_On Nov. 22_ THE NEW YORK TIMES _printed this interview with
Jacob H. Schiff on the European war reproduced above. Two days
later Dr. Charles W. Eliot, President Emeritus of Harvard, who
is an old friend of Mr. Schiff, wrote him a letter of comment
on THE TIMES interview. This letter resulted in considerable
correspondence between the two. At the time this
correspondence was penned there was not the least thought in
the mind of either of the writers of giving the letters to the
public. It was simply an interchange of ideas between men who
had long known each other. When they were convinced, however,
that publication might serve a useful purpose in shaping
public opinion, both Mr. Schiff and Dr. Eliot cordially
assented to their being printed._
Dr. Eliot to Mr. Schiff.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 24, 1914.
Dear Mr. Schiff: It was a great relief to me to read just now your
interview in THE NEW YORK TIMES of Nov. 22, for I have been afraid that
your judgment and mine, concerning the desirable outcome of this
horrible war, were very different. I now find that at many points they
coincide.
One of my strongest hopes is that one result of the war may be the
acceptance by the leading nations of the world of the precept or
law--there shall be no world empire for any single nation. If I
understand you correctly, you hold the same opinion. You wish neither
Germany nor England to possess world empire. You also look forward, as I
do, to some contract or agreement among the leading nations which shall
prevent competitive armaments. I entirely agree with you that it is in
the highest degree undesirable that this war should be prolonged to the
exhaustion of either side.
When, however, I come to your discussion of the means by which a good
result toward European order and peace may be brought out of the present
convulsion I do not find clear guidance to present action on your part
or mine, or on the part of our Government and people. Was it your
thought that a congress of the peoples of North and South America should
now be convened to bring to bear American opinion on the actual
combatants while the war is going on? Or is it your thought that the
American nations wait until there is a lull or pause in the indecisive
fighting?
So far as I can judge from the very imperfect information which reaches
us from Germany, the confidence of the German Emperor and people in
their "invincible" army is not much abated, although it clearly ought to
be. It is obvious that American opinion has some weight in Germany; but
has it not enough weight to induce Germany to abandon her intense desire
for Belgium and Holland and extensive colonial possessions? To my
thinking, without the abandonment of that desire and ambition on the
part of Germany, there can be no lasting peace in Europe and no
reduction of armaments. Sincerely yours,