Second。TheEnglishareblunterthanwe。Theytalktousastheywouldtalktothemselves。Thewaywetakeitrevealsthatwearetoooftenthin-skinned。Recentpeopleareapttobethin-skinnedandself-consciousandself-assertive,whilethosewithathousandyearsoftraditionwouldhavethickerhidesandwouldneverfeelitnecessarytoassertthemselves。GiveanEnglishmanasgoodashegivesyou,andyouarecertaintowinhisrespect,andprobablyhisregard。InthisconnectionseemyanecdoteabouttheTommiesandYankeeswhophysicallyfoughtitout,andcompareitwiththeSalisbury,thevanSquibber,andtheopiumtradeanecdotes。\"Treat\'emrough,\"whentheytreatyourough:theylikeit。Only,besureyoudoitintherightway。
Third。Wedifferbecausewearealike。ThatAmericanwhostoodinthetheatrecomplainingaboutthesixpencehedidn\'thavetopayathomeisexactlylikeEnglishmenIhaveseencomplainingabouttheunexpectedhere。Wesharenotonlythesamemother-tongue,weshareeveryotherfundamentalthinguponwhichourwelfarerestsandourlivesarecarriedon。Welikethesamethings,wehatethesamethings。Wehavethesamenotionsaboutjustice,law,conduct;aboutwhatamanshouldbe,aboutwhatawomanshouldbe。Itislikethemother-tongueweshare,yetspeakwithadifference。
Takethemother-tongueforaparableandsymbolofalltherest。Justastheword\"girl\"isidenticaltooursightbutnottoourhearing,andmeansoh!quitethesamethingthroughoutusallinallitsmeanings,sothatidentityofnaturewhichwesharecomesoftentothesurfaceindifferentguise。OurloquacityestrangestheEnglishman,hissilenceestrangesus。BehindthatsilencebeatstheEnglishheart,warm,constant,andtrue;noneotherlikeitonearth,exceptourownatitsbest,beatingbehindourloquacity。
Thusfarmyanecdotescarryme。Maytheyhelpsomereadertoabetterunderstandingofwhathehasmisunderstoodheretofore!
NoanecdotesthatIcanfindthoughIamsurethattheyaretobefound
willillustrateonedifferencebetweenthetwopeoples,verynoticeableto-day。Itisincreasing。AnEnglishmannotonlystickscloserthanabrothertohisownrights,herespectstherightsofhisneighborjustasstrictly。WeAmericansarelosingourgriponthis。Itisthebottomofthewholething。Itisthemoralkeystoneofdemocracy。Howsoeverwemaytalkaboutourownrightsto-day,wepaylessandlessrespecttothoseofourneighbors。Theresultisthatto-daythereismorelibertyinEnglandthanhere。Libertyconsistsanddependsuponrespectingyourneighbor\'srightseverybitasfairlyandsquarelyasyourown。
Ontheotherhand,IwonderiftheEnglishareasgoodlosersasweare?
Hardlyanythingthattheycoulddowouldrubusmorethewrongwaythantodenytousthatfairplayinsportwhichtheyaccordeachother。I
shallnotmorethanmentionthematchbetweenourBeniciaBoyandtheirTomSayers。OfthistheEnglishversionisasdefectiveasourschool-bookaccountoftheRevolution。Ishallalsopassovervariousotherinternationaleventsthataresomewhatwellknown,andIwillillustratethepointwithananecdoteknowntobutafew。
CrossingtheoceanweresomeyoungEnglishandAmericans,whogotupaninternationaltug-of-war。Afriendofminewasanchorofourteam。Wehappenedtowin。Theydidn\'ttakeitverywell。Oneofthemsaidtotheanchor:
\"Doyouknowwhyyoupulledusovertheline?\"
\"No。\"
\"Becauseyouhadalltheblackguardsonyoursideoftheline。\"
\"Doyouknowwhywehadalltheblackguardsonoursideoftheline?\"
inquiredtheAmerican。
\"No。\"
\"Becausewepulledyouovertheline。\"
InoneofmyanecdotesIusedthetermSamJohnsontodescribeanEnglishmanofacertaintype。Dr。SamuelJohnsonwasaverymarkedspecimenofthetype,andalmosttheonlyillustriousEnglishmanoflettersduringourRevolutionarytroubleswhowasnotourfriend。Rightdownthroughtheyearseversince,therehavebeenSamJohnsonswritingandsayingunfavorablethingsaboutus。TheTorymustbeeternal,asmuchastheWhigorLiberal;andbotharealwaysneeded。TherewillprobablyalwaysbeSamJohnsonsinEngland,justliketheonewhowasscandalizedbyourChicagopacking-housedisclosures。NolongeragothanJune1,1919,aSamJohnson,whowasdiscussingthePeaceTreaty,saidinmyhearing,inLondon:
