New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-03-03
a World in Travail

In more than a century the face of the
world, politically has changed little. The
huge upheaval which ended with the Ma
relative quiescence.
In this century or moro a German en-
pre- has been born. But it was little more
than q change OF name and of government
for the loose confederation of German
states. Italy has won back its indencn-
dence. Turkey has been shorn of much
Of its territory
The British Empire has not been much
enlarged. Her huge possessions in North
America, in Australia, IN Asia, she had
then as now. She has added some to her
territory in Africa and taken over The
rule Of Egypt.
South America has been wholly wrested
from the grip of Spain and Portugal. A
dozen republics have been carved out Of
their former holdings
The United States has expanded a little
by the annexation of Texas, the Gadsden
Purchase and Alaska. Aside from this, to
the south as we'll as to the north, our neigh
same,
The widely extended boundaries Of
China have not been altered Japan has
awakened to a now life, but has rot as vet
heen able much to enlarge her territories.
In three years greater changes have
been wrought than in the whole period
Tor example, since the formation of the
American Republic and its purchase of
the great territories Of the Middle West.
Are We only at the beginning of vast
recastina Of the limits OF nations and en-
pres? II we have really embarked in a
long and stubborn struggle, such as used
to characterize the nations of Europe in
the centuries preceding, the conclusion NAV
be momentous
At the moment it seems as if Germany
already holds within its grasp control Of
The larger part of what was once the Rus
sian Empire. 1t has linked together al
ready fairly cohesive unit of the four
allied powers, with q total population OK
ceeding $50 millions. If it should gain
tho suzerainty Of Russia it would have 10
millions more
Such prodigious power would almost
inevitably force defensive union of Tie
whole Anglo-SaXon race. The English
speaking peoples now form probably the
largest numbers speaking a single tongue.
This is said with due consideration of the
millions in China, and in India as well The
rapldity OF spread Of the English language
over the earth has no parallel since pos
slbly the days OF Roman dominion
If the Quadruple Alliance succeeds in
It's farreachiAg Russian plans an Anglo
American empire, in some form, would
be almost q defensive necessity. In more
ways than one
II for another hundred years the empire
OF tins earth is to be retained by military
force, in even larger sense than in the l,st
century, it is hardly probable that a people
with the restless e~ergy of the japanese
would rot be fred by the success Of Ger
man arms and endeavor to repeat it in he
Far East. Against their attack China
mIZht readily prove another Russia.
Three world empires would present
strange problems. Another world strup-
pie, at the end perhaps of another cen
fury, would be the almost inevitable
outcome.
Is the liberation of the nations. is a
world peace, possible only through fire and
the sword? Are disarmament and a tr;-
bunal Of the nations as remote dream as
when the Napoleonc ambition was at last
curbed?
These are things which, as a nation. we
must begin seriously to consider. Our own
destiny ~ no longer III our own hands