Book^ilii- 
 
The Crisis'-Peace or War. 
 
 BY JESSE B. MOORE. 
 
.M6 
 
 QUI 
 AaJhor 
 
'V^^'\'' 
 
 Crisis-Peace or War. 
 
 The impartial stuiknit is iiiiahle (o <lis(M>vfi' any meritd- 
 lidiis cause ii)r the gigantic and l)hioil.v wai- into which the 
 uaiidus of Eni-upe have heen plunged. On the one side it is 
 charged to (jernian Militarism, and on the orhei- to English 
 Couimei-cialism and Marine Mililaiism, and old grudges of 
 Fiance and linssia against <iei-niany. wilh the alleged amltifioii 
 of lioth sides foi- the iiolitical as<eiidancy and tei-iitorial acqui- 
 sition. Cerman Militarism is alleged to he a menace to Ku- 
 ro]>e and ]<]nglish Commei'cirilisni and Maiine Militarism are 
 said to threaten the conmierce and peace of the world. Be it 
 the one or ihe other of these causes, or both combined, it is not 
 our piiivince to contend, as the citizens of a neutral counti-y. 
 When the cannon's roar is hushed and the smoke of battle has 
 rolled away, the impartial historian will tell the true story of 
 the causes of the terrible conflict, li should be enough fur 
 lis to know that it is a most unholy strife, waged for the de- 
 struction of empires, to cause us to shun and avoid it by every 
 honorable means. 
 
 The extraordinary passion engendered by it, has enthralle<i 
 all iMirope and sent a disturbing tremoi' through civilization, 
 fudcr its efl'ects the leaders and moulders of political Tlionglii 
 and influence of all neutral countries have been agitated be- 
 yond the coutrol and guidance of wisdom, as seen and read in 
 l>assing events and jmbiic utterances echoed in the cosmojjoii- 
 lan ])r('ss, gleaned from the journals and ]ieriodicals of all coun- 
 ties. Their condition is that of the snioiddering volcano, 
 ready to explode at the slightest jar or (piake. When one com- 
 Imstihle force collides with another of e(pml comlmstibilily, 
 :i dual explosion is the natural result. 
 
 It is npiiarent from these considerations that no nentra! 
 nation is secure from international (-(nnplications wilh some 
 onc' of these contending nations, and from becoming involve<l 
 in the wicked conflict. The heads of neutral nations should iliere- 
 !'ore. iji si'.( li critical riiiies. iiossess grcal strenglh and wis(him. 
 
jiroseiviiii;- iilways tlic iiiosi prnfoiuul calniiK'ss (if feeling and 
 tliouglit. to be able to eond-ol and direct the affairs and in- 
 terests of the State in such manner as to avoid the breakers 
 and disasters to be encountered, in the rajiid rise and change 
 of events, ebbing and flowing from this nnielstrom of passion 
 and blood. 
 
 In the midst of these internal and external inflammable 
 conditions, the English freight and passenger steamer, Lusi- 
 tania, was sunk by a German submarine in the war zone pro- 
 claimed and established by Germany around the Rritisli Isles, 
 with the loss of more than 100 Americaus, who had voluntarily 
 taken ])assage thereon for the English shores against the warn- 
 ings (jf Germany. The tragic loss of these Americans precipi- 
 tated the ])resent crisis and crystallized the ciunplications ex- 
 isting between this Iveiiublic and Germany. The shock of the 
 tiagedy rent the volcano of muzzled smouldering passion of 
 the [lolitical leaders of this nation. A wave of excitement and 
 majiy radical and inflamed utterances of public leaders swept 
 the country. It appeared from some of these utterances rhat 
 war with Germany could scarcely be averted. 
 
 Tlu'se inflamed sentiments came from an l']x-l 'resident, 
 ILx-Gahinet Ofllicers, Senators, IJe]iresentatlves, and otliei's 
 jirominent in American thought and influence, while some of 
 the dispassionate and wiser of like ty])e and iTifluence ga\'e ut- 
 terance to sentiments of tolerance and moderation. But with 
 few excejjtions all united in the detnand for extreme and dras- 
 tic measures against (iei'uiany at the hands of the occu]ian.1 (;f 
 the White House at Wasliington. 
 
