The sun., 1914-09-12
REAL NEUTRALITY.
As Understood by the President and ~ Tn
derstood by the Ex.Presidcnt OF Harvard.


To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--sir: on
August rs President Wilson issued an
address In which he said:
Tho people Of the United states are drawn
from many nations and chiehy from. the
nations now at war. 1t Is natural and
Inevitable that there should be the utmost
variety of sympathy and desire among thsm
with regard to the issues and circumstances
Of the conflict. Some will wish one nation.
others another. to succeed In tho momentous
struggle. II will bs easy to excite passion
and difYcun to aiiay II.
I venture. therefore. my fellow country
men. to speak a solemn word of warning to
you against the deepest. most subtle. most
essential breach of neutrality which may
spring out of partnership. out OF passion
ateiy taking sides The United States must
be neutral In fact well as In name dur
ing these days that are 10 try mems souls.
wo must be impartial In thought as well
as action. must put a curb upon our senti-
ments as we'll as upon every tranSaction
that might be construed as a preference of
one party to the struggle before another
Our press fairly bristies with articles
Nhot NohohNoh Nho itttti spHlt VI
this injunction. Perhaps nothing has 80
conspicuously violated It as the communi-
cation from Dr. Charles w Eliot, presi-
dent emeritus OF Harvard University.
which was published in tho New York
Times OF September 4. unless II Is the
leading editorial articles Of tho same
paper on September and s.
DR. Eliot favors and advocates the kind
OF discussion which the President has ad-
nj al 70 nj hat lp
Having expressed his dissent from the
President on this point. he presents his
own Views on the motives of the warning
nations and the issues involved in the
. contest
Two features OF European government,
which he represents as among the prob
able causes OF the sudden lapse of the
most civilized parts OF Europe into worse
than primitive savagery." come In for his
particular condemnation. These are &C.
cret treaties and autocratic national exec
utves. Referring TO secret treaties he
says: Free institutions like those of the
United States take the public into conf
dence, because all important movements
OF the Government must rest on popular
| desires, needs and volttions." We cannot
| In our diplomacy realize the absolute
secrecy OF occasional European ententes
and negotiations. but the conceit that our
Government in It's diplomatic transactions
|
public into It's confidence is more interest
ing than true. when few years ago
! President Taft and Secretary Knox wanted
| to foist their peace at any price arbitra-
| tion treaties on the country they went
before the public with them under the de-
fusion that they would thereby overcome
the wise and patriotic opposition made TO
| them In the Senate.
| When President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Hay wanted to bind the United
| States nomlnally to guarantee but prac-
ticslly to establish the independence "
| Panama they went about II In haste
and secrecy that could hardly have been
surpassed In Berlin or ST. Petersburg.
The republic of Panama was recognized
| by President Roosevelt on November 13.
1908 the Hay-Bunau Varilla treaty was
drawn up by the 18th and signed or
concluded on the 18th; It's ratification was
advised by the Senate on the cad; and
the Publications were exchanged and the
| treaty was proclaimed on the Goth.
Europe's autocratic executives are rep
resented as able to Swing the whole
physical force of the nation to this side
or that without consulting the people or
their representatives," II rested only. II
would seem. with the German Emperor
| whether the German Empire went to war
with Russia or with Austria. with France
or with Turkey. Can glory madness
produce n more erratic illusion? But what
II Il were true? What difference does
It make to us whether the swing Of ma
tional forces In a European country is
determined by an autocratlc ruler. by n
parliament. or by a yellow press? Is 4
any business of ours? Or. Eliot evidently
thinks II Is and hopes that by our media>
ton or Intervention we may be able "a
rescue the unfortunate subjects OF the
Kaiser from their sorry backwardness
i'm the art OF government What n pity
A.. .I.,a- rg
cans cannot appreciate their form OF gov
ernment without criticising and condemn
ing that OF other countries. One car
hardly imagine anything more unfavor-
able to our influence as a mediator than
such presumption. II We are going &c
fit ourselves to mediate between Germany
and any other country we should begir
by getting the idea well fixed in our minds
that the Germans are as well satisfied
with their form of government as we are
with ours: that they do not think any
better OF our form OF government thar
we do Of theirs.
DR.. Eliot places himself sauarely or
the side OF the Anglo Franco Russian
coalition. and takes II for granted that al
Americans are ready to do likewise
ut already seems to them" he says. thai
England. France and Russia are fighting
for freedom and civilization" The Time,
goes far beyond this. In one OF the fore
mentioned editorials one reaus:
A great part OF tho people of the world
are at war with Germany. Her arms may
triumph over them But in the judgment
of substantially the whole civilized world
Germany stands condemned and triumph o
her arms will not reverse that judgment
- the American people. some OF Ger
man birth and descent alone excepted. are
unanimous IN condemnins Germany's action
Let us hope that the American people
whatever they may think about Germany
will be unanimous In discounting ant
condemnng such loose talk.
The harping OF certain papers and
individuals upon the danger TO the United
States of German militarism In interest
ing evidence of the respect that they en-
tertain for the German army But u
should influence no one In taking sidei
in the contest. Professor Hale OF thu
University of Chicago Is reported In thu
Ttmcs es advocating an immediate dec
laration OF war by the United States
against Germany. and he is not the onl,
one who has declared himself openly nj
by implication for war. Even the pacin'
Dr, Eliot, a pillar OF the Association fo
International Cancellation and of the SO
ciety for judicial Settlement OF Interna
tlonal Disputes. seems to contemplate wa
as "A possibility when he bids us "b
ready to seize every opportunity thu
may present itself 10 further the caus