\"TheYankeesshouldn\'thavebeenbroughtintoanyconsultation。TheyaidedandabettedGermany。\"
InLittell\'sLivingAgeofJuly20,1918,pages151-160,youmayreadaninterestingaccountofBritishwritersontheUnitedStates。Thebygoneoneswereprettypreposterous。Theysatirizedthenewnessofanewcountry。ItwaslikevisitingtheEsquimauxandcomplainingthattheygrewnopineapplesandworeskins。InLittellyouwillfindhowfewaretherecentSamJohnsonsascomparedwiththerecentfriendlywriters。Youwillalsoberemindedthatouranti-EnglishcomplexwasdiscernedgenerationsagobyWashingtonIrving。HesaidinhisSketchBookthatwritersinthiscountrywere\"instillingangerandresentmentintothebosomofayouthfulnation,togrowwithitsgrowthandtostrengthenwithitsstrength。\"
AndhequotesfromtheEnglishQuarterlyReview,whichinthatearlydayalreadywroteofAmericaandEngland:
\"Thereisasacredbondbetweenusbybloodandbylanguagewhichnocircumstancescanbreak……Nationsaretooreadytoadmitthattheyhavenaturalenemies;whyshouldtheybelesswillingtobelievethattheyhavenaturalfriends?\"
Itisweourselvesto-day,notEngland,thatarepushingfriendshipaway。
Itisourpoliticians,papers,andpropagandistswhoaremakingthetroubleandthenoise。InEnglandthewilltofriendshiprules,hasruledforalongwhile。Doesthewilltohaterulewithus?DowepreferGermany?DoweprefertheindependenceofIrelandtothepeaceoftheworld?
ChapterXVI:AnInternationalImpostureApartoftheIrishisaskingourvoiceandourgoldtohelpindependenceforthewholeoftheIrish。IndependenceisnotdesiredbythewholeoftheIrish。IrishmenofUlsterhaveplainlysaidso。Everybodyknowsthis。
RomanCatholicsthemselvesarenotunanimous。Onlysomeofthemdesireindependence。These,knownasSinnFein,appealtousfordeliverancefromtheirconquerorandoppressor;theydwellupontheoppressionofEnglandbeneathwhichIrelandisnowcrushed。TheyrefertoEngland\'sbrutalandunjustifiableconquestoftheIrishnationsevenhundredandforty-eightyearsago。
Whatisthetruth,whatarethefacts?
Byhisbull\"Laudabiliter,\"in1155,PopeAdriantheFourthinvitedtheKingofEnglandtotakechargeofIreland。In1172PopeAlexandertheThirdconfirmedthisbyseveralletters,atpresentpreservedintheBlackBookoftheExchequer。Accordingly,HenrytheSecondwenttoIreland。AllthearchbishopsandbishopsofIrelandmethimatWaterford,receivedhimaskingandlordofIreland,vowingloyalobediencetohimandhissuccessors,andacknowledgingfealtytothemforever。TheseprelateswerefollowedbythekingsofCork,Limerick,Ossory,Meath,andbyReginaldofWaterford。RoderickO\'Connor,KingofConnaught,joinedthemin1175。AlltheseacceptedHenrytheSecondofEnglandastheirLordandKing,swearingtobeloyaltohimandhissuccessorsforever。
SuchwasEngland\'sbrutalandunjustifiableconquestofIreland。
Irelandwasnotanation,itwasatribalchaos。TheIrishnationofthatdayisalegend,amyth,builtbypoeticimagination。Duringthecen-
turiessucceedingHenrytheSecond,weremanyerasofviolenceandbloodshed。Inreadingthestory,itishardtosaywhichsidecommittedthemostcrimes。Duringthosesamecenturies,violenceandbloodshedandoppressionexistedeverywhereinEurope。UndoubtedlyEnglandwasveryoppressivetoIrelandattimes;butsincethedaysofGladstoneshehassteadilyendeavoredtorelieveIreland,withtheresultthattodaysheisoppressingIrelandratherlessthanourFederalGovernmentisoppressingMassachusetts,orSouthCarolina,oranyState。BytheWyndhamLandActof1903,Irelandwasplacedinapositionsoadvantageous,soutterlythereverseofoppression,thatDillon,thepresentleader,hastenedtoob-
