New-York tribune., 1918-12-23
On Being American
By Fabian Franklin

ID EADERS of The Tribune have doubt
AN less read with great interest Mr.. ?.
w. Wilson's article "On Being English" and
Mr.. Francis Hacketts reply entitled con
Being Fair" l do not desire to enter into
the specific controversy between these two
gentlemen; but the issue which lies behind
that controversy is one upon which it is
of the utmost Importance that there shall
be no cloudiness in the public mind.
From the very beginning of the great
struggle in Europe the contention of paci-
fists, of pro-Germans and of those who,
while neither pacifst nor pro- o-German,
were not in sympathy with the pro-Ally
sentiment, which from the outset was the
dominant sentiment of Americans, insisted
that the Entente nations We're not free
from the taint Of imperialism, that they
were more or less guilty of the same faults
those for which Germany was branded
and that accordingly there was no such
vital object in bringing about the defeat of
Germany as would justify the sacrifices
necessary for the attainment of decisive
ent, for promoting compromise peace in
Europe was eagerly hailed by these peo-
pie; and as for the possibility of our own
country becoming full-fedged belligerent,
pledged to fight to the bitter end, this was
looked upon by them with unmitigated hor-
ror. They never for moment recognized
that there was at stake in the war any
nrbic
the standpoint of it's own honor and safety
or from that of its interest in the pres
ervation of democratic ideals, was called
upon to sacrifice its blood and treasure
The attitude represented by Mr.. Hackett's
article is but this same attitude in another
aspect. just as the war was not worth
undertaking because of any special, any
overshadowing evil embodied in the Ger
man menace to democracy and civilization.
so the victory, that it has been won.
will mean nothing unless it assures perma-
nent and universal peace, extirpates everv
trace of imperialism and brings about in the
Entente countries, and especially in the
British Empire, the complete establishment
of the abstract ideals to the promotion of
which we and our allies have avowed our
DEVOTION ou can't profess self-determi-
nation, after ALL" says Mr. Hackett, with
out being asked to practise what you
preach" And to ask Great Britain to prac-
tise what she breaches means, presumably
to demand that she shall make Ireland and
India independent nations.
There are minds no doubt to which this
simple view of national and international
obligations appeals as the acme of Justice
and wisdom minds, namely, to which actu
allties count for little or nothing and ab
stract aspirations for everything The
same intellectual and moral predisposition
which would have suffered the German ter-
ror to have its way because those who
were pouring out their blood and treasure
to quell it were not white rohed angels nou
insists that the prodigious task confronting
the victors shall be made still more oro-
digious by including in it the solution of
age-long problems with which the war it.
self had no concern. That this attitude :
one not of wisdom but of folly is so plain
to most men of common sense that ars,u
ment is needless; but it may not be super
fiuous to point out that it is no less opposed
to the spirit and tradition Of America than
to the dictates of sound reason.
We are all fond of saying that America
is a land of ideals; and it is true. The