 In the midst of these envircmments the questions involved 
 were considered liy the President and his Cabinet, the conclus- 
 ions drawn and uu'asnres evolved and jirejiared to' meet the 
 emergencies of the hour. Under the circumstances it ajipears 
 lliat no nnire temparate and less complicated document could 
 have been devised than that issued to Germany by oui' State 
 Department. Ami the peojjle of this country are to be congrp/.- 
 r.lated on the wisdom of their choice of a President. disj)Iayed 
 in the (>!ection of Woodrow Wilson, in his i!;;(riolisni and 
 
^i-cat iiliililies, witli Ihc cduiiscI of liis able CaliiiU'l. all ilispas- 
 sionatc ohMiieuts evcrywlien' seem t(i have iiiiwaverin'^- laitli aii'l 
 look Willi implicit eoiilideiue iov the peaceful solution aud set- 
 tlement of the impeiidinf;' crisis. It is known to all that no 
 one loves jieace more, and condemns war with a keener sense 
 (if all i(s horrors and calamity to the peojile, than our wise and 
 ]iatriotic I'resident. The reference to diplomacv of the issues 
 involved is a tririnijih for his administration over the excite- 
 iiieiit and jiassions ji re vailing. The a[iiieal to dijilomacy pre- 
 s!i]iposes Ihe desire tor an amicable settlement, and is an invi- 
 laiion lo dis],assionale and honorable discussion of the issues 
 i;ivolved, on the jirincijjies of ]>crtVcr fairness and justice to 
 both parries. Such a discussion of Ihe (luesiions presented in 
 the American note, cannot fail to bring- an hon(n-able, satisfiic- 
 ioiy, and jieaceful adjuslment between two such highly enlight- 
 ened and ci\iiized nations as the Fnited States of America an<l 
 'ieinnuiy. When all the issues and circumstances are weighed 
 in the scales of justice, it nniy be necessary for one of the jiar- 
 ii-"s or both to recede iroiu some of its contentions, or nnidify 
 them lo accm-d sti-ictly with simple fairness and ]ilain ])rincii)"!es 
 of ('(inity. 
 
 Nil great nation can affoi-d to be tinfaii- or unjust in diplo- 
 matic discussions \\itli another nation, siin-e to do so is the 
 |pi;iin infrarfion of ihe (iolden Ilule. and reacts soonei' or later 
 cii its violator in retaliation and retributimi. I do not antici- 
 ]iale that any unfair or unjust contenticm entering into the 
 ciiutroveisy frc/ui this government's staiidjioint will be insist- 
 ed ujion by ii. On ihe contrary. I am persuaded, that all inci- 
 (Iciilai qucstiiMis jind fechnical lights will lie suboi-dinated to 
 Ihe higher right of the great Imdy of the .Smcrican jicople, to 
 llieir security in ]ieace and freedom from needless cnniplira- 
 lions leading to dire calamities. 
 
 The righr of an .\inerican citizen to !'i-ee sailing on the 
 ships of England am] her allies into the sea zone jiroclaimed 
 and established around Ihe lliitish Isles for submarine ojiera- 
 tiiiiis against llieir merchant mai-iiie: oi- tlii' right of Cermany 
 to ]irosecu1e such subniarine ojieration against her enemies. 
 
tiiider the cironnislances aiul conditions invoking such ojjcia- 
 ti((us, apiicai" lo be tlie only serious (jiieslions raised in ihe 
 .American note to Germany. All oilier issues presenled v>oul(l 
 seem to be ol' easy solution and settlement, since they doublless 
 sprang from causes purely iucideutal and accidental and 
 cannot reasonably be charged to any intention on the ]iai-t of 
 (Jermauy to injure Americans or American ships, which the 
 note itself recognizes iu disclaiming any such imputation. 
 
 The importance of these conflicting rights claimed by the 
 (wo nations, with the circumstances and conditions recjuiring 
 their exercise, demands careful and close consideration. 
 
