war and the future-第42章

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entire　reasonableness。　　Otherwise　it　will　not　come　before　the
minds　of　ordinary　men　with　the　effect　of　a　practicable
proposition。　　I　do　not　see　any　such　plant　springing　from　the
European　battlefields。　　It　is　America's　supreme　opportunity。　　And
yet　it　is　the　common　sense　of　the　situation；　and　the　solution
that　must　satisfy　a　rational　German　as　completely　as　a　rational
Frenchman　or　Englishman。　　It　has　nothing　against　it　but　the
prejudice　against　new　and　entirely　novel　things。


3

In　throwing　out　the　suggestion　that　America　should　ultimately
undertake　the　responsibility　of　proposing　a　world　peace
settlement；　I　admit　that　I　run　counter　to　a　great　deal　of
European　feeling。　　Nowhere　in　Europe　now　do　people　seem　to　be　in
love　with　the　United　States。　　But　feeling　is　a　colour　that
passes。　　And　the　question　is　above　matters　of　feeling。　　Whether
the　belligerents　dislike　Americans　or　the　Americans　dislike　the
belligerents　is　an　incidental　matter。　　The　main　question　is　of
the　duty　of　a　great　and　fortunate　nation　towards　the　rest　of　the
world　and　the　future　of　mankind。

I　do　not　know　how　far　Americans　are　aware　of　the　trend　of　feeling
in　Europe　at　the　present　time。　　Both　France　and　Great　Britain
have　a　sense　of　righteousness　in　this　war　such　as　no　nation；　no
people；　has　ever　felt　in　war　before。　　We　know　we　are　fighting　to
save　all　the　world　from　the　rule　of　force　and　the　unquestioned
supremacy　of　the　military　idea。　　Few　Frenchmen　or　Englishmen　can
imagine　the　war　presenting　itself　to　an　American　intelligence
under　any　other　guise。　　At　the　invasion　of　Belgium　we　were
astonished　that　America　did　nothing。　　At　the　sinking　of　the
/Lusitania/　all　Europe　looked　to　America。　　The　British　mind
contemplates　the　spectacle　of　American　destroyers　acting　as
bottleholders　to　German　submarines　with　a　dazzled　astonishment。
〃Manila；〃　we　gasp。　　In　England　we　find　excuses　for　America　in　our
own　past。　　In　'64　we　betrayed　Denmark；　in　'70　we　deserted　France。
The　French　have　not　these　memories。　　They　do　not　understand　the
damning　temptations　of　those　who　feel　they　are　〃/au…dessus　de
la　melee。/〃　They　believe　they　had　some　share　in
the　independence　of　America；　that　there　is　a　sacred　cause　in
republicanism；　that　there　are　grounds　for　a　peculiar　sympathy
between　France　and　the　United　States　in　republican　institutions。
They　do　not　realise　that　Germany　and　America　have　a　common
experience　in　recent　industrial　development；　and　a　common　belief
in　the　〃degeneracy〃　of　all　nations　with　a　lower　rate　of　trade
expansion。　　They　do　not　realise　how　a　political　campaign　with　the
slogan　of　〃Peace　and　a　Full　Dinner…Pail〃　looks　in　the　middle
west；　what　an　honest；　simple；　rational　appeal　it　makes　there。
Atmospheres　alter　values。　　In　Europe；　strung　up　to　tragic　and
majestic　issues；　to　Europe　gripping　a　gigantic　evil　in　a　death
struggle；　that　would　seem　an　inscription　worthy　of　a　pigsty。　　A
child　in　Europe　would　know　now　that　the　context　is；　〃until　the
bacon…buyer　calls；〃　and　it　is　difficult　to　realise　that　adult
citizens　in　America　may　be　incapable　of　realising　that　obvious
context。

I　set　these　things　down　plainly。　　There　is　a　very　strong
disposition　in　all　the　European　countries　to　believe　America
fundamentally　indifferent　to　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　the
European　struggle；　sentimentally　interested　perhaps；　but
fundamentally　indifferent。　　President　Wilson　is　regarded　as　a
mere　academic　sentimentalist　by　a　great　number　of　Europeans。
There　is　a　very　widespread　disposition　to　treat　America　lightly
and　contemptuously；　to　believe　that　America；　as　one　man　put　it　to
me　recently；　〃hasn't　the　heart　to　do　anything　great　or　the　guts
to　do　anything　wicked。〃　　There　is　a　strong　undercurrent　of
hostility　therefore　to　the　idea　of　America　having　any　voice
whatever　in　the　final　settlement　after　the　war。　　It　is　not　for　a
British　writer　to　analyse　the　appearance　that　have　thus　affected
American　world　prestige。　　I　am　telling　what　I　have　observed。