structtheoperationoftheAct,lesttheIrishgeniusforgrievancemightperishfromstarvation。Examinethestateofthingsforyourself,I
cannotswellthisbookwiththedetails;theyareasaccessibletoyouasthefewfactsabouttheconquestwhichIhavejustnarrated。Examinethefacts,butevenwithoutexaminingthem,askyourselfthisquestion:WithCanada,Australia,andallthoseothercoloniesthatIhavenamedabove,satisfiedwithEngland\'srule,hasteningtoherassistance,andwithonlyIrelandsellingherselftoGermany,isitnotjustpossiblethatsomethingisthematterwithIrelandratherthanwithEngland?SinnFeinwillhearofnoHomeRule。SinnFeindemandsindependence。IndependenceSinnFeinwillnotget。NotonlybecauseoftheoutragetounconsentingUlster,butalsobecauseBritain,havingjustgotridofoneHeligolandtotheEast,willnotpermitanothertostartupontheWest。AsearlyasAugust25th,1914,mentioninGermanpaperswasmadeofthepresenceinBerlinofCasementandofhismissiontoinviteGermanytostepintoIrelandwhenEnglandwasfightingGermany。Thetrafficwentsteadilyonfromthattime,andbrokeoutintherevolutionandthecrimesinDublinin1916。EnglanddiscoveredtheplanoftherevolutionjustintimetofoilthelandinginIrelandofGermany,whomIrelandhadinvitedthere。
WereEnglandseekingtobreakloosefromIreland,shecouldsueIrelandforadivorceandnametheKaiserasco-respondent。Anycourtwouldgrantit。
ThepartofIrelandwhichdoesnotdesireindependence,whichdesiresitsolittlethatitwasreadytoresistHomeRulebyforcein1914,isthesteady,thrifty,clean,coherent,prosperouspartofIreland。Itistheother,theunstablepartofIreland,whichhasdeclaredIrelandtobeaRepublic。ForconvenienceIwilldesignatethispartasGreenIreland,andthethrifty,stablepartasOrangeIreland。Sowhenourpoliticianssympathizewithan\"Irish\"Republic,theybefriendmerelyGreenIreland;theyoffendOrangeIreland。
AmericansarebeingtoldinthesedaysthattheyoweadebtofsupporttoIrishindependence,becausethe\"Irish\"foughtwithusinourownstruggleforIndependence。Yes,theIrishdid,andwedoowethemadebtofsupport。ButitwastheOrangeIrishwhofoughtinourRevolution,nottheGreenIrish。ThereforeinpayingthedebttotheGreenIrishandclamoringfor\"Irish\"independence,wearedoublecrossingtheOrangeIrish。
\"ItisacuriousfactthatintheRevolutionaryWartheGermansandCatholicIrishshouldhavefurnishedthebulkoftheauxiliariestotheregularEnglishsoldiers;……ThefiercestandmostardentAmericansofall,however,werethePresbyterianIrishsettlersandtheirdescendants。\"HistoryofNewYork,p。133,byTheodoreRoosevelt。
Next,inwhatmannerhavetheGreenIrishincurredourthanks?
TheymadetheancientandhonorableassociationofTammanytheirown。
OnceitwasAmerican。NowTammanyisGreenIrish。IdonotbelievethatI
needpausetotellyoumuchaboutTammany。ItdefeatedMitchel,aloyalbuthonestCatholic,andthebestMayorofNearYorkinthirtyyears。Itisadespotismbuiltoncorruptionandfear。
DuringourCivilWar,itwastheGreenIrishthatresistedthedraftinNewYork。Theywouldnotfight。YouhaveheardofthedraftriotsinNewYorkin1862。TheywouldnotfightfortheConfederacyeither。
Duringthefollowingdecade,inPennsylvania,anassociation,calledtheMollyMaguires,terrorizedthecoalregionsuntiltheirreignofassas-
sinationwasbroughttoanendbythedetection,conviction,andexecutionoftheirringleaders。ThesewereGreenIrish。
InCorkandQueenstownduringtherecentwar,ourAmericansailorswereassaultedandstonedbytheGreenIrish,becausetheyhadcometohelpfightGermany。Theseassaults,andtheretaliationstowhichtheyled,becamesoseriousthatnonavalmenundertherankofCommanderwerepermittedtogotoCork。LeadingcitizensofCorkcametobegthatthisorderberescinded。But,uponbeingcross-examined,itwasfoundthattheGreenIrishwhohadmadethetroublehadneverbeenpunished。OfthismanyofushadnewsbeforeAdmiralSimsinTheWorld\'sWorkforNovember,pages63-64,gaveithisauthoritativeconfirmation。
