The New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1915. MR. BRYAN ON PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15951, 23 June 1915, Page 6

The New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1915. MR. BRYAN ON PEACE.

Mr. Bryan, late American Secretary for Stato/ did not raiso his voico against , the criminal attack by treaty-breaking Germany upon inoffensive and neutral Belgium, nor has he employed his platform-clo' quence on behalf of that martyred and ravaged nation. Yet ho airs his hypocritical 1 opinions before American audiences, as though he' wished the United States to do its duty by promulgating the doctrine of brotherhood among the nations and leading the neutral states in a crusade for an international understanding. This attitude: would be pathetic if it were sincere, and if it represented the genuine views of Americans who sought the honour of their country, the security of civilisation and the progress of demo-, cracy. It is cynical in a man who must bo supposed to know something of the course of European events, and who audaciously imposes upon the general ignorance of his fellow-countrymen in the endoavotir to conceal and distort truths which, being known, would demonstrate his political dishonesty and charlatanism. Mr. Bryan is playing with might and main for the Ger-man-American vote; and ib seeking to placate this without estranging that great section of the American Democratic Party which has no love for the Kaiser and has a glimmering consciousness that the- . war in Europe is deciding the fate of all free states until the end of time. Obviously it is necessary for Mr. Bryan to exploit the pedestal originally set, up and reluctantly vacated by Mr. Wilson, a pedestal upon which •• the pretentious ' American poses as an impartial neutral and a friend to [ all parties. Mr. Wilson apparently hoped, by. this posing, to keep the United * States with some credit outside the swirl of international conflict ; Mr. Bryan's ambition is to help his German-American friends without loss of political prestige \ and ;to secure acceptance )as an apostle ; of peace in the deluded minds 'of' misinformed masses. f £ . We have to remember that the American Presidential ' elections loom on the political, 'horizon :and ' that Mr. Bryan has—-in} common 'with the Kaiser—the' belief that he is called to rule. s

It is inconceivable to those who see the brutal spirit ,enshrined ,in German "kultur" how any ; sane man can dream that Germany would be bound by ■' the ■ public" opinion of a civilisation she 'holds' 1 :' in scorn and contempt or how her. politically subservient . people ; can 4be ; reached jby any V educational ;' movement until Kaißerism is ! crushed and • the folly of national? brigandage brought home to them. Ignorance, however, 1 naturally '-\ simulates idiocy '■ and 'as long \as the American- masses are indifferent \to • the . Unity of civilisation and assured •> that '• their own continental ,' country is ■ inviolable ; by any overseas militarism they must be incoherent in : their international outlook, and open to the influences of demagogues like Mr. Bryan. ; The demagogue '■ is always an •' adept at linking platitudes \into a chain of plausible humbug 'and in demagoguery Mr. Bryan is a pastmaster. He \ says, for example, that : "peace could be restored at , any time now if the participants were really weary of * war." One can. imagine how ignorant American audiences may. be listening open-mouthed to this silly platitude, as though it were a new discovery, of vital bearing on the international situation. The Belgians were weary of war" when German hordes crashed over heroic Liege the French and British were " weary of war" long before August last; wo. are " weary of war" in New Zealand to-day and .. shall be] " wearier'' ere we see the last of the casualty lists and welcome with full hearts the return of our worn battalions; but our war-weary nations .know that they might better j fight to the last gasp than accept the i doom of Belgium at, the hands vof the Germans or trust, their future safety to the public opinion of ignorant neutrals and the influence of international commissions.

" The warring nation's should join in a treaty" urges this amazingly futile American, as though treaties were binding on Germany or pledges 'on the Kaiser. With treaty-pro-tected Belgium trampled under foot and every international agreement torn to pieces by the infamous policy of Prussia; with civilisation in deadly peril and every human liberty called in question; with no hope for the free states save in the? avenging sword, and no future for democracy unless German militarism is overwhelmed: Mr. Bryan mouths of mediation and prates of the " coercive force" of neutrals for the restoration of peace. Mr. Roosevelt has given us the other American point of view, has .told his fellowcountrymen that they were shamed and disgraced when they lifted no finger to save Belgium from outrageous wrong, that unless the Allies win in a righteous war the United States will have to fight for its life against a world-conquering Germany, but all that Mr. Bryan can say in reply is that the Roosevelts and the Tafts "stand for. force in , international affairs,which is inimical to the true ■': • . ■ ■• j

interests of the United States." If Mr. Bryan and his German-American friends controlled the policy of the I United;; States, to-day the Washington Government would be a mere tool 1 of' German intrigue and "coercive force," would be applied to weaken the Allies in the interest of the' Kaiser.;* As they are ,in fa minority, we have instead 'specious pleas for peace that would bo' no peace and oratorical . declamations against the wickedness; of war in general, as though Germany ' were not wholly responsible for this particular war with, its unprecedented piracies, brigandage and poisonings. The comforting feature of the Bryan incident is in its tacit confession that the destruction of German militarism will result from an unrelenting continuance of war by the Allies and that the war lords of Berlin are turning their thoughts to the possibility of escape from a deserved fate by the, road of mediation.