"If  the  I'nited  States  should  ever  de-
cide to  annex  Canada  or  Alaska,  on  the
ground  that  the  Monroe  Doctrine
obviously  requires  the  extrusion  of
(Jre.it  Britain  and  Russia  from  the
North  American  Continent,  they  will
have  to  take  exactly  the  same  steps
as  if  the  Monroe  Doctrine  bad  never
been  fornuilated  or  thought  of.  The
Monroe  Doctrine  did  not  help  the  red-
skins against  the  white  man,  and  it
will  not  helj)  the  redskins'  conqueror
wlicM  liis  turn  comes.
"Why  is  it  that  the  European  mili-
tarists who  annex  every  country  they
can  conquer  are  not  at  all  likely  to
annex  .\merica.  and  even  pretend  to
respect  the  Monroe  Doctrine  as  an  e.x-
cuse  for  not  trying  to?  Because  they
are  afraid  of  the  army  and  navy  and
peojile  of  the  Fnited  States.
"Why  did  Germany  make  war  on
Belgium?  Be<ause  she  was  afraid  to
delay  the  rush  to  Paris  by  attacking
France  through  Ix)rraine  and  Alsace.
"Why  did  she  attack  France?  Be-
cause she  was  terrified  by  Russian
mobilization,  and  afraid  France  would
strike  her  from  behind  when  she  was
attacked  by  Russia.
"Why  did  we  attack  Germany?  Be-
caus(>  we  were  afraid  of  her  growing
naval  strength,  and  believed  she  would
be  irresistible  if  she  conquered  Russia
and  France,  and  thus  left  us  without
effective  allies.
•'Frightened  animals  are  dangerous,
and  man  is  no  exception.  We  in  the
west  of  Europe  are  all  fighting  because
we  were  afraid  not  to.  If  the  war  is
to  be  concluded  on  ethical  principles
of  any  sort,  then  the  settlement  will  be
exactly  what  it  would  have  been  if
there  had  been  no  war." — The  Cru-
cible.
GER.MANY   .\.\U   BELGHM.
Editorial.
The  Chicago  Triliuiie.