Let　me　relate　two　trivial　anecdotes。

X　came　to　my　hotel　in　Paris　one　day　to　take　me　to　see　a　certain
munitions　organisation。　　He　took　from　his　pocket　a　picture
postcard　that　had　been　sent　him　by　a　well…meaning　American
acquaintance　from　America。　　It　bore　a　portrait　of　General
Lafayette；　and　under　it　was　printed　the　words；　〃General
Lafayette；　/Colonel　in　the　United　States　army。/〃

〃Oh！　　These　Americans！〃　　said　X　with　a　gesture。

And　as　I　returned　to　Paris　from　the　French　front；　our　train
stopped　at　some　intermediate　station　alongside　of　another　train
of　wounded　men。　　Exactly　opposite　our　compartment　was　a　car。　　It
arrested　our　conversation。　　It　was；　as　it　were；　an　ambulance
/de　grand　luxe/；　it　was　a　thing　of　very　light；　bright　wood
and　very　golden　decorations；　at　one　end　of　it　was　painted　very
large　and　fair　the　Stars　and　Stripes；　and　at　the　other　fair…sized
letters　of　gold　proclaimedI　am　sure　the　lady　will　not　resent
this　added　gleam　of　publicity〃Presented　by　Mrs。　William
Vanderbilt。〃

My　companions　were　French　writers　and　French　military　men；　and
they　were　discussing　with　very　keen　interest　that　persistent
question；　〃the　ideal　battery。〃　　But　that　ambulance　sent　a　shaft
of　light　into　our　carriage；　and　we　stared　together。

Then　Colonel　Z　pointed　with　two　fingers　and　remarked　to　us；
without　any　excess　of　admiration：

〃/America！/〃

Then　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　pulled　down　the　corners　of　his
mouth。

We　felt　there　was　nothing　more　to　add　to　that；　and　after　a　little
pause　the　previous　question　was　resumed。

I　state　these　things　in　order　to　make　it　clear　that　America　will
start　at　a　disadvantage　when　she　starts　upon　the　mission　of
salvage　and　reconciliation　which　is；　I　believe；　her　proper
role　in　this　world　conflict。　　One　would　have　to　be　blind
and　deaf　on　this　side　to　be　ignorant　of　European　persuasion　of
America's　triviality。　　I　would　not　like　to　be　an　American
travelling　in　Europe　now；　and　those　I　meet　here　and　there　have
some　of　the　air　of　men　who　at　any　moment　may　be　dunned　for　a
debt。　　They　explode　without　provocation　into　excuses　and
expostulations。

And　I　will　further　confess　that　when　Viscount　Grey　answered　the
intimations　of　President　Wilson　and　ex…President　Taft　of　an
American　initiative　to　found　a　World　League　for　Peace；　by　asking
if　America　was　prepared　to　back　that　idea　with　force；　he　spoke
the　doubts　of　all　thoughtful　European　men。　　No　one　but　an
American　deeply　versed　in　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　American
population　can　answer　that　question；　or　tell　us　how　far　the
delusion　of　world　isolation　which　has　prevailed　in　America　for
several　generations　has　been　dispelled。　　But　if　the　answer　to
Lord　Grey　is　〃Yes；〃　then　I　think　history　will　emerge　with　a
complete　justification　of　the　obstinate　maintenance　of　neutrality
by　America。　　It　is　the　end　that　reveals　a　motive。　　It　is　our
ultimate　act　that　sometimes　teaches　us　our　original　intention。
No　one　can　judge　the　United　States　yet。　　Were　you　neutral　because
you　are　too　mean　and　cowardly；　or　too　stupidly　selfish；　or
because　you　had　in　view　an　end　too　great　to　be　sacrificed　to　a
moment　of　indignant　pride　and　a　force　in　reserve　too　precious　to
dispel？　　That　is　the　still　open　question　for　America。

Every　country　is　a　mixture　of　many　strands。　　There　is　a　Base
America；　there　is　a　Dull　America；　there　is　an　Ideal　and　Heroic
America。　　And　I　am　convinced　that　at　present　Europe　underrates
and　misjudges　the　possibilities　of　the　latter。

All　about　the　world　to…day　goes　a　certain　freemasonry　of　thought。
It　is　an　impalpable　and　hardly　conscious　union　of　intention。　　It
thinks　not　in　terms　of　national　but　human　experience；　it　falls
into　directions　and　channels　of　thinking　that　lead　inevitably　to
the　idea　of　a　world…state　under　the　rule　of　one　righteousness。
In　no　part　of　the　world　is　this　modern　type　of　mind　so　abundantly
developed；　less　impeded　by　antiquated　and　perverse　political　and
religious　forms；　and　nearer　the　sources　of　political　and
administrative　power；　than　in　America。　　It　does　not　seem　to
matter　what　thousand　other　things　America　may　happen　to　be；
seeing　that　it　is　also　that。　　And　so；　just　as　I　cling　to　the
belief；　in　spite　of　hundreds　of　adverse　phenomena；　that　the