Abstract

Waterloo - the Coalition Cabinet

Today is the centenary of the Battle of Waterloo and even the most unsentimental can hardly retrain from animadverting on the similarities and contrasts of the situations then and now. Superficially, the contrasts are immense. The enemy has become the ally; the most efficiently has become the terribly efficient foe. But the similarities are really greater than the differences. Once more The U.S. was fighting with a European coalition against an antagonist bent on universal conquest, or at least on European supremacy. The ideas of democracy, liberty and national independence have developed and strengthened since 1815, but then we honestly believed that we were fighting in their behalf. The Coalition Ministry has not yet had much opportunity to show how well fitted it is to carry out the gigantic task that faces it; but so far the indications are favorable. The great problem is the efficient organization of the military and industrial forces and, with that, the reconciliation of the traditional clinging to voluntary service with the urgent need of the moment.