The Washington times., 1917-03-27
Don Marquis
Column
The PacIasts and Democracy.

press the Delier that:
covert acts, however brutal. do not
afford adequate cause for t0dr to q re-
public tohose essential relation to IN
terndtiondI affairs Is summed up In the
,oords Cancellation, arbitration, and de-
mocrGcy.'
But suppose the overt acts of the
enemy are in themselves acts of war?
Such is the present condition of
America; for weeks past Germany
has been making war upon US.
And, this being the case, why con-
tinue to speak OF adequate cause
for war? We are not confronted
with a situation which may lead to
war IL we do thus and so, this. that
or the other thing. We are being
warred against. Germany told us
quite plainly that IL we sent ships
through a certain zone we would be
warred against We sent ships, and
Germany, true to her threat, sank
them.
| There Is no question as to whether
we want to keep out of war or want
to go into war. We are at war now;
or, IL you choose. the war is at as.
The only question Is: What are we
going to do about It?
Conciliate the Germans, as these
Pacifists adviser
The Wilson Administration has been
attempting to conciliate them for
years.
But the Gepmans do not understand
conciliation.
After each attempt at conciliation
they have murdered more Americans.
Arbitrate, as the Pacifists adviser
Arbitrate what? How arbitrate?
Arbitration is a process of discus
sion sometimes leading to adjustment,
possible only between people who can
trust each other; possible only be-
tween people who are capable of meet
ing on the same plane.
Germany has been very busy demon
strating for nearly three years that
her most solemn pledges are worth
nothing at all. II is not possible to
arbitrate with a person whose policy,
advertised by deeds in advance OF ar
bitration, is to violate any oath that
may come to Inconvenience him.
How arbftrate with a murderer,
whose murders are continuing at the
time, whose argument is that muir
der is justifiable when 1t is to his ad-
vantage, who has promised repeatedly
to cease his murders and has always
broken his promises?
How Arbitrate with SUCH a person
when the matter to be arbitrated Is
the matter of murder itself?
How arbitrate with a man who is |
firing q gun at you?
Neither conciIiation nor arbitration |
meets the present case.
There are only two courses open TO
US. |
one is to strike back; to ally our
selves with the entente powers and |
help them In every possible way.
The other course Is to surrender
without striking a blow in our own
defense-without striking a blow in /
the defense OF that democracy of
which the pacifsts are so tenderly
solicitous when solicitude is merely a |
matter OF talk, but which they desert |
SO quickly when solicitude becomes a
matter CT action.
Surrender means, essentially, a sur
render Of democracy. 1t means a be-
trayalSnot only OF American democ-
racy. but a betrayal of the idea OF
democracy throughout the world.
II It were not for the fleets and
armies OF democratic France and /
England what would be happening ct
the present moment to our American
democracy?
1t is owing to their fleets and
armies that the war which Germany
is making against us has affected us,
speaking In a material way, so little.
With those fleets and armies with
drawn, with those fleets and armies
decisively defeated, what Of this
American democracy which the Paci-
fists say they love so well? /
In the event of a conclusion Of
peace between the entente allies and
Germany. which would leave Ger
many free to make us feel something
like her real power, no doubt the cry
OF the Pacifists would still be for sur
render.
After such a surrender where would
- ~ NShoSIdCy toward which the
Pacifsts are so friendly? = So
friendly when they speak from plat
forms or publish pamphlets.
After such a surrender would 10 oOo
Pacthsts be permitted by the Prus-
slams In control OF New York citv m
meet in Madison Square Garden and
extol democracy?
Have the Pacifists thought consist
ently OF the character OF the govern
ment to which they wish us to sur
render7
Have they determined upon the at.
itude they would adopt after such ,
surrender to the forces put in charge
Of our centers pending the collection
Of an indemnity?
Our own opinion is that a German
force OF occupation in New York city
md the Pacifists OF New York city
would get along together in a yery
friendly sort of way and that the I
Pacifists would say what they were. I
told to say and do what they were
told to do and kowtow % the Ger
nan military governor and form q
little court OF adulation about him,
Morally and spiritually, that Is their
condition at the present moment. Their
'retty words and phrases concerning