New-York tribune., 1917-04-09
A Misunderstood Pacifist

l. is the misfortune of Dr. David Starr
Jordan that i'm the vulgar eye there is moth
ing TO choose between him and the rest
of the pacihsts. The rude rcbuits he en-
durcd at the hands of the rabble IN Balu-
more and sundry other places where he
eudeavorcd TO dssuadc his countrymen
from entering into war are due TO a mlSuh-
derstanding, the popular belief beng that
he is either an industrious defender oil
Prussianism. as DR.. Won Mach used to be-
or at least a neutral at all costs who IS
determined to believe that there IS no
choice between the belligerents and that
it matters very little which sJde trumphs
in the present conflict.
Nothing could be more mistaken. In so
far as il is possible to interpret DR.. Jor-
dams sentiments his quarrel with the pco-
rle of the United States is not that they
are disposed to sympathize with Germany
foes. but that they are 50 foolish as to
plungc headlong into an enterprise which
NAV cost them blood and treasure. lie put
the case clearly enough the other day when
Ec said il had been calculated that the
cost Of killing Germans amounted to about
&5OO 600 a head, and asked his audience
whether they thought it worth while to
engage in so expensive an undertaking.
It would be quite unjust, however, to
suppose that Dr. Jordan looks upon the
matter merely as a gamble. On the con-
trary. il is certain that the suppression OF
Prussianism is regarded by him as abso-
lutclv essential to the peace Of the world.
Ii is only because he IS satisfied that 1t Will
he suppressed without our help that he is
opposed TO active assistance on our part,
for the simple reason that it IS better that
others should bleed for US and bear the
expensc than that we should waste lives
and money in defending ourselves.
If he were not fully convinced that it IS
possible for US to survive through the sac
rifces of others he would undoubtedly be
willing to abandon his paciism, for unlike
his German associates he would be genu-
inely sorry TO see US under Prusslan rule.
lie has expressed himself so clearly on this
head. and incidentally on the origin of the
war. that there is really no excuse for
misunderstanding him. He has told us
that when he was in Germany IN 1913 he
heard great deal about the plans that
were making for the Germanization of Eu-
rope-"the conquest of Belgium land of
Holland as well, the seizure OF the two
northcrn departments of France (Nord
and Pas dc Calais), the creation at Bou-
logne Of the greatest seaport in Europe, the
exaction Of huge indemnity from Paris,
all these were commonly discussed in Pan
Germanist circles" he says. And he has
insisted that it was "on a basis Of lies, emo
ton and patriotism" that the German
plotters arranged q crisis" aad plunged
half the world INTO war
But as a practical man DR.. Jordan IS
against any interference with German VII
lany which does not affect US immediately.
AND though nc knows well enough that
Germany would go for US if it could, and
.hat plotters under German control "have
permcated every part of the world yet
he is convinced that IN TINS country there
are mot many thousands at the most"
These could not conquer US alone, and as
German aggressions in Europe have I'm
PEELED other nations TO lay aside their diff
fercnces, internal and external, and TO
stand together in sefdefence," there is
reason to hope that Germany's ambitions
vii! be defeated without our help. Why,
then, should we be at any expense? Why
not rather profit by the misfortunes of
others?
This is the obvious Interpretation of Or.
Jordan's philosophy. He therefore differs
radically from the German-American paci-
fists, and it is easy TO believe that if the
war were little more advanced his opp"-