 From the American viewjxtint there appears to be some di- 
 vergence of opinion among leading Americans over the imporl- 
 ance to be attached to the right of the neutral citizen to sail 
 Ihe high seas on board belligerent vessels into the war zones 
 in-oclainied and established by the warring nations for naval 
 oj)erations. The negative side of this (juestion a]i]ieals to me 
 with greater force than its afHiinative. The al'tirniative side 
 of the ([uesfion ajqicars to augment and nir.liiply ilie jiossibiii- 
 ties and ]irobaliilities of international complications instead of 
 prohibiting them, whereas the atlo]ition of Ihe negative jiosi- 
 lion by this (iovei'nment would remove a cause, without tlie 
 existence of which no com])lications could reasonably arise to 
 this (Jovernnient out of a Liixiidiiia tragedy. 
 
 When the right to sail on belligerent .shi})s was given under 
 internatioiml law, the submarine in its present high stage of de- 
 velopment, with the increased daiigei- from its ojierations to sea- 
 sailing was unknown and could m)t have been in the contempla- 
 tion of the lav.'uiaker. If so, it wunld doubtless have been de- 
 nied for the greater security of neutral coniiti-ies IVoni en- 
 tanglenienis with \\-ariing nati(nis. The conflict belween sncii 
 exercise of this right of a neutral citizen, and the ellicient oji- 
 (-ration of the submarine against the merchant nnirine of an 
 eiK-niy, iiresents. therefore, a new ((ueslion, not in the mind of 
 the law-giver, foi' the consideration of neutral nations, and its 
 im])ortance and Ihe emergency of the conditions it has ci'eated 
 re(iuire immediate solution. It apiiears Hint any solntiim of 
 
llic (|tK'sl ioii iiHisI (Mil lui', cirlier the alivoj;;!! ion or rest rid iuu 
 (jT siicii tccliiiii ill i-ii;lil of liie American cili/.en in sncli maii- 
 iiei- lis to avoid ihe conflict, or the lorce<l sacrifice by (iei-niany 
 of the ell'ective operation of the suhmarine against the nief- 
 chanl vessels of lief foes. 'I'he snccessrul defense and enforce- 
 nieiil of tlie ohservance of siicli a ri.Lilit to now sail the seas, 
 would destroy the snliinarine's efliciency (jf operation aiiaiiist 
 the merchant marine of a superior military sea jiower. Such 
 sn[i(.'rior power has always assumed the ri^ht to destroy the 
 merchant marine of her weaker foe, by ca)itnre or sinkiii;;' them 
 v.'hene\'er j;iven the op];ort iiiiil v . iSut if the rii;hi of an Amer- 
 ican citizen to sail inio tiie war zones ol' siilimarine operations, 
 ujion l)elliiiereiit slii|)s, should he encourajicil and enforced liy 
 this country in the present war, it would diri'clly ojterate as 
 a defeiisi' and an ahsolute iirolectiim ol' the inerclianl marine 
 o! !'".n,i>land and her allies, since for instance tliey could always 
 liiid one or two Americans who would gladly, under such condi- 
 tions, take free ]iassaj;(' and hoard to and fro on each ui their 
 ships, and thus immune them from any siiccessfuj sulimarine 
 attack. J'rotected from lieiim torpedoed because of Ihe ])resence 
 111) board of an .\iiiericaii, a (iernian submarine vronld lie power- 
 l(>ss to arrest or destroy a freight and |iassenfier steamer of ihe 
 enemies. Sucli a jiolicy would also yive jusl roimdatimi for call- 
 inj;' in (piesfion the neutrality of this ( ioveriiment, and stibject 
 it lo the criticisms and ell'ects naturally i'lowinii" from sitcli a 
 status. The present developinent of the submarine has lieeii 
 ]>ioven by (iei'inany lo be an ellicietit means of defense and of- 
 fense by a weaker marine iiower against Ihe sttperior armada 
 of dreadnoup.'Iits in times of war. Its aih'enl as sucli a (h'fensi' 
 shoiiUl iie iiailed by a'l the wea!-;er nalioiis of ihi' world, lis 
 cheapness, (■onii>ared to the cost of dreadnoufjiits and its efficien- 
 cy. reiKh'is i1 ])ossib!e foi- small nalions to eipiiji tiiemselves 
 \\'ilh adeipiate snbni,-;ri ne iia\ies, in a reasonably siioit time, 
 fni- thi^ir (iefense ainainst Ihe oreatesf naval power. Its jiower 
 as a destroyinji' agency ujioii the seas cannot he excelled, and no 
 luKiWii eflicienl countercheck of ils o]ieratious Ins lieen discov- 
 ered. Some characterize its o])erati<ms against a foe's mer- 
 (I:ant marine as inhumane, but are no! all Ihe ojierali'ins of 
 
