ter France
has been crushed, into a war against Great Britain, that perfidious and
insolent obstacle to Germany's world empire. The answer to this
explanation is that, as a matter of fact, Germany has never dreaded, or
even respected, the military strength of Russia, and that the recent
wars and threatenings of war by Germany have not been directed against
Russia, but against Denmark, Austria, France, and England. In her
colonization enterprises it is not Russia that Germany has encountered,
but England, France, and the United States. The friendly advances made
within the last twenty years by Germany to Turkey were not intended
primarily to strengthen Germany against Russia, but Germany against
Great Britain through access by land to British India. In short,
Germany's policies, at home and abroad, during the last forty years have
been inspired not by fear of Russia, or of any other invader, but by its
own aggressive ambition for world empire. In the present war it thinks
it has staked its all on "empire or downfall."

Germany Should Be Defeated.

Those nations which value public liberty and believe that the primary
object of Government is to promote the general welfare by measures and
policies founded on justice, good-will, and respect for the freedom of
the individual cannot but hope that Germany will be completely defeated
in its present undertakings; but they do not believe that Germany is
compelled to choose between a life of domination in Europe and the world
and national death. They wish that all her humane culture and her genius
for patient and exact research may survive this hideous war and guide
another Germany to great achievements for humanity.

If the causes of the present immense catastrophe have been have
correctly stated, the desirable outcomes of the war are, no world empire
for any race or nation, no more "subjects," no Executives, either
permanent or temporary, with power to throw their fellow-countrymen
into war, no secret diplomacy justifying the use for a profit of all the
lies, concealments, deceptions, and ambuscades which are an inevitable
part of war and assuming to commit nations on international questions,
and no conscription armies that can be launched in war by Executives
without consulting independent representative assemblies. There should
come out from this supreme convulsion, a federated Europe, or a league
of the freer nations, which should secure the smaller States against
attack,