New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-05

ton when ne advised the people Of the
United State not 20 enter INTO per
manent alliances; hut the man VINO
won tho American Revolution through
the alliance with France would nave
been tho last 20 lay down hard ana
fast rule that under no cIrcum stances
and for no purposes were We ever -
ally ourselves with other nations. T. al.
-ccinc and wlso. he knew very vel
that dangers might come which would
make temporary alliance or agree
mcnt with foreign nations lmperat'\ e'
That time has arrived. II would ne
madness for rs 20 attempt 10 make
war alone upon Germany AND 1nd our
selves perhaps at tHc end leit 'SotaI &, To
Al war with that power. when an lhe
nations had made peace, because
had not associated ourselves WIN
,bcm. The allies Of the Entente. as
they are called. are hghtng comma"
foe and Their zoe g no" on''.
I'VE cannot send "a great army
across the occar. for We nave no army
70 send. Yet ! should be glad, for one.
II we could send 10000 men o. our
rooular troops. 20 hat tho Gag or the
United States might ~ least b" uu-
furlcd i'm the fields Of France. be
Geve that the mere sight OF that Tag
IN that region made so deSolate by war
would stimulate the courage and help
the success of those who have the
same ann .hat We have and who seek
the same victory.
"Wc can also help the Allie, as the
President recommends, with large
credits and with those supplies which
we can furnish and which thoy .ack.
We cannot do more in any direction
TO bring this war 20 a Speedy end thar
20 give those credits and furnish 'hVr
supn:es.'
Would Seize Ships
Senator Lodge. ,efcrr/r go the
Presidents statement ca/cetnug Ger
man spies in this country. said he be
lieved the overwhelming mass Of our
citizens Of German descent are just az
loyal to the United States as any clti-
zens could be- but that German
agents must be dealt with. 20 quote
the Presidents address, with firm
hand
Senator Lodge said one Of the first
acts of the United States should be to
seize the German ships now in United
States ports and put that tonnage
in the worlds service.
"Thc worst Of all wars he said. us
feeble war. War is too awful 20 be
entered upon half-heartedly. II we
fight at all we must fight for all We are
worth 1t must be no weak. hesitating
war The most merciful war is that
which is most vigorously waged and
which comes most quickly to an end.
But there are. in my opinion, some
things worse for nation than war.
National degeneracy Is worse; national
cowardlce is worse. SO is the division
of our people into race groups striving
TO direct the course Of the United
States in the interest of some other
country when we should have but one
alliance one hope and one tradition.
All these dangers have been gathering
about US and dsrkening the horizon
during the last three years Whatever
suffering and misery war may bring, IL
will at least sweep these foul things
away. II will unity us into one ma
ton.
Nations Security at Stake
Il believe, also. that on our entrance
into this war under the conditions
which it has assumed our future peace,
our independence as proud and high
spirited nation, our very security. are
at stale. There is no other way as
see II. except by war. to save these
things. without which national exist
ence is a mockery and a sham.
But there is a still higher purpose
here, as look upon it. The President
has said with great Justice that Ger
many rs making war on all nations.
We do not enter upon this war to Sc
cure victory for one nation as against
another. We enter this war 10 unite
with those who are fighting the com
mon foe in order to preserve human
freedom. democracy and modern civil
ization. They are all ia grevious peril;
they are all threatened"
This war Is war as see it,
against barbarism, panoplied in all the
devices for destruction of human life
which science enefcent science can
bring forth We are resisting an eff
fort 10 thirst mankind back 20 forms
Of government. 10 political creeds and
methods OF conquest which we had
hoped had disappeared forever from
the world
We are fighting against a nation
which, in the fashion of centuries ago,
drags the inhabitants Of conquered
lands into slavery; which carries off
women and girls for even worse pur-
poses; which in It's mad desire 10 con-
Quer mankind and trample it under
foot has stopped al 10 wrong has re-
garded no treaty.