New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 1, No. 1: From the Beginning to March, 1915, With IndexVarious
History
New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 1, No. 1: From the Beginning to March, 1915, With Index
Various
World War, 1914-1918
Mr. Shaw's suggestion that the British are posing as "Injured Innocence"
and as "Mild Gazelles" is neither funny nor true. We are simply a people
defending ourselves, resisting conquest and military despotism, and
fighting for the ideal of freedom and self-government. When our country
is no longer in danger we suffragettes, if it be still necessary, are
prepared to fight on and wage our civil war that we may win freedom and
self-government for women as well as men. But, in the meantime, we
support the men--yes, and even the Government do we in a sense
support--in fighting the common enemy who menaces the freedom of men and
women alike. Although the Government in the past have erred gravely in
their dealing with the woman question, they are for the purpose of this
war the instrument of the nation.
*Facts Belie Him.*
Mr. Shaw would seem to hold Britain responsible for German militarism,
but the facts he cites are against him there. "I am old enough," says
he, "to remember the beginnings of the anti-German phase of military
propaganda in England. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 left England
very much taken aback. Up to that date nobody was much afraid that
Prussia--suddenly Prussia beat France right down in the dust."
Precisely! It was this war on France, deliberately engineered by
Bismarck, and it was the defeat and despoilment of France that fed
Germany's militarism and encouraged Germany to make those plans of
military aggression which, after long and deliberate preparation, are
being carried into effect in the present war. Germany's plans of
military aggression have compelled other countries to prepare, however
inadequately, to defend themselves.
Mr. Shaw gives support to the Germans' contention that they are not the
aggressors but are menaced by Russia. Yet he does not explain why, if
that is so, Germany took French gold and territory in 1870 and has since
continued to alienate France; nor why Germany has chosen Britain as her
enemy of enemies to be supplanted and surpassed in power.
If Germany is simply on the defensive against Russia and has no desire
to attack and cripple France and Britain, then why has she antagonized
these countries and driven one after the other into a Russian alliance?
When he affects to criticise Germany for not having "entrusted the
security of her western frontier to the public opinion of Western Europe
and to America and fought Russia, if attacked, with her rear not
otherwise defended," Mr. Shaw burkes the fact that Germany's object is
to seize Belgium and to make it part of the German Empire, also to seize
at least the northern coast of France and to make this seizure the means
of dominating Britain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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