Takingoneconsiderationwithanother,ithardlyseemstomethatourdebttotheGreenIrishissufficientlyheavyforustohinderEnglandforthesakeofhelpingthemandGermany。
NotalltheGreenIrishwereguiltyoftheattacksuponoursailors;notallbyanymeanswerepro-German;andIknowpersonallyofloyalRomanCatholicswhoarewhollyonEngland\'sside,andarewhollyopposedtoSinnFein。Manysucharehere,manyinIreland:themIdonotmean。ItisSinnFeinthatImean。
In1918,whenEnglandwithherbacktothewallwasfightingGermany,theGreenIrishkilledthedraft。Herefollowing,IgivesomespecificinstancesofwhattheRomanCatholicpriestssaid。
April21st。AftermassatCastletown,BearHaven,FatherBrennanorderedhisflocktoresistconscription,takethesacrament,andtobereadytoresisttothedeath;suchdeathinsuringthefullbenedictionofGodandhisChurch。Ifthepoliceresorttoforce,letthepeoplekillthepoliceastheywouldkillanyonewhothreatenedtheirlives。Ifsoldierscameinsupportofthedraft,letthembetreatedlikethepolice。Policemenandsoldiersdyingintheirattempttocarryoutthedraftlaw,woulddietheenemiesofGod,whilethepeoplewhoresistedthemwoulddieinpeacewithGodandunderthebenedictionofhisChurch。
FatherLynchsaidinchurchatRyehill:\"Resistthedraftbyeverymeansinyourpower。AnyminionoftheEnglishGovernmentwhofiresuponyou,aboveallifheisaCatholic,commitsamortalsinandGodwillpunishhim。\"
InthechapelatKilgarvanFatherMurphysaid:\"EveryIrishmanwhohelpstoapplythedraftinIrelandisnotonlyatraitortohiscountry,butcommitsamortalsinagainstGod\'slaw。\"
AtmassinScarifftheRev。JamesMacInerneysaid:\"NoIrishCatholic,whateverhisstationbe,canhelpthedraftinthiscountrywithoutdenyinghisfaith。\"
April28th。AfterhavinggiventhecommuniontothreehundredmeninthechurchatEyries,CountyCork,FatherGeraldDennehysaid:\"AnyCatholicwhoeitheraspolicemanorasagentofthegovernmentshallassistinapplyingthedraft,shallbeexcommunicatedandcursedbytheRomanCatholicChurch。ThecurseofGodwillfollowhimineveryland。Youcankillhimatsight,Godwillblessyouanditwillbethemostacceptablesacrificethatyoucanoffer。\"
Referringtoanypolicemanwhoshouldattempttoenforcethedraft,FatherMurphysaidatmassinKillenna,\"Anypolicemanwhoiskilledinsuchattemptwillbedamnedinhell,evenifhewasinastateofgracethatverymorning。\"
Ninety-fivepercentofthoseIrishpolicemenwereCatholicsandhadtorespectthecommandsofthosepriests。
IrelandisEngland\'sbusiness,notours。Buttheword\"self-determination\"appearstohypnotizesomeAmericans。Wemustnotbehypnotizedbythisword。Itisuponthe\"principle\"expressedinthiswordthatoursympathieswiththeIrishRepublicareasked。ThesixnortheasterncountiesofUlster,onthe\"principle\"ofself-determination,shouldbeseparatedfromtheIrishRepublic。ButtheGreenIrishwillnotlistentothat。ProtestantsinUlsterhadtolistenintheirownchiefcitytoSinnFeinrejoicingsoverGermanvictories。
Therebellionof1916,whenSinnFeinopenedthebackdoorthatEngland\'senemiesmightenteranddestroyher——thisdastardlytreasonwasmadebloodybycowardlyviolence。Theunarmedandtheunsuspectingwereshotdownandstabbedincoldblood。Later,soldierswhocamehomefromthefront,woundedsoldierstoo,werepersecutedandassaulted。ThemenofUlsterdon\'twishtofallunderthepoweroftheGreenIrish。
\"WedonotknowwhethertheBritishstatesmenarerightinassertingaconnectionbetweenIrishrevolutionaryfeelingandGermanpropaganda。ButinsuchaconnectionweshouldseenosignofabadGermanpolicy。\"ThuswroteaPrussiandeputyinDasGrossereDeutschland。Thatwasoverthere。
Thiswasoverhere:——
\"ThefraternalunderstandingwhichunitestheAncientOrderofHiberniansandtheGerman-AmericanAlliancereceivesourunqualifiedendorsement。
