Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-14

said that their purpose was to. from
time to time, issue publication stat.
ing the facts as they saw them regard
ing the responsibility for and the con-
ditions OF the war situation. Their
statement said that an injustice was
being done to Germany and Austria,
and that they would issue publication
called "The Fatherland" which would
give the German viewpoint. This paper
is edited by G. S. Viereck and F. F.
Schrader at 1923 Broadway, New York
city
In the issue of October 2s, under the
heading of rs the United States neu-
tral?" it contains the following article;
Robert Lansing. counselor to the
state department, in reply to our pro-
test against the sale of ammunition to
belligerents, openly repudiates and de-
rides the subtle neutrality" advocated
by President Wilson. Not only, he de-
clares, may American citizens freely
sell arms to belligerents, but they may
also make loans to the nations at war
When Mr.. Morgan was asked to lend
money to France, the administration
advised him that such a step, while
legally permissible, would not be look
ed upon with favor by President Will
son. Mr.. Morgan dropped the loan.
We called attention to sales of war ma
terial to belligerents. We specified a
number of firms selling dynamite and
rifles to the allies. We petitioned the
president to express his disapproval Of
this action and to urge, if possible, an
embargo against the sales of arms to
re
told that the Krupps have also purchas-
ed war material in this country. AS
American citizens, wishing to end the
war and with the fervent desire that at
least our country contribute nothing
that tends to prolong the inQhuman
struggle, we protest no less strongly
against the sale of arms to Germany
than against the sale of war material
to England or her allies. We distinct
ly stated in our previous protest that
there was nothing within the law to
prevent such sales, but we appealed
then as now to the morality of which
we have heard so much from the pre-
sent administration, and to the spirit
of neutrality as defined by President
Wilson in his now famous message.
If we sell money and arms to the be-
ligerents, then all our protestations
about the new morality and all our
peace treaties are the veriest cant.
What hypocrite Uncle Sam must look
signing twenty-seven of Mr.. Bryan's
peace treaties with one hand, while
with the other he enthusiastically poe
kets the unholy gold paid by nations OF
Europe for rifles and dynamite! We
appealed to the spirit of the law, and
Mr.. Lansing gives us the letter. We
asked for bread, and the state depart
inert hands us stone. Mr.. Lansing S
reasoning is lawyers reasoning, 1T IS
not the reasoning we expect from the
Wilson administration. Mr.. Wilson was
| willing to sacrifice the lives of Ameri-
can citizens and untold millions OF
American property in Mexico for the
| sake Of moral idea. Has the leapord
changed his spots over night? Is Mr..
Wilson willing to surrender his high
ideals for the sake Of the profits made
by the few at the expense OF the
many? If the administration must pac-
ify big business let it begin with the
! railroads But let it not demonstrate
it's friendliness to business by encour-
aging those who sell the material to
butcher human beings. Let PRESIDENT
| Wilson make every allowance for the
constructive industries of the country
but let him frown upon the agencies OF
destruction. Mr.. Lansing has repudl'
ated the president. Let the president
now step forward and disown Mr.. Ian
sing, or let him eat his definition OF
neutrality; for surely the president
cannot have restricted neutrality to
talk. We admit that words are mighty
but at this time they do not count Is
much as cannon. Let him restrain the
sellers of war gear, and there will be
! less cause for restraining speech AL
we ask of President Wilson is that he
/ openly denounce the sale Of ammuni
ton or any action, in word or deed
that is likely to prolong the war. II
he can prevail upon congress to en-
body these sentiments in statute sc
much the better; if that is impossible
! for constitutional reasons, let him. fol-
sake of his own ideals, clearly state his
personal disapproval of the traffic IL
death dealing machinery
| Already the neutrality of the admin
istration is seriously questioned. Thus
I Philander G. Knox, former secretary OF
state, expresses an opinion which, II
coming from German American
would be regarded as prejudiced Our
positive action declares Mr.. Knox
''has at times approached dangerously
near to open partisanship. At the out
! break of the war we took, as toNcertain
German wireless stations, an attitude
uncalled for under the rules and prin
ciples of international law. We prac
tically sealed UP the German wireless
station, and coincidentally the cables
connecting Germany and the United
States were clipped. Thus was Ger
many isolated while the allies had com
! plete and perfect lines of communica
/ ton between America and Europe. II
is true that the administration buster
ed about controlling cables OF the
allies, and imposing upon them the
same restrictions which it had imposed
upon German communication, YET
every telegraph messenger boy Of any
intelligence knows of the great cables
| running from Nova Scotia to Europe
1.-THE American terminals of which car
Ibe reached from the United States by
telegraph, telephone and mails, over
| u,b;ob +ho executive has neither mower