Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-04-02

the free peoples Of the world from the
menace and the actual power Of 4 vast
military establishment controlled by an
irresponsible government, which, having
secretly planned to dominate the world,
proceeded to carry out the plan without
regard either to the sacred obligations
Of treaty or the long established prac-
ttces and long cherished principles OF In
ternatlonal action and honor; This
power Is not the German people. 1t Is
tne ruthless master of the German peo-
PIE: 1t Is our business to see to
It that the history Of the rest of the
world Is no longer left to lts handling, !"
President Wilson, August 27, 1917.
THE NATION AND MORAL DUTIES
The rulers Of Germany believe that
they have the right to prevail over all
other nations. They also believe that
the potoer of the state is the only OBJ
ject for which its rulers should strug
gle. Still further, they believe that
moral principles and ideas have no
place in determining the actions of
the state, since the sole duty of the
state is to get power. This Is Ger
man political philosophy. American
political philosophy, from the very be-
ginning of our institutions, has op-
posed this theory, and now in this war
is fghttng against it. For the Ger.
man theory necessarily carries with 1t
utter denial of the claims of moral
feeling, of international right, Of hui
man decency and chivalry.
The German historian, Treitschke,
at whose feet princes and rulers sat,
eagerly absorbing his teachings, de-
voted his life to spreading this gospel
of Potoer. 1t is true, he said sneer-
ingly, that "a stock Of Inherited con-
ceptions of integrity and morality is
a necessity for government" (useful,
that subjects of the state be obedtent) !,
but "the end all and be all of a
state is Power" THE state is the
sole judge of the morality of it's own
actions. 1t is, in fact, above morality,
or, in other words, whatever is nee
essary is moral"
From this it follows, in international
relations, that there is no rule or
guide to conduct except self-interest.
In this present war follower Of
Treitschke, one of the leading COM
mon-school educators of Germany,
Kirschensteiner of Munich, drives
home the theory. "The great lesson
which the German people has had to
learn is to think in terms of power
. Let no one here say that
small states, too, can have a national
life of their own. True, SO long as
the great states around them allow
them to exist. But any day may see
the end Of their existence, in spite
of all treaties to the contrary.
Neither alliances nor treaties provide
the least security -. There are
no ethical friendships betsoeen stGtes
in our day. There are only
friendships of convenience. And friend
ships of convenience last just as long
as the convenience itself"
Professor Gutenberg of Leipzig sums
it up, "All ethical considerations are
completely alien to the state and the
state must therefore resolutely keep
them at arms length"
Can we wonder that the German
Foreign Secretary spoke of the broken
treaty with Belgium as a ''scrap of
paper?" or that the school children
of Germany celebrated the sinking of
the LusitGaiG? or that German agents
in America, smoothly friendly in ap-
pearance, secretly plotted, before we
were in the war, to destroy our in,
dustries, our railways, even our lives
Is there no such thing any more
as a common humanity-no decent
respect to the opinion of mankind" )"
as Thomas jefferson stated it in the
Declaration of Independence? Is our
ideal of righteousness, yes. even of
unselfishness, impossible in interna-
tional politics? This aoGr, If Germany
is defeated, mag decide these Qaes-
tiOns, but If Germany aoins, the strug.
gle has but Just begun.
This American democracy of our
denies, and has always denied. the
German theory; it asserts that the
laws which formulate the duties of
men toward each other are binding
upon nations equally with individuals.
For centuries civilization has been
slowly advancing from ignorance,
prejudice, and selfishness toward sym
pathy, understanding, and a desire to
see Justice DONE whether between in.
dividuals or nations. The "be all and
end all" Of a state is not Power-it
is Justice.
And the German government has
left us in no doubt as to the results
of her theory, in application. That
government has broken solemn
treaty with Belgium, ordered the muir
der of innocent hostages, bombarded
unfortified towns, torpedoed unarmed
passenger ships, destroyed works of
art where they could not be carried
to Germany, plotted secret war against
neutral nations-dE of them actions
she once pledged herself to forego-
has lost, in short, all sense, appar-
emily, that she is dragging the former
good name of the German people
through a mire Of dishonor, the stain
of which will not be removed for
generations. Against this mad phi
losophy and mad government the war
must be waged, until they are de-
feated, or there is no safety for men
or nations.
This is the third Of a series Of ten
articles by Professor Adams