The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-14

aggravation under war conditions Is no
matter for surprise.
But there is more than this There
In recent and profoundly significant
alliance between these two agencies OF
unrest. Never was the issue OF a war
nations banded together IN sclf-protec-
ton against a power that Threatened to
overwhelm them.
II was fact of secondary signln-
canoe. perhaps altogether fortutious,
that the majority OF the allied nations
were dcmocracies and that the aE-
gresslve power was an autocracy.
That the conflict was not fundamen-
tally between the two principles was
sufficiently indicated by the presence
OF Russia and Japan in our league.
But the western group to which In
thought we more intimately allied our
selves, was not a little united by a
common democratic consciousness, and
the disappearance OF Russia rendered
more plausible this specious alignment
on the cases OF political principles.
Japan. remote, silent and inconspicu-
ously participant, scarce reminded us
OF our dual character
Not War for Democracy
And so the eXigencles of psychology
cal strategy lured us to another of our
beloved eenernlizations We were
fighting to make the world safe for
democracy. II was no more true than
the other We were fighting to make
the world safe for ourselves, and Incl
dentally. 10 make II safe for Russia
and Japan. for decent folk everywhere,
in short, Who were minded to live and
let live and attend to their own bust
ness. But since we were chiefly con-
scious of ourselves and disposed to
play up our favorite principle, the
temptation thus to generalize was ir-
resistihle.
The enormous popularity of the new
slogan was not due to its aptness as
applied to the international situation.
The response came rather from the
ranks OF those engaged in the class
struggle in all the allied nations, n
struggle whose declared purpose Is the
characterization of industry.
From the first persistent effort
had been made by the champions of in
dustrinl democracy to steal the thun-
der of the big guns on the western
front. Books. articles and speeches
without number attempted to show
that the class struggle was the real is
sue in the world war, The claim was
not made in the interest of the war
many of the claimants were opposed 10
1t altogether-but in the interest of
their own class cause. The effort was
above all to come in strong at the nm
isi1 and the entire peace conference
holding the balance OF power. Thus
IL was hoped to compel that body to
consider issues that the war had not
raised and assured victory of class
rather than n victory of nations
Those engaged in this daring ma
neuver found in the new generaliza-
ton a weapon ideally suited to their
purpose. True. a strict interpreta ton
of the words seemed to make the pro-
gram permissive rather than coercive
as regards democracy itself. but no
one thought of strict interpretations.
Democracy was the main thing and the
one important object was to secure a
democratic peace, peace insurlng
democracy in all lands. conquerer and
conquered alike.
The result has been prodigious ac-
centuation of the class struggle The
legitimacy of the objects sought in this
struggle the writer does not challenge.
For the most part they command his
sympathy. 1t is the method and spirit
that strikes one. The most casual OBJ
server cannot fail to notice the en-
phasis upon revolutionary as opposed
to evolutionary theories of social re-
construction. Confiscation and soviet
rule is its perfectly logical outcome.