The Washington herald., 1917-06-18

science led him In pre-War Gays 70
ing, the character. and even many Of
the methods Of Armageddon, took up
his pen and wrote q new book under
the title Of Mr. Brttling Sees II
ston Spencer Churchill, chairman OF
the British Aviation Board, and FORM
.sr. first lord of the admiralty, In the
Philadelphia Press.
He there described the sentiments,
the emotions, the experiences, the
shortcomings, the misunderstanding
which attended British entry into the
struggle and its sudden outbreak upon
the world, and he carried his story
forward to a stage where all the prin-
cipal characters were disposed Of in
one way or another. His soldier son
american friend has married his
daughter and Is fighting with the
Canadians; the old aunt has been
blown to pieces by q Zeppelin. The
German student recalled to his coun-
try's colors has perished In the Car
giveness in his own sorrow, has ex-
changed letters with the German par
ents.
In one way or another except the war;
| the war goes on. Mr.. Britl1ng has
not "seen 1t through" yet.
Whatever his present mood may be
i-of resolution in the quarrel OF high
hope in the future of mankind, of for
giVeness of personal injuries Of dogged
endurance, or dull insenslbiilty or re-
bellious resentment against the powers
that be-the war is still going on. Mr..
Britling has still to see 1t through,
and It may we'll be that experience
more moving, more tragical, more
self-shattering than any through
Eol L. 10 n a
to his lot before the final chapters are
closed.
Hopes of CreduIOuE.
Hopes are excited in credulous
minds that the message Of the Rus
sian revolution leaping across the lines
of the armies, and the measured pro-
nouncements of the President OF the
United States reverberating across the
oceans, will awaken a responsive echo
in the hard heart Of the German
nation. 1t is hoped that the masses of
the German people taught by their
own sufferings, taught by the counsel
| OF America, the opinion OF the world
and the example Of the Russian de-
mocracy,. will be a single spontane-
Gus effort to free themselves from the
cruel and terrible machine which gals
them and forces them to gall man
kind.
"Sanguine dreamers, moving nimbly
in the attenuated ether of ideas, can
almost see the German nation, mas
ter at last in its own house decrying
the liberation of imprisoned nation
alities, directing the reparation Of the
ravaged regions, breaking the sword
that tormcnts them and us alike and
| confidently taking their own great
place among the free nations OF the
world. But the soaring flight of such
ideas is abruptly checked by contact
with reality.
What reasons have We to suppose
| that the mass Of German people have
/ any such desire or that II they have
it will manifest itself in any effective
| form? They see themselves ffghting
a world of enemies. They began the
war blithely in the firm belief that
, they would conquer a supreme DOM
ination for themselves and for their
race forever. They believe today that
although the war has been a disap-
pointment and its sufferings and
perils are immeasurably greater than
any they had expected. still, thanks
to their military institutions, to their
great general stan grouped around
the person OF their war lord, they
have the power to eXtricate them
selves from this terrific adventure
without defeat or penalty. Nay, the
most powerful elements among them
still hope to add large conquered re-
gions to the German empire and TO
open up through the Balkans and
Turkey avenues Of future aggrandize-
ment in the East.
TenncIty of Germans.
"Why should We suppose In these
circumstances that the German peo-
pie should repudiate and overthrow
those martial institutions which they
can see with their own eyes are at
this moment holding the devastation
of the war far from German soil,
which have been their idol through
years OF peace and are their sole and
stout bulwark today.
THE history of other great quarrels
should correct sanguine anticipations
of an early German collapse though
| internal political disorders. Certainly
they should forbid us to base our ac-
tions upon any such hopeful view.
Long after Napoleon's war had
waned, after the Russian campaign
of 1872, after the Leipzig campaign
, of 1913, the French armies continued
mechanically to fight against over
whelming numbers and hopeless pros
poets with the utmost tenacity. The
| important battle of Toulouse was
actually fought after Paris had capit-
ulated.
The hopes of the American Confed-
crates were shattered irretrievably on
the battlefield of Gettysburg; but two
years Of the bloodiest fighting OF the
| war still lay before the Northern
troops and the Army of Virginia con-
tinued to strike resounding blows long
after all hope had fled and when moth
ing remained but a soldierly resist
ance for its own sake.
I'VE ourselves have seen the Boer
war prolonged for two whole years
by the military genius OF the Boer
leaders and the high constancy of the
Boer people after the entire country
was overrun by our armies and every
place OF consequence had fallen into
our hands.
Greatest Fact of War.
'"These are not days for US to els
ten with credulity to the whispers of
fancy or follow with eagerness the
phantoms of hope" II Mr.. Britling
is to "see it through" his feet must
stand on firm ground. his eyes must
oe open and his mind must occupy
itself mainly with facts. This does
not mean that he should survey only
the gloomy facts.
THE greatest of all the facts is the
entry of the United States into the
war This God-granted succor and
deliverance of a righteous cause in
jeopardy will in itself, If We act wise
ly. enable us to reach a just and dur
able peace. Without it no one could
ss2y that right would not have been
~The people of the United States
CGnnuI be under any illusion of the
terrible nature of the task which they
have accepted. If Europe and its