New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-11
The Inevitable Consequence


United States that policy which, employed
against Russia, France and Great Britain,
had led TO the world war. And now, at the
end of this time, the United States, in its
turn, has taken steps which will almost
unavoidably lead TO war between America
and Germany.
Men are still accustomed even at this
time to wonder at the thoroughness and
amazing industry Of the German. His
Preparations for the future are unrivalled
in their painstakipg care to provide
against all emergencies and to permit
the realization Of the German purpose
at all costs. Yet what, after all, has been
the result Of these plans?
To-day Germany is at war with Britain
with Russia, with France and with Italy,
as well as Rumania, notwithstanding the
long and sustained campaigns that Ger
man agents have carried on in all these
nations TO create a sentiment in favor of
Germany or such a division Of national
sentiment as TO paralyze action IN the
presence of German purpose Tomorrow
Germany viii find the United States added
20 the list of her foes, despite the most
extensive Of all campaigns within a ma
ton to avoid it
There is something supremacy fatuous
about this whole German plan and method
which viii amaze and puzzle a future gen
q Grafton. when the storm has passed. How
was it possible that the Germans could
ever have believed that they could de-
eeive- beguile, blind another nation to such
an extent as to permit German purpose
ininical to the interest and even to the
safety Of the people Of that nation to be
achieved without protest? Yet the Ger
mans have believed this; they believed 1t
in the case Of Britain, they believed it in
the case Of Italy, they believed It in the
case of Rumania, they believed it i'm
plicitly in the case of the United States
No one can have forgotten the enormous
self-deception of the German at the mo
ment when the Great War began He had
expended millions in cOrrupting British
subjects. he had sent thousands Of spies
and agents to England, he had exploited
credulous and corrupt politicians, blind
and foolish pacifsts; he had taken ad-
vantage of governmental weakness and
capitalized national ignorance and in
sularity, yet at the critical moment, when
the issue was TO be decided, the whole eoi-
fee of lies and treacheries tumbled into a
bean 1t was the same in Italy; 1t has
been the same in the United States
Some time men are going TO wonder that
the German ever supposed that by manlp-
ulation within a friendly nation, by plots,
schemes, threats, he could lead the people
of that nation TO surrender their rights, to
consent 70 the incidental murder Of their
fellow citizens and the ultimate destruc-
ton of their liberties They are going TO
wonder how any man or nation could be
lieve that any other nation would per
manenty remain blinded 10 the fact Of
German purpose.
Yet the German has always believed IT.
And he has always been disclosed as the
single victim Of his plottings and treach-
cries. in the end Nowhere did he have so
good a field as in the United States, no
where was the ignorance Of his real pur-
pose more profound, nowhere was there
greater good will or a more general
assumption Of the essential honesty, good
faith. humanity. % the German people.
Nowhere, TOO, was there such an ex-
tensive group Of citizens, still bound TO
Germany By loyalty or sentiment, 10 sup
ply the tools for manipulation and the
agents for treason.
And yet, after two years. how COM
pletely, how miserably, the whole cam
paign has collapsed. II has not merely
failed 10 keep the United States a patient
victim OF German activities, but il has
destroyed the good repute Of Germany in
America and made the life Of German
Americans in this country difficult, even
when they have been loyal 70 the country
of their adoption. To-day American per
ception Of the essential dishonor, brutality,
bad faith Of the German government is
almost as complete as IL is in Europe, and
IT will be decades before VIC shall forget
German murders or German treason, be-
fore We shall forget the Lusiiania OF
Zimmerman.
Think Of all the patient. persistent
patheticaly industrious labor that has
gone by the boardl Think Of all tho little
agents and the big agents. the solemn
stateEnen and the hired assassins, the pro-
fessor and The thug. a., the varieties
and conditions ~ German agents, who
have Iaborsd In vain m al cations. IN our
country more than N AL others, 70 per-
saade ~, 70 DersaAds he people Of this
nation. hat @xsinn our own honor and
safoty. because ~ some sclf.in;erest Of be-
cause Of our cowardico. wo should submit
a.