E-text prepared by A. Langley
WITH THE ALLIES
by
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS
Preface
I have not seen the letter addressed by President Wilson to theAmerican people calling upon them to preserve toward this war themental attitude of neutrals. But I have seen the war. And I feel surehad President Wilson seen my war he would not have written hisletter.
This is not a war against Germans, as we know Germans in America,where they are among our sanest, most industrious, and mostresponsible fellow countrymen. It is a war, as Winston Churchill haspointed out, against the military aristocracy of Germany, men who aresix hundred years behind the times; who, to preserve their classagainst democracy, have perverted to the uses of warfare, to thedestruction of life, every invention of modern times. These men aremilitary mad. To our ideal of representative government their ownidea is as far opposed as is martial law to the free speech of our townmeetings.
One returning from the war is astonished to find how little of the truehorror of it crosses the ocean. That this is so is due partly to the strictcensorship that suppresses the details of the war, and partly to thefact that the mind is not accustomed to consider misery on a scale sogigantic. The loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, the wrecking ofcities, and the laying waste of half of Europe cannot be brought hometo people who learn of it only through newspapers and movingpictures and by sticking pins in a map. Were they nearer to it, nearenough to see the women and children fleeing from the shells and tosmell the dead on the battle-fields, there would be no talk ofneutrality.
Such lack of understanding our remoteness from the actual seat ofwar explains. But on the part of many Americans one finds anotherattitude of mind which is more difficult to explain. It is the cupiditythat in the misfortunes of others sees only a chance for profit. Inan offer made to its readers a prominent American magazinebest expresses this attitude. It promises prizes for the essayson "What the war means to me."
To the American women Miss Ida M. Tar-bell writes: "This is her timeto learn what her own country's industries can do, and to rally with allher influence to their support, urging them to make the things shewants, and pledging them her allegiance."
This appeal is used in a periodical with a circulation of over a million,as an advertisement for silk hose. I do not agree with Miss Tarbellthat this is the time to rally to the support of home industries. I do notagree with the advertiser that when in Belgium several million womenand children are homeless, starving, and naked that that is the timeto buy his silk hose. To urge that charity begins at home is to repeatone of the most selfish axioms ever uttered, and in this war to urgecivilized, thinking people to remain neutral is equally selfish.
Were the conflict in Europe a fair fight, the duty of every Americanwould be to keep on the side-lines and preserve an open mind. But itis not a fair fight. To devastate a country you have sworn to protect,to drop bombs upon unfortified cities, to lay sunken mines, to levyblackmail by threatening hostages with death, to destroy cathedrals isnot to fight fair.
That is the way Germany is fighting. She is defying the rules of warand the rules of humanity. And if public opinion is to help inpreventing further outrages, and in hastening this unspeakableconflict to an end, it should be directed against the one who offends.If we are convinced that one opponent is fighting hon