The Washington herald., 1918-06-05
The Link.

German submarines on this side of the At
lantc; American soldiers the other side
and yesterday received their baptism of blood in
the historic battle for Paris"
The lurking OF the U-boat off American ports
spells desperation; the. fighting OF Americans along
the Marne and the Ourcq spells destiny. One is
the wild lunge OF a firing foeman; the other is
merely the first but carefully planned try-out of
American strength in the thick of the fight.
Prussianism is waning Americansm is waxing
The new world is not alone going to redress the
balance OF the old. If sacrifice were merely to
set the scales between the nations in equilibrium
again, it would not be worth the cost. We are
not in the for selfish purposes, but assurcdly
we arc not in it to sustain Europe in its age-old
tradition that it must remain an armed camp.
PruSSianism could sustain defeat at the hands
OF France, could sustain a defeat at the hands of
Britain; but it cannot sustain defeat at the hands
OF the United States. France and Britain, without
aid, perhaps could dam the flood at their gates
but they could not prevent the poisoned deuge
from spreading the East and turning Russia
and the Orient into appanages of the Prussian
idea. They could not prevent Russia from be-
coming mere geographical expression" as Baron
Rorhback calls it.
Prussianism knows that it cannot survive de-
feat at the hands of America because we have made
clean-cut issue of its determination. There is no
question about what we are fighting for Prussia
has no bribe, no sop, to offer the United States.
France she might appease with the return of
Alsace-Lorraine; Britain by the indcmnihcation of
Belgium and other concessions. But there are no
Establishments of this type which she can offer to
America. The victory which we arc after is the
victory OF the American idea. Perhaps it is not
wide of the mark to say that the ultimate obec-
tive of the American armies in France is the Amer-
canization characterization of Europe
The only march to Berlin which appeals to us
is the march OF the American idea. If our legions
should pass under the Brandenburg gate on
Unter den Linden, the rhythmic tramp OF our regi-
ments will have only rerain-it will mean the
end of mitarism. Americansm and militarism
cannot live in the world together. One or
the other must perish.
The American idea is more deadly enemy of
the Prussan military caste than the allied armies
the Western front, either present or future. No
army can break Prussiansm 1t might crush Prus-
Sia, but Prussiansm is concept, IDEAL which
grasping only the gospel of the sword, would feed
its fires defeat, and work ndcfatgably to wipe
out in the blood OF future generations what the
blood OF the present had written.
Armies the German high command knows how
to grapple with. But there other things before
which it is just helpless as before the black
plague. \ few months ago it timorous in the
presence OF the pitifu danger OF infection from
Bolshcvism. Judge what may be its disquictude
as American power IN Europe grows. American
power has the dynamic force OF democracy behind
it, aiming not at the territories OF its enemy but
at the minds OF its people. Bolshevism is a dis
eased Slavic offshoot OF popular rule, misruc.
Americanism is democracy harnessed and into
grated and made powerful
Never yet has Germany through its reptile
press permitted its thought to focus on the posi-
biy that millions OF American soldiers would
fight against her in Europe That has been the
thought intocrable, uncomfortable, impossible.
That the thing ruinous to all German cal
culations, which apparently so thoroughly
and Systematically made to provide for all other
contingencies. America in Europe means an end
OF Prussianism. The Prussians know it. They
have waved armies OF existence and told
their people they are myth. Perhaps is is sort
OF self-hypnoss that leads them to this last and
supreme denial OF theirs OF the truth.
Their U-boat raids comparable in purpose
to the Zeppelin raids on London or the long-range
bombardment OF Paris. Not to hold them in con-
tempt would be to hold too lightly the power of
the American navy, of which rightly so
proud.