The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1915. THE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 196, 27 January 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1915. THE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE.

There are many matters connected with the war that pass man's comprehension, and if all that has been written and spoken on the subject were to be submitted to a process of tabulation in order to assist in coming to an understanding of the views taken by the various contributors to the academical and practical features of the upheaval, some surprises would reward the student who undertook the gigantic ta3k of attempting to obtain an intelligent summary out of the chaotic materials. It is quite probable that in starting out to unravel the tangle of expressed thoughts the enquirer would adopt the method which Carlyle disclosed in that remarkable work of his on the philosophy of clothes, "Sartor Eesartus,"' and thereby, as much through chance as anything, alight on stray theses that were suitable for conveying definite conclusions. Connected with the European war are two outstanding points of vfew that appear to have the characteristic of a mathematical straight line-exten-sion indefinitely without any chince of conveying, yet, in reality, these negative and positive views do actually arrive at a common function, as both agree in their horror of the carnage and of the misery created. A remarkable instance of the negative attitude was afforded by the war pastoral recently issued by the Catholic bishops of Germany. They could not well condemn the war, even if they had been so inclined. They appear to have been impelled to say something, and to have taken refuge in a diplomatic negative that gives their flock no lead, expresses no opinion, yet indirectly places the blame ob the Allies. They disclaim any wish to busy themselves with anything but their own affairs. They proclaim their innocence o? the outbreak of the war, which they can testify was forced upon them, and they conclude by stating that "there is no end in sight, and it is certain only that much misery still awaits us." Such a pronouncement from a body of learned ecclesiastics is a marvel of inconsequence. Better far to have preserved a dignified silence, or allowed the dictates of conscience to have had full play. Another instance of negative attitude is that displayed by the United States. Officially, America takes no side in the

war, and its government persistently advocates neutrality, even to enforcing special regulations to prevent a public expression of sympathy on one side or the other, and the inhabitants of New York have been urged by the Commissioner of Police not to enter into disI cussions with strangers in front of the [ telegraph boards outside the newspaper offices. Yet Brother Jonathan docs not object to making all he can out of the war. This is amply demonstrated by a cable message in yesterday's issue setting forth that the exports of foodstuff? for December last had risen from two million to eleven millions, while wheat

and flour had gone up to unprecedented figures. The ordinary American has a remarkable power of detachment, and it is to that his success is largely due due in business life. All the same, America has no doubt that the reasons for this war are to be found in German greed for other people's colonies, in German economic difficulties at home, in German lust for domination and vanity of race, yet it does not pay her to act on this opinion, though many Americans feel ashamed that they are not fighting I on the side of the Allies. But what of

the other side of the case—tl- / The meaning which underl' ? of Western progress for 1 turies is that that pre " « Bn ' the great spiritual in' Z® I*®® 1 *®® Wjpresents which has raised the 'of mmd to the plane of the ' cß,wco P tion of K « ilt ing the sense o' ' tMveml l>y proj -ctoutside all thr i hßttl tesponsJbi ity soever. It h 'the State wii-it-of and State on x l ®^' 01 ' ta, all interests of ■ lie may b< wtfflfcewsr claim or Hussion they. ma y • j taseil, 'on whatever scale they the- Tl "'l ,To3c " n tf'cli by whatever force jj, / may lie "hacked, tt is Britain who 4S told the world what are the true 1

principles of universal fight. She has' projected the sense of human responsi-; bility outside all theories of the inter-, ests of States and Empires. It is Britain who lias taught tlie world that she holds a principle of progress to he tliat there can he no form of absolute truth or authority safely allied with the military power of any State. She can look the nations of the earth in the face, and say to them, as no other nation as yet has been able to say to the world: "I have drawn the sword in the cause of the world. Whosoever is not with me in this struggle is against me."