civilian populations, they similarly did vio-
lence to that conception of humanity which
had prevailed hitherto throughout the CIV
ilized world and was up to that time be-
lieved to prevail in Germany.
In sum, having set out to impose Ger
man rule on certain portions of the world,
to conquer some races and to annex and
permanently subjugate others, Germany
had recourse to methods and to instru-
ments which were abhorrent to civilized
man. The massacres Of Belgium were the
work of soldiers, with weapons in their
hands; the crime Of the Lusitania, the loos-
ing Of poison gas at Ypres, the use of the
Zeppelin and the aeroplane against the
non-combatant populations of open cities
represented the combination of modern SCI
-, Ior rbo, We Rilt a
equally the expression Of the same Ger
man idea.
The consequence Of this German proceed
ure was to give the present war wholly
different character from all other wars in
modern history. 1t was recognized in
France, in Britain, it has later been rec
cgnized in Italy, Russia and the United
States, that the real issue Of the war was
n whether the German idea, the idea Of
Il force violence of the use of every weapon
and the employment of every machine and
method to attain a desired object, an OBJ
ject not based upon moral right, but upon
material interest, should prevail in the
world or be defeated.
By slow but sure steps the war changed
It's character in the mind of the remotest
neutral from a war Of the old European
type, from a war based upon rival ambi-
tions Of contending states, to a struggle
between two ideas and two ideals, the ideal
Of the world outside of Germany, which
was based upon the conceptions and teach
ings Of thousand years of progress tow
ard humanity, justice and equality, toward
the mutual recognition Of individual rights,
and the German idea that there was spe-
cial right vested in the German to ignore
all dictates Of law and humanity when he,
collectively and in the form Of his state,
desired something.
The German asserted through ali his
spokesmen that there was higher law
than the common rights Of nations. He
asserted IL "heh nc INVADED DelBluH, ana
the German Chancellor frankly affirmed
that what was being done was wrong but
the wrong was etoned for by the fact that
Germany was in state Of necessity. Each
further assault Of Germany upon the
rights and liberties as well az the persons
md lives Of men and women, of neutral as
well as beiligerent nations, was defended
end justified because it served a German
purpose and contributed to the realization
Of q German end.
In this time there was frankly pro
claimed q doctrine in Germany which was