CONTEST OF IDEALS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3048, 9 April 1917, Page 6

CONTEST OF IDEALS

JUSTICE VERSUS PRUSSIANISM

RUMANIAN STATESMAN'S VIEWS - " The special correspondent of the "Morning l'ost" writes from Jasey (February 5):—I had the pleasure of meeting M. Take Jonescu Ctbo Rumanian statesman) to-day, and learning his views on tho present aspect of the war! Ho said:— It still seems to me that the triumph of the Entente is absolutely certain, and that is > tho only thing that matters. That triumph will more, than compensate for all the devastation, all the loss of life, all the. abominations which humanity has suffered for the salvation of real civilisation and the liberties of mankind. The barbarous order of the German Government to its submarine commanders to-massawe indiscriminately belligerents and neutrals, men, women, and children, will hasten on our victory. lii the first place Germany would never have had recourse' to such a Neronian folly, which she must expiate to the full, if 'she did not know that .she is at her. last gasp. It is too criminal a step not to have had its origin iu a keen consciousness of the impossibility of winning the war. The beast at bay wishes to wallow in blood heforo giving in. I remember that in November, 1914, an intelligent German -who was an intimate friend of Herr von Gwihner, the famous Berlin financier, positively assured me that the Emperor "William was not only going to enter Paris and Petrograd, but also London, whence he would dictate neace to the world, and now Germany is lamenting that she cannot obtain peace. Compare, too, the insolent words of Count Andrassy in 1915, when he expressed pity for the fate of poor England, with the humble reply he made recently to the really, great speech of Mr. Lloyd George. . The only result of the new policy of. Germany will be that she will be able to say: All is lost, even honour—honour especially. It is far more difficult to say what effect it will have on neutrals. I have no right to offer advice to anyone, but I am sure that future historians will be astonished that in the face- of the crimes committed by the Germans some nations adopted a passive attitude, whereas in private life when one meete a criminal one seizes him by tho throat to prevent further wrongdoing. In any. case the magnificent example of the United States 'of 'America, tho greatest of a}\ the' Powers which continue to maintain neutrality—that free democracy of a hundred million people, who by their very nature are of a peace-loving disposition—which has broken off diplomatic relations with Germany, and is preparing to strike a blow if necessary'for liberty, will have immense weight. '

A Foretaste. But even if the neutrals accopted without protest this foretaste of what a German hegemony would be to the world, if they left us to support unaided the burden of the defence of their own liberties) we shall none the less feel ourselves under a-solemn obligation to continue the struggle until the monster is laid low, even if several million more men have' to toe sacrificed and whole countries hare to continue to endure sufferings unknown since the great onslaught of the barbarians on GrecoEoman civilisation. To conclude, peace with Germany just now would be the greatest folly the Allies could commit. Those who advocate such a peace only show their inability to understand what is at stake in the present war. _ They <io not realise that it is a conflict between two worlds, two civilisations, two ideals as far asunder as heaven and earth. They do not see that such a peace as I have mentioned would condemn every progressive nation to suppress within its borders the reigii of justice and liberty, the outcome of the efforts of so many generations, and replace it by the reign of Prossianism; which would demonstrated its superiority iu a world where justice was replaced by force. The only peace that could compensate for the blood so liberally shed by the Allies is the "peace which the Allies defined-in-their reply to President Wilson's Note. That peace i alone will he the precursor of the new era in international relations of which the President spoke in his address to the Senate. The characteristic feature of this peace is the affirmation of the principle of nationalities, which in reality is only the extension into the sphere of international law of the principle of popular sovereignty, a principle which Dr. Wilson defined admirably when he said that no Government drew its right to govern from any. other source but the consent of the governed. Happily the application of this principle leads to the accomplishment of. ■the essential aims of the Allies, that of rendering Germany _ henoefprth powerless for evil. It is evident that if mankind wants to breathe freely, this nightmare of Prussian militarism must be°dissipated. But as we cannot deny to the Gorman people that right to existence which we claim for others, the great Prussian barrack system will still be too powerful even after those modifications of the map of Germany which Justice requires have been effected. . ~ . '.. '.; ■ ... '

The Only Way. The sole means, of destroying _ Geiman.y's capacity for evil-doing is to suppress her two vassals, who are an anachronism in the modern world. Turkey must leave Europe and the Anstro-Hunsarian Empire must be dissolved. Those two States cannot be credited with a single good deed, s single generous impulse in the whole courso of their history. It would, indeed, be a, good thm« if, when they are suppressed, the very recollection of them could he effaced. The cause of. the Allies is the highest and noblest one for which men have ever sacrificed their lives, and it is. impossible that it should not triumph. Rumania has played, and will continue to play,-in proportion to her means, and opportunities', an important part in the great work. We have suffered cruelly. Our losses arc much Greater than is generally supposed. The Germans say we have lost in three months two hundred thousand dead and .wounded. If this were the case I see in it a title to elorv and not a thing that can.excuse the insults that are heaped on us. The devastation convniittcl in wir country is immense and the sufferings of our people in the invaded ■provinces—more than two-thirds of the entire country —beggar description. Our.peopie havo been exposed to the worst manifestations' of German barbarism,; arrests-of host-ages,' systematic starvation, and so forth. ". " :