Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-03
BROTHER
CLERGYMEN TO Be
NEUTRAL ON WAR
Orange Pastor Replies to
Bloomfield Minister'S State
ment Concerning Sermon.

Rev. Herman c, Gruhnert, pastor
of the First German Presbyterian
Church. has issued another open let
ter replying to a statement by Rev
DR.. William t. Wilcox. pastor OF
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
Bloomfield, in reference to a sermon
by the latter ON the European war
Rev. Mr.. Grubnert says he has re-
ceived no reply from Or. Wilcox to
the letter published in the Evening
Star. He again takes the Bloomfield
clergymen TO task for reference to
the alleged part the Germans are
playing in the conflict.
Rev. Mr. Grubnert's letter is as
follows:
In the September 10th issue of
this paper / submitted to DR.. ". r.
Wilcox, of Bloomfield, eight ques-
tons, based on certain statements
reported to have been made by him
in q sermon on Sunday, September
10. On Thursday, September "a, re-
ply from DR.. Wilcox appeared, in
which he, however, fails to touch my
questions, saying that he would pre-
fer to submit to me personally a
certain book as proof. The word per
sonally' led a number of readers Of
his statemen to believe Dr. Wilcox
would write TO me or see me- Though
| did not share this view, / neverthe-
less concluded to wait for