The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30
CAN WE CONTINUE TO
"NTND OUR BUSINESS" I?

To THE EprroR OF THE SuS--Sr: Your
correspondent W. G. II takes n view OF
this war which one would perhaps like to
Gee taken BY mora Americans But then
there are some facts to consider which
make difference. According TO the
Statcs,ndr's Year Book the foreign born
population OF the United states includes
4.Isi EOS born subjects OF the Triple Al
lance, 25oi1si born Germans. l.174.e2t
born Austrians. AS. 500 born Hungarians.
II also includes 5.el7,s5o born subjects
OF the Entente Cordale mot to mention
a few Japanese). 2,572.1?3 born In the
British Isles l.l36.o70 born In Canada,
l.73242l born in Russia and Finland.
1925 born in France.
or course we cannot infer from this
that there arc in the United states over
four millions who sympathize strongly
with the Kaiser and about I'VE and half
millions with the Allies number or
circumstances modify the sympathies or
persons born under various European
Governments Chief among these CIR
cumstances are the influences OF race AMI
mostly Even of those reckored In OFF,
ciaI i,sts as OF German birth a large
number are probably natives Of Prus-
sian Poland whose feelings may reason
ably be expected to be enlisted against
the German But the number or imml-
grants OF slavic origin whose birth would
be Officially registered as German IL
probably small in comparison win those
Prom Austria-HunRary. and IN any case
IN estimate the former would he out
n, the question, considering the govern
mental efforts to Teutonize lrussldn
Poland
As to the Dual Monarchy better guess
NAV he made The Statements Year
NOOK gives statistics which divide the
incubation OF Austria roughly into
lO00O0O0 Germans and 100000 Slavs
1Slovaks, Ruman!ans, Ruthenans, Croats
and serbs, while Hungary contains
10000 900 MlEyars, 1000, 600 Germans ana
900 600 Slavs. The foreign born inhapl-
tants OF the United states are more likely
TO be drawn from the Slavic than from
other elements OF the Austro-Hungarlan
populatlon But. not to comphcate mat
ters. supposlng that the immigration from
the monarchy Is divided proportonatelY
es the respective populatons-seNeh-
oen-twenty-sevonths Slavs Tor aus
trian and two-hfths for Hungarian
.mmigration-that gives US total
n, 73S755 Slavs among the so-called
"Austrian' immigrants and 1890 SIaVS
among the Hungarian" or not very
much less than a round million from 'he
nation which initiated the present war
10 protect Europe against Slavic DONNA
ton
On the other side the Russian sym
pathies OF a great majority OF IN"
732421 immigrants born in Russia and
FINLAND are not TO be trusted. The Firms
can hardly be expected 10 be very hearty
we'll wisners OF the Car; the Russian
Jews certainly cannot be, the other ma
t,ves OF Russian Poland may nave peeh
affected by the recent Polish proclamation
or they may not only the small number
OF genuine Russians in this million and
three-ounrters can be counted on to pray
for "the Christ loving army" with ma
tives OF the British Isles the case Is dr.
ferent: only those OF the Irish who came
10 America hating England more than
they loved ireland can really anticipate
with pleasure definitivc German tri-
umph all the rest OF those born in the
British Isles may be counted as anti
German The Canadians. or most of
them, have double reason for desiring
tho triumph OF the Allies. The natives
Of France. OF course may be counted as
antNierman 10 n baby.
go this country at present has among
sts regularly settled inhabitants, many OF
them, probably most, nominally natural
ined not far from 10000, 900 Of foreign
err practically all feeling strongly for or
against one side or the otheer. Making
n large allowance for those who either
young 10 care much about their native
lands the opposing factions OF sympathi-
Igers. mostly American voters must num-
her nearly Q 900, 900. with all the cir
cumstances considered above they are
probably about equally divided between
the two sides This IS not n pleasant
state OF things for genuine Americans
like w. G. II 20 contemplate The wal
Qua pun 'uluom Sluo IoJ no auoS SUI
sale OF "wuxtrys" seems 70 Indicate z
growing rather than lessenng Interest
IN II. Let the case of the Allies or al
Germany become critical and n warfare
Of words will arise in the United States
which all the efforts of the sane pres
will hardly keep within tolerable limits
And the worst OF II is that any fairly
Nv find means 10 profit In n dozen direc
tons by such an excited state Of COS
tenshly) American public focling.
This being so. one can hardly refrain
from doubling whether the United states
with 10000 900 OF foreign horn Twins
within Hts borders, with a continent unde
It's hegemony and the largest of tn,
oceans nearly all within the sphere q
It's interests. can continue to mind a.
own business" IN tho sense in which tn,
fathers believed Was II all quite RICH
md eXpedlcnt that "A diplomatic struggl
should have preceded this war and tn
United states have had no word to sa,
IN the result? BUSTER.
New YORK, August %.