he slower-moving forces of Russia and England,
and these two resolute and persistent peoples have decided to use all
their spiritual and material forces in co-operation with France against
Germany, thoughtful Americans can see but one possible issue of the
struggle, whether it be long or short, namely, the defeat of Germany and
Austria-Hungary in their present undertakings, and the abandonment by
both peoples of the doctrine that their salvation depends on militarism
and the maintenance of autocratic Executives intrusted with the power
and the means to make sudden war. They believe that no human being
should ever be trusted with such power. The alternative is, of course,
genuine constitutional government, with the military power subject to
the civil power.

The American people grieve over the fruitless sacrifices of life,
property, and the natural human joys which the German people are making
to a wrong and impossible ideal of national power and welfare. The
sacrifices which Germany is imposing on the Allies are fearfully heavy,
but there is reason to hope that these will not be fruitless, for out of
them may come great gains for liberty and peace in Europe.

All experienced readers on this side of the Atlantic are well aware that
nine-tenths of all the reports they get about the war come from English
and French sources, and this knowledge makes them careful not to form
judgments about details until the events and deeds tell their own story.
They cannot even tell to which side victory inclines in a long,
far-extended battle until recognizable changes in the positions of the
combatants show what the successes or failures must have been. The
English and French win some advantage so far as the formation of public
opinion in this country is concerned, because those two Governments send
hither official reports on current events more frequently than the
German Government does, and with more corroborative details. The amount
of secrecy with which the campaign is surrounded on both sides is,
however, a new and unwelcome experience for both the English and the
American public.

German Ignorance of Events.

The pamphlets by German publicists and men of letters which are now
coming to this country, and the various similar publications written
here, seem to indicate that the German public is still kept by its
Government in ignorance about the real antecedents of the war and about
many of the incidents and aspects of the porte