The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-05

denial Of the idea of world domina
tion.
lnternationalism is the method
which has been adopted for regulat.
ing the relations OF these separate po
iitical organizations. Rules of conduc
nave been generally adopted to which
all members of the family of nation.
have in the past rendered obedience
Ihe ideal of internationalism has o
course not been completely realized
but enough progress had been made
prior to the outbreak of the presen,
war TO justify the belief that a rea.
sonable approximation to that idea
would ultimately be reached. Nc
country perhaps has in the past cen.
tury contributed more to the realiza
uon or the ideals of internationalisn
than the United States. This coun.
try has always stood for those prin
ciples the application of which would
on the one hand, lessen the probab-
iiity OF the development of hostile re-
lations between states and on the 9th.
er, would offer a means for the peace
ful settlement of such disputes a.
might arrive. Americas past histor,
mus causes her to have a peculiar
interest in the further deyelopmen,
OF the principles Of internationalism.
The maintenance even of the ac.
cepted principles of internationalism
Is. however, inconsistent with the con
ccption of world control which is al
present the handspring of German
policy That policy can not recognize
any such thing as equality anon
political groups. All must be subordi
mated to the one great power II
therefore, we are to hope for the fur
ther development Of an international
life We must fight to the death Ger.
man pretensions.
The second characteristic of mod
ern European life has been the de
Velopment of democracy. Democratic
Ideas originated in England. The,
we're brought to this country when
was coionized and received de-
velopment which was hardly dreamed
OF In the land of their birth. Thence
they spread to FraRce and through
France to most Of western Europe
Inc seeds of democratic ideas fell
however, in Germany among this
thorns Of autOcratic government and
the thorns sprung up and choke,
them. Just as the French revolution
and the Napoleonic wars brought de-
mocracy to most of western Europe
SO the present war has given it I,
Russia, where autocracy in it's extreme
form had been able to maintain il
self.
We have therefore allied agains.
German autocracy practically all o
western Europe, together with Japan
Nussia, and the United States. II the
lntocratic governments of the centra
>owers are successful in this war. dc.
nocracy will be judged a failure an6
he struggle and agony Of centuries
viii have gone almost for naught.
In other words, most of the thing.
Tor the realization of which the found
srs OF this country struggled and 70,
which Americans have stood durinc
our century or more of independent
political existence are at issue in thi'
war. The national State with it's in
cidents, internationalism, self-govcrn.
ment, and democracy, all are i'm
periled. The war is thus an Ameri
can war even IL no single battle is
fought on our own soil. If, which Goe
forbid, through the victory of the cen
trail powers over our European allies
the conflict were brought to oui
shores, our efforts would in all prob
ability be but the desperate struggle
Of the victim whose fate was due
to the fact that beguiled by the fai,
speech OF the oppressor he began too
late to fight.