New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-09
GERMAN AMERICAN PROTEST
DR.. Richard Thinks Germany
Gets Less than Justice in News.

YOUR Paris CORRESPONDENT. He says that
the Strasburg faculty dissolved a certain
student society FOR having declared us
sympathy and utilization with the students
Of the University OF Paris This Is lncor-
rect and If allowed to pass VIII form an
other link IN the chain OF tasenoods IN
tended TO create and confirm a prejudice
against Germany. The Cercle des etudl-
antes d'Alsace- Lorraine was dissolved for
an article I'm its semi-annual report In
which not only Germany was insulted IN
the grossest and most malicious manner
but which contained passages which In the
order OF dissolution are characterized d.
rcctly as "pornographIcal." 1t appears es-
pecially aggravating that the passage re-
ferred 10 is connected with Bible quota
ton which, In its turn, is used as an OPP
portunity to ridlcue In the most frivolous
manner the Catholic. Protestant and jewish
religions You will concede that the action
Of the Strasburg University was caused by
a less harmless offence than the ono as
sumed by your correspondent He might
have got the facts easily enough by read
Ing the order Of dissolution.
There IS another point I should Ike TO
call your attention 20, with the nope or
receiving an explanation. You have not
failed TO record carefully all manifestations
I'm favor Of the proposed arbitration treaty
with England. even by small bodies. Re-
psatedly YOU have informed your readers
of the opposition TO that treaty by hand
ful OF Irish Americans supported by even
q smaller number Of Communications.
Your Washington correspondent did not
fail to report the reception OF this protest
by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, but
no mention was made Of declaration ny
the authorized representatives Of tho Ma
tionsl Germau-American Alliance. with It's
two million American citizens as members,
I'm favor Of this and the other proposed
treaties. Of tho enthusiastic reception by
the press I'm Germany OF tho appeal OF this
committee 10 the German people on behalf
of tho treaty with the German Empire; OF
tho fact that tho state convention OF the
German. American Alliance in Rochester
last week expressly dlsspproved o. tho So
called Trsh-Gcrman protest No notice
was taken Of the reception Of the dcclara-
ton referred t. dsavowing tho protest
by tho Washington authorities.
In Wow OF these facts yon cannot won
der whom tho people behind The Gaelic
American" insist that tho Republican ad-
ministraton. Of whose policy Tho Tribune
Is tho stanchest supporter. intended an UNI
friendly act against Germany In proposing
the arbitration treaty 10 Great Britain aud
was forced 20 submit It also to Germany.
much agalus, original intentions. or n
these omissions are due simply 10 over
sight. tho conclusion is obvious that things
fg-,tf.f
This f. Indicated by the mere fact that YOU
DO not think II necessary to have special
correspondent IN Berlin. which. 10 u centre
81 international politics. certainly f. not
less important than London ana Paris.
with the result that You look AT foreign
politics not with impartial or American
eyes but from a distinctly British or
French point Of view
Even tho view of history Of your cdi-
torial writers seems 20 prefer Latin ira
dition 10 Germanc. At least, this must bc
concluded from the claim I'm this mornings
editorial on tho Congress Of Races that
tho struggle Of the Romans against the
Goths was tho salvation Of Europe IN elias
steal times" Salvation from what, pray?
From Gcrmanio supremacy? But was not
the Roman Empire destroyed Europe
saved and rcgcncrated by Gcrmanic rule,
including Gothic ~ well as Anglo Saxon?
Were not the Cloths the pioneers I'm this
conquest. without which there would be no
English language 10 express such nonsense
as that which gives rise 80 these critical
remarks?
| did not write this letter 90 see II In
print. though do not object 10 It. But
tents / am quite ready 10 grant that the
attitude which ! lind Objectionable is not In
territorial, but Il easily lends Itself 10 such
Interpretation as given here, and gives wei
come material 10 International mischief
makers here and abroad, especially TO our
antagonists in Germany.
My remarks are not due 10 sensitivencSs.
but TO a desire to see all unnecessary prov
ocatlon removed from international lie.
and / know from personal observation that
continuous Sights aud pin pricks do moro
10 keep the nations apart than important
political actions In tile promotion OF as
sumcd national interests. II YOU tlud some
Justification. therefore. I'm my critical oh
scryatlous In this letter YOU Will perhaps
agrcc with mo that an inert consciousness
that YOU bear no ~ viii iu the matter is
not sufficient, but e distinct purpose is de-
sirable and instruction necessary to avoid
anything that VIII Justify Il suspicion OF
neglect or prejudice In any direction
ERNST RICHARD.
New York. June 3. 1911
without the slightest reflection upon
Professor Richards entire good faith
and sincerity. we must regard his In
gcnuity in constructing a case To TT his
own conceptions more highly than his
capacity for considering q subject from
its various points OF view and for giving
due value TO each OF it's phases. As de-
scrlbcd by him, the Students club of
Straspurg was properly dissolved for
what We should all regard as "a scan
dalous offence. Yet our Paris curre-
,pondent. whose sources ~ information
arc certainly no less copous and author
itativc. assures ne that the club was
dissolved because IT'S. young and per
haps too energetic president wrote n
humorous pamphlet which with caustic
irony ridiculed the bigwigs OF the Ger
man universities in the Rcichslaud and
protested that the German faculty was
greatly mistaken in its assertion that
France had completely forgotten Alsace-
Lorraine" Certainly that is an inter
pretation of the incident which cannot
be ignored. and which must have due
weight by the side of Professor Richards
charges of insult, pornography and sac
rilege. We cannot either, accept the in