ThisunityofeffortinallmattersofapublicnatureintendedtocircumventtheeffortsofEnglandtosecureanAnglo-Americanalliancehavebeenproductiveofverysuccessfulresults。ThecongratulationsofthoseofuswholiveundertheflagoftheUnitedStatesareextendedtoourGerman-Americanfellowcitizensupontheconquestswonbythefatherland,andweassurethemofourunshakenconfidencethattheGermanEmpirewillcrushEnglandandaidintheliberationofIreland,andbearealdefenderofsmallnations。\"SeetheBostonHeraldofJuly22,1916。
DuringourCivilWar,in1862,aresolutionofsympathywiththeSouthwasstifledinParliament。
OnJune6,1919,ourSenatepassed,withonedissentingvoice,thefollowing,offeredbySenatorWalsh,democrat,ofMassachusetts:
\"Resolved,thattheSenateoftheUnitedStatesexpressitssympathywiththeaspirationsoftheIrishpeopleforagovernmentofitsownchoice。\"
WhatEnglandwouldnotdofortheSouthin1862,wenowdoagainstEnglandourally,againstUlster,ourfriendinourRevolution,andinsupportofEngland\'senemies,SinnFeinandGermany。
Irelandhaslessthan4,500,000inhabitants;Ulster\'sshareisaboutonethird,anditsProtestantsoutnumberitsCatholicsbymorethanthreefourths。Besidessuchreprisalsastheysawwroughtuponwoundedsoldiers,theyknowthattheGreenIrishwhoinsistthatUlsterbelongtotheirRepublic,dosobecausetheyplantomakeprosperousandthriftyUlstertheirmilchcow。
Leteveryfair-mindedAmericanpause,then,beforegivinghissympathytoanindependentIrishRepublicontheprincipleofself-determination,oroutofgratitudetotheGreenIrish。LethimrememberthatitwastheOrangeIrishwhohelpedusinourRevolution,andthattheOrangeIrishdonotwantanindependentIrishRepublic。Therewillbenone;ourinterferencemerelymakesGermanyhappyandpossiblyprolongstheexistingchaos;buttherewillbenone。BeforesuchloyalandthinkingCatholicsasthegentlemanwhosaidtomethatwordabout\"spoilingtheshipforaha\'pennyworthoftar,\"andbeforeafirmandcoherentpolicyonEngland\'spart,SinnFeinwillfadelikeapoisonousmist。
ChapterXVII:PaintSoldiersofours——manysoldiers,Iamsorrytosay——havecomebackfromCoblenzandotherplacesintheblackspot,sayingthattheyfoundtheinhabitantsoftheblackspotkindandagreeable。TheygivethisreasonforlikingtheGermansbetterthantheydotheEnglish。TheyfoundtheGermansagreeable,theEnglishnotagreeable。Well,thisamountstosomethingasfarasitgoes:buthowfardoesitgo,andhowmuchdoesitamountto?Haveyoueverseenanautomobilepainteduptolooklikenew,anditbrokedownbeforeithadruntenmiles,andyoufounditsinsideswerewrong?Wouldyoubuyanautomobileonthestrengthofthepaint?
Englandoftenneedspaint,butherinsidesareallright。Ifoursoldierslooknodeeperthanthepaint,ifourvoterslooknofurtherthanthepaint,ifourdemocracyneverlooksatanythingbutthepaint,Godhelpourdemocracy!OfcoursetheGermanswereagreeabletooursoldiersafterthearmistice!
AgreeableGermany!——whosanktheLusitania;whosankfivethousandBritishmerchantshipswiththelossoffifteenthousandmen,women,andchildren,allmurderedatsea,withoutachancefortheirlives;whofiredonboat-loadsoftheshipwrecked,whostoodonhersubmarineandlaughedatthedrowningpassengersofthetorpedoedFalaba。
DisagreeableEngland!——whosankfivehundredGermanshipswithoutpermittingasinglelifetobelost,whoneverfiredashotuntilprovisionhadbeenmadeforthesafetyofpassengersandcrews。
AgreeableGermany!——who,assheretreated,poisonedwellsandgassedthecitizensfromwhosevillageshewasrunningaway;whowreckedthechurchesandthehomesofthehelplessliving,andbombedthetombsofthehelplessdead;whowrenchedfamiliesapartinthenight,takingtheirboystoslaveryandtheirgirlstowholesaleviolation,leavingtheoldpeopletowanderinlonelinessanddie;whoinherraidsuponEnglandslaughteredthreehundredandforty-twowomen,andkilledorinjuredsevenhundredandfifty-sevenchildren,andmadeinallalistoffourthousandfivehundredandsixty-eight,bombedbyherairmen;whosetrainednursesmetourwoundedandcapturedmenattherailroadtrainsandheldoutcupsofwaterforthemtosee,andthenpouredthemonthegroundorspatinthem。