WAV inlniiniuie'.' A\';ir ineaiis deatli and dostiiutioii, and llie 
 greater the carnage and destruction, the more brilliant the vic- 
 tory, and the grander the hero, has been the verdict of tiie 
 martial si)irits of all ages. Its zones and fields of conflict 
 shonld threfore be avoided by everyone not engaged in the con- 
 ilict to insure freedoiu from injury. 
 
 The importance of the subnnxrlne policy of tierniany 
 against the merchant marine of England and Her allies, is of 
 such gravity to her as an etticient counter-stroke in this great 
 death and life struggle, in which she is engage<l. that she could 
 scarcely be expected to surrender or modify it, even on the de- 
 mands of this government, solely for the protection of the tech- 
 nical right of Aniei-ican citizens to sail on belligerent vessels in- 
 stead of on neutral ships, into the established zones of her 
 submarine operations against such vessels, without the inter- 
 vention of force of arms. On the other hand it seems that llie 
 right of Americans to sail on un-neutral ships into the zones 
 of conflict, is only a technical right without any substantial 
 merit and conld be surrendered without the sacrifice of ])res- 
 tige, honor, or principle. It is without any significant im- 
 ]iortance even to the few Americans who exercise the right in 
 the ]iarticnlar manner of sailing on belligerent ships. 
 
 I thiidc. therefore, that American citizens shonld be dis- 
 couraged, and if necessary, jirohibited, from sailing in the war 
 zon(» of naval operations established by the belligerenis, es- 
 [lecially on any unneutral ship, notwithstanding the techni- 
 cal riglit to do so. l)ecaus(> of (lie iiimiincnt danger 1o ilieir lives; 
 and if the government deems the exercise of this right in ilie 
 P'articular nnmner, of such importance as to I'eqnire ils de- 
 fense and I'oi-ced terognition, llien sricli exercise nl' llie rigii! 
 should be prohiliited absolutely and immediately for the jU'otec- 
 tion of the nation from inevitable serious complications and 
 probable war. The right cf the neutral citizen lo thus sail the 
 seas into the zones of conflict, should not, we think, be made to 
 stand i)aramount to the higher constitutional right of the 
 American i)eo])le to their peace and security from need- 
 less entanulemenls with anv of the wairine; nalinns. It v.-onld 
 
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 ;;;i[)e;ir l';ir iikho piiliiutic aiid wisi'i- I'ln- the jiiivi'iiiiiu'iit to licii;,' 
 llii' t'Xercise <>( siicli i-ii;lil in thu iiaf(i(_ul;ir maimc!-, lliaii ii> 
 atteuii>t il.s dereuse aiul euldrceiueiil at the sacrifice of blood 
 and ti\*asiu-e. The denial of sitcli techuieal right would rost 
 (lie saeiiliee of iieilhet lionoi- nor |iriiiri|ile, lail in a most 
 peaeefiil manner woidd remove one ol' the real eaiises that [<re- 
 iijiitaled the preseni ei-ises, without the existence of wliieh 
 il coiild not have ha]i]iened. and if now remo\ed it eainiot re- 
 (T.i-. \\'heiiever the exercises of an_v right of the citizen in a 
 jiaitietilar manner hee()nies dangerous to him and jeopardizes 
 ilie 1r;intiiiilily and jieace of liie nalion. it a]ipeai-s, Ihat ii 
 shotild be immediatelv abrogated, no malier I'rom wiiai canse 
 Ihe danger ai'ises. or with what sand ion of lavr ilie right may 
 have gi'/eii. If the eniergiiic\' of iiie iioiir :!eniaiids ariion. 
 \\'hich seems to be the case here, the aiilhorities in ]iov\'i'r, ir 
 a|)]iears. siaitdd act at om .• by denying ])assports, or by odior 
 a.de([nate means elfeclna'ly preveniin:'; tln' exercise of snci; 
 right in sitcli manner as tends to bi-irig serious comiijicai Uiiis. 
 The emergency of such action in the jiresent crisis is scarce];. 
 of less ir.iporlance than Ihal confroniing .Mr. Li!ic(]in \\]\i-'.\ he 
 jiroclaimeil the emancipation of sla\-ery in l^i(i:!, in (he I'ace of 
 the (Mjiress ( 'oiistitiitional guarantee of its right to Uie South- 
 ern S1a(es, and this ]iroclamation was sid)seipieni ly nplu-h! 
 and siis(ained liy Ilie Supreme (.'<nirt of the I'nited States as an 
 emergency measure justified by the exigencies of existing comli- 
 tions. Among the most staliilizing and ]>erpetua<ing ]iriuci- 
 pies of (his ffejiulilic, enunciated by the wise and ]iM(riotic 
 f ! amers of tlie < 'onstiuil iini — •'ihe grealesi good lo the gr;'a(- 
 est num])(>r" and "Ki)ecial ])rivileges to none" — ajijieals \'ny dite 
 considerali(ai in the jireseiU crisis. It seems to ans\\-er clearly, 
 Yiidi great polency, in the negative, (he important ([uestion un- 
 der discussion: Shall the business interes(s. |>leasui'e proclivi- 
 ties, a.nd lovi' for ■•(hrilling advenlure"' of a lew citizens be 
 j'.iven ]i;!ramount inijiortance o\'ei' the intej'ests, common good 
 and ]!(';',<(• of more than one hundre(] millions of men, woriien, 
 and children? 
 
 The defense of sucli exercise of (he right in liehalf of ilie 
 few Americans, who ever use it, c;innof. we ihin!;. coniraen-.i 
 
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 -f 
 
 itself to the .approval of the great and dispassionate body of 
 the common people of this Republic; since it possesses no mer- 
 its justifying an appeal to arms at the cost of treasure and the 
 shedding of innocent blood. 
 
 There seems to exist no justifiable cause on humanitarian 
 principles invoking the intervention of this Kepublic in the 
 conflict for or against either side. I'articipation in it on such 
 grounds against either side would clearly demonstrate and es- 
 tablish the existence of a partizan spirit, and could not be justi- 
 fied on the claim of entrance for humanity's sake. Calmly and 
 dispassionately considered, clearly the true appeal of humanity 
 is against both sides, for the termination of the fierce conflict, 
 and the cessation of its destructiou and carnage. 
 
 If this nation were powerful enough and adequately 
 equipped for the successful undertaking, it might justify in- 
 tervention against both sides for that purpose, just as it is now 
 proi)osed to intervene in Mexico. In no other manner and for 
 no other jturjiose does it appear that this government could 
 justify its intervention in this great European struggle for the 
 sake of humanity. lint manifestly this I{epublic is not ]iower- 
 ful enough for such herculean undertaking against all the 
 great forces involved in it. while she may be, for such undertak- 
 ing against the combined forces of Mexico. 
 
 For these reasons I do not think intervention by this (iov- 
 ernnient in this great Euroi)ean war for humanity's sake could 
 be justified before the American jjeople. 
 
 I am a native American of Scotch- Irish descent, a pro- 
 nounced administration Democrat, and stand for Amei'ica and 
 her interests first and last above all other nations, but T have 
 a passionate desire for her to be right in her causes of coin- 
 j.laint in the present crisis, as well as in all others she may be 
 called to face, to the end that unsullied i)restige aii<] honor, frui- 
 tion and blessings, instead of needless calamities, may always 
 lie and remain the heritage of her ])eople. 
 
 Jesse B. ]\Ioor.E, 
 May 2S, 101.^. Arkade]])liia, Ark. 
 
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