Necessity, Nct Choice.

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The new Peace Union deplores injudicious and hasty action. Someone else recently in this column also seemed to think that a maddening war-fever was sweeping over the United States. Don't these people realize that perhaps never before was a big nation so calmly considering war as we are at present.

The Peace Union says that we should act only in concert with all neutrals. Can they not see that we are the only neutral of much importance that can act at all?

The Peace Union wishes to discountenance our citizens on belligerent vessels laden with contraband. Have they not heard that all vessels--neutral and belligerent, regardless of cargo or anything else--are to be sunk on sight?

The Peace Union says our national honor is not the issue. Of course, we have long since repudiated being our brothers' keeper, though we once signed something or other about Belgian neutrality; and of course protection of our own citizens and our own property is sordid materialism, not a matter of honor.

The Peace Union says we have nothing to gain by war. Nothing material--no land, money, citizens, privileges; nothing except a certain amount of prestige, a certain reputation of self-protection. Nothing but respect--a small thing when "honor" is not at stake.

The Peace Union says that neither Germany nor we desire war. For once I agree. But that does not relieve us from its necessity.

Germany and England wish to blockade each other. That is none of our business. But when blockade methods are so outrageous that they make shudder all that is decent in us, when these methods kill off a couple of hundred of our citizens among a couple of thousands of neutrals, are we merely to sigh and say it's too bad? What are we to do? But the climax comes with the announcement that such methods are not only to be continued, but to be made worse.

No one can say we have forced the situation; on the contrary we have been doing our best not to face it at all. Now we can no longer ignore it.

Though, of course, when the moment comes, we will learn from Berlin that we have been waiting merely to prepare our wild hordes of negroes, Indians, lynchers and strike-breakers. S. FOSTER DAMON '14.