New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-14
Americas War Aims

The demand for a statement Of Amer
ica's war aims, which comes from very
wide range Of sources and is in large
measure, but not wholly, fostered and prop
agated by German-American agencies and
intrigues, presents no difficulty in the way
Of rational and convincing explanation. 1t
REQUIRES only q reorganization of the facts
in the case 70 demonstrate clearly what
Americas aims are and must be in this
war.
When the German armies invaded Bel
GUM they broke down the whole system OF
international good faith that had been for
mulated before that time. It would have
been possible, it would have been sound
public policy, for the United States at that
time. perceiving the ultimate meaning Of
the German assault, not upon Belgium, but
upon international law, to have taken up
arms. This the United States did not do.
When, after the invasion Of Belgium,
the German armies in Belgium and North
ern France put into application the doc
trine of ruthlessness and Of terrorism
which was an established detail Of their
military system, they struck against all
the conventions Of humanity and of civili-
zation as they had been accepted by the
Western World. After Louyain, after the
crimes and tragedies in Northern France
and Belgium, the United States might
properly, in pursuance Of the protection OF
its own interests, have entered the war,
because the triumph of Germany en-
blowing the methods which it employed in
Northern France and Belgium was an OBJ
vious if not an immediate menace to the
United States. But the United States did
rot take up arms.
When, however, in the case Of the Lusi-
tania, Germany murdered American citi-
zens; when, in the later formulation of its
present submarine campaign, Germany az
firmed the purpose of numbering American
citizens and destroying American property
upon the high seas, without regard to in
ternationaI law, then the United States did
take up arms. 1t took up arms for the
protection Of American rights, Of Ameri-
can lives, threatened by German policy, but
in the larger sense threatened by the Ger
man conception that German ambitions
and German necessities" gave Germany
the moral right and the legal license to
suspend the operation Of international law
and to disregard the conventions Of COM
mon humanity.
The United States entered the war def
nitely and unmistakably over the subma-
rine issue. But the submarine issue was
itself only a detail in the whole German
policy and theory which had manifested
itself in the invasion Of Belgium, in the
nassacres and atrocities committed IN Bel
GUM and Northern France, and finally in
the Lusitania outrage. 1t is with this
policy and with this conception that the
United States is at war. The United
States Is at war with this conception and
with this policy because It was specifically
applied to American citizens and American
property.
The single war aim Of the United States
must be to fight until Germany consents to
renounce her policy. All questions of Eu-
ropean frontiers, all questions Of material
character in the war, are outside the pur-
view Of the United States. The war aim
of our country must be and is TO destroy
that German doctrine which, applied to
American citizens and American property,
has led to our participation in the war.
II is fact that a remuneration Of this
doctrine and this policy by Germany would
necessitate the evacuation and restoration
Of Belgium, the evacuation and restoration
by Austria Of Serbia, quite as much as It
would involve the abandonment Of the sub
marine warfare as II is now conducted.
But since the United States has entered
the war, not because Of Belgium or of Ser
bia, but because Of the application Of the
German policy 10 the United States the
war aims Of the United States are not
directly concerned even with the question
Of Belgium or the question Of Serbia.
The United States, for the safety Of It's
own citizens. in defence Of It's own prop