DisagreeableEngland!——whosecoloniesrushedtohelpher:Canada,whowithineightweeksafterwarhadbeendeclared,camewithavoluntaryarmyofthirty-threethousandmen;whostoodhergroundagainstthatfirstmeetingwiththepoisongasandsavednotonlytheday,butpossiblythewholecause;whoby1917hadsentoverfourhundredthousandmentohelpdisagreeableEngland;whogaveherwealth,herfood,hersubstance;whopouredeverysymbolofaidandloveintodisagreeableEngland\'slaptohelpherbeatagreeableGermany。ThusdidallEngland\'scoloniesofferandbringboththemselvesandtheirresources,fromthesmallesttothegreatest;littleNewfoundland,whoseregimentgavesuchheroicaccountofitselfatGallipoli;Australiawhocamewithhercruisers,andwithalsoherarmiestotheWestFrontandinSouthAfrica;
NewZealandwhocamefromtheothersideoftheworldwithmenandmoney——
threemillionpoundsingift,notloan,fromonemillionpeople。AndtheBoers?TheBoers,wholatestofall,nottwentyyearsbefore,hadbeenatwarwithEngland,andconqueredbyher,andthenbyherhadbeengivenaBoerGovernment。WhatdidtheBoersdo?InspiteoftheKaiser\'stelegramofsympathy,inspiteofhisplansandhishopes,theytoo,likeCanadaandNewZealandandalltherest,sidedoftheirownfreewillwithdisagreeableEnglandagainstagreeableGermany。TheyfirststampedoutaGermanrebellion,instigatedintheirmidst,andthentheseBoerslefttheirfarms,andcametoEngland\'said,anddroveGermanpowerfromSouthwestAfrica。AnddoyourememberthewirethatcamefromIndiatoLondon?\"WhatordersfromtheKing-Emperorformeandmymen?\"ThesewerethewordsoftheMaharajahofRewa;andthusspoketherestofIndia。ThetroopsshesentcapturedNeueChapelle。FromfirsttolasttheyfoughtinmanyplacesfortheCauseofEngland。
Whatdowords,orpropaganda,whatdoesanythingcountinthefaceofsuchfactsasthese?
AgreeableGermany!——whoaddressesherGod,\"ThouwhodwellesthighabovetheCherubim,SeraphimandZeppelin\"——ParsonDiedrichVorwerckinhisvolumeHurrahandHallelujah。Germany,whosays,\"ItisbettertoletahundredwomenandchildrenbelongingtotheenemydieofhungerthantoletasingleGermansoldiersuffer\"——GeneralvonderGoltzinhisTenIronCommandmentsoftheGermanSoldier;Germany,whosesoldierobeysthosecommandmentsthus:\"Iamsendingyouaringmadeoutofapieceofshell……DuringthebattleofBudonvillerIdidawaywithfourwomenandsevenyounggirlsinfiveminutes。TheCaptainhadtoldmetoshoottheseFrenchsows,butIpreferredtorunmybayonetthroughthem\"——privateJohannWengertohisGermansweetheart,datedPeronne,March16,1915。
Germany,whosenewspapertheCologneVolkszettungdeploredthedoingsofherKulturonlandandseathus:\"MuchaswedetestitashumanbeingsandasChristians,yetweexultinitasGermans。\"
AgreeableGermany!——whoseKaiser,ifhisfleethadbeenlarger,wouldhavetakenusbythescruffoftheneck。
\"ThenThou,AlmightyOne,sendThylightnings!
Letdwellingsandcottagesbecomeashesintheheatoffire。
Letthepeopleinhordesburnanddrownwithwifeandchild。
Maytheirseedbetrampledunderourfeet;
Maywekillgreatandsmallinthelustofjoy。
Mayweplungeourdaggersintotheirbodies,MayPolandreekintheglowoffireandashes。\"
ThatisanotherverseofGermany\'shymn,hateforPoland;thatisherwayoftakingpeoplebythescruffoftheneck;andthatiswhatSenatorWalsh\'sresolutionofsympathywithIreland,Germany\'scontemplatedHeligoland,impliesfortheUnitedStates,ifGermany\'sdeferreddayshouldcome。
ChapterXVIII:TheWilltoFriendship——ortheWilltoHate?
Nationsdonotlikeeachother。Noplainerfactstaresatusfromthepagesofhistorysincethebeginning。Arewetositdownunderthisforever?Whyshouldwemakenoattempttochangethisforthebetterinthepagesofhistorythatareyettobewritten?Otherevilshavebeenmadebetter。Inthisverywar,theoutcryagainstGermanyhasbeenbecauseshedeliberatelybroughtbackintowarthecrueltiesandthehorrorsofmorebarbaroustimes,andwithcoldcalculationsofpremeditatedsciencemadethesehorrorsworse。OurrecoilfromthisdeedofhersandwhatithasbroughtupontheworldisseeninourwishforaLeagueofNations。Thethoughtofanymorebattles,tenches,submarines,air-raids,starvation,misery,issounbearabletoourbruisedandstrickenminds,thatwehaveputitintowordswhoseimportis,Letushavenomoreofthis!Wehaveatleastputitintowords。Thatsuchwords,thatsuchaLeague,cannowgrowintosomethingmorethanwords,isthehopeofmany,thedoubtofmany,thebeliefofafew。ItisthebeliefofMr。Wilson;ofMr。Taft;LordBryce;andofLordGrey,aquietEnglishman,whosestatesmanshipduringthoselasttenmurkydaysofJuly,1914,whenhestrovetoavertthedreadfulyearsthatfollowed,willshinebrightandpermanent。Wemustnotbechilledbythedoubters。
EspeciallyistheschemedoubtedindearoldEurope。DearoldEuropeissoold;wearesoyoung;wecausehertosmile。Yetitisnotsuchacontemptiblethingtobeyoungandinnocent。Only,yourinnocence,whileitmakesyouanidealist,mustnotblindyoutothefacts。Yourideamustnotrestuponsand。Itmusthavealittlerocktostartwith。ThenearestrockinsightisfriendshipbetweenEnglandandourselves。
Thewilltofriendship——orthewilltohate?Whichdoyouchoose?WhichdoyouthinkisthebestfoundationfortheLeagueofNations?Doyouimaginethatsolongasnationsdonotlikeeachother,thatmerewordsofgoodintention,writtenonmerepaper,aregoingtobeenough?Writedownthewordsbyallmeans,butseetoitthatbehindyourwordsthereshallexistactualgoodwill。Discouragehistoriesforchildrenandforgrown-upstoowhichbreedinternationaldislike。Suchexistamongusall。Thereisarecentone,writteninEngland,thatneedssomechanges。
ShouldanEnglishmansaytome:
\"Ihavethewilltofriendship。IsthereanyparticularthingwhichIcandotohelp?\"Ishouldanswerhim:
\"Justnow,orinanydaystocome,shouldyoubetemptedtoremindusthatwedidnotprotestagainstthemartyrdomofBelgium,thatwewereabitslowincomingintothewar,——oh,don\'tutterthatreproach!Gobacktoyourownpast;look,forinstance,atyourguaranteetoDenmark,atLordJohnRussell\'swords:\'HerMajestycouldnotseewithindifferenceamilitaryoccupationofHolstein\'——andthenseewhatEnglandshirked;andreadthatscathingsentencespokentoherambassadorinRussia:\'ThenwemaydismissanyideathatEnglandwillfightonapointofhonor。\'Wehadmadeyounosuchguarantee。Wewerethreethousandmilesaway——howfarwasDenmark?
\"Andanotherthing。OnAugust6,1919,whenBritain\'sthankstoherlandandseaforcesweremovedinbothhousesofParliament,thegentlemanwhomovedthemintheHouseofLordssaidsomethingwhich,asitseemstome,addsnothingtothetributehehadalreadypaidsoeloquently。HehadspokenofthegreaterincentivetocouragewhichtheFrenchandBelgianshad,becausetheirhomesandsoilwereinvaded,whileEngland\'ssoldiershadsufferednoinvasionoftheirisland。Theyhadnotthestimulusoftheknowledgethatthefrontieroftheircountryhadbeenviolated,theirhomesbrokenup,theirfamiliesenslaved,orworse。Andthenheadded:\'I
havesometimeswonderedinmyownmind,thoughIhavehardlydaredconfessthesentiment,whetherthegallanttroopsofourAllieswouldhavefoughtwithequalspiritandsolongatimeastheydid,hadtheybeenengagedintheHighlandsofScotlandoronthemarchesoftheWelshborder。\'Whyexpressthatwonder?Istherenothereaninstanceofthatneedlessoverlookingofthefeelingsofothers,bywhich,intimespast,youhavechilledthoseothers?Lookoutforthat。\"
AndshouldanAmericansaytome:
\"Ihavethewilltofriendship。WhatcanIpersonallydo?\"Ishouldsay:
\"Playfair!LookoverourhistoryfromthatTreatyofParisin1783,downthroughtheLouisianaPurchase,theMonroeDoctrine,andManilaBay;lookatthefacts。YouwillseethatnomatterhowacrimoniouslyEnglandhasquarreledwithus,thesewerealwaysfamilyscraps,inwhichsheheldoutforherowninterestsjustaswedidforours。ButwheneverthequestionlaybetweenourselvesandSpain,orFrance,orGermany,oranyforeignpower,Englandstoodwithusagainstthem。
\"Andanotherthing。NotallAmericansboast,butwehaveareputationforboasting。OurSecretaryoftheNavygaveournavythewholecreditfortransportingoursoldierstoEuropewhenEnglanddidmorethanhalfofit。AtAnnapolistherehasbeenaposter,showingabigAmericansailorwithadoughboyonhisback,andunderneaththewords,\'Weputthemacross。\'Abrigadiergeneralhaswrittenabookentitled,HowtheMarinesSavedParis。Besidethemarinesthereweresomeengineers。AndhowaboutMCompanyofthe23rdregimentofthe2ndDivision?ItlostinonedayatChateau-Thierryallitsmenbutseven。Anddidthegeneralforgetthe3rdDivisionbetweenChateau-ThierryandDormans?Don\'tbelikethatbrigadiergeneral,anddon\'tbelikethatAmericanofficerreturningontheLaplandwhotoldtheBritishathistablehewasgladtogethomeaftercleaningupthemesswhichtheBritishhadmade。ResembleaslittleaspossibleourpresentSecretaryoftheNavy。Avoidboasting。Ourcontributiontovictorywasquiteenoughwithoutboasting。Thehead-masterofoneofourgreatschoolshasputitthustohisschoolboyswhofought:Somepeoplehadtoraiseahundreddollars。Afterstrugglingforyearstheycouldonlyraiseseventy-five。Thenamancamealongandfurnishedtheremainingnecessarytwenty-fivedollars。Thatisagoodwaytoputit。Whatgoodwouldourtwenty-fivedollarshavebeen,andwhereshouldwehavebeen,iftheotherfellowshadn\'traisedtheseventy-fivedollarsfirst?\"
ChapterXIX:LionandCubMytaskisdone。IhavediscussedwithasmuchbrevityasIcouldthethreefoundationsofourancientgrudgeagainstEngland:ourschooltextbooks,ourvariouscontroversiesfromtheRevolutiontotheAlaskanboundarydispute,andcertaindifferencesincustomsandmanners。SomeofourhistorianstowhomIreferarethemselvesaffectedbytheancientgrudge。Youwillseethisifyoureadthem;youwillfindthefacts,whichtheygivefaithfully,andyouwillalsofindthattheyoftenandI
thinkunconsciouslycolorsuchfactsasaretoEngland\'sdiscreditandleavepalesuchasaretohercredit,justasweremembertheAlabama,andforgettheLancashirecotton-spinners。Youcannotfailtofind,unlessyouranti-Englishcomplextiltsyourjudgmentincurably,thatEnglandhasbeentous,onthewhole,verymuchmorefriendlythanunfriendly——ifnotatthebeginning,certainlyattheendofeachcontroversy。Whatananti-Englishcomplexcandointhefaceof1914,ishardtoimagine:Canada,Australia,NewZealand,India,theBoers,allGreatBritain\'scolonies,comingacrosstheworldtopourtheirgoldandtheirbloodoutforher!Shedidnotaskthem;shecouldnotforcethem;
oftheirownfreewilltheydidit。Inthewholestoryofmankindsuchasplendidtributeofconfidenceandloyaltyhasneverbeforebeenpaidtoanynation。
Inthismany-peopledworldEnglandisournearestrelation。FromBonapartetotheKaiser,neverhassheallowedanyoutsidertoharmus。
Wearehercub。Shehasoftenclawedus,andwehaveclawedherinreturn。Thiswillprobablygoon。Onceearlierinthesepages,Iaskedthereadernottomisinterpretme,andnowattheendImakethesamerequest。IhavenotsoughttopersuadehimthatGreatBritainisacharitableinstitution。Whatnationis,orcouldbe,giventhenatureofman?Hergoodtreatmentofushasbeentoherowninterest。Sheiswise,farseeing,lessofanopportunistinherstatesmanshipthananyothernation。Shehasseenclearlyandevermoreclearlythatourgoodwillwastoheradvantage。Andbeneathherwisdom,atthebottomofall,ishersenseofourkinshipthroughlibertydefinedandassuredbylaw。Ifweweresofar-seeingassheis,wealsoshouldknowthathergoodwillisequallyimportanttous:notaloneformaterialreasons,orforthesakeofoursafety,butalsoforthosefewdeep,ultimateidealsoflaw,liberty,life,manhoodandwomanhood,whichwesharewithher,whichwegotfromher,becausesheisournearestrelationinthismany-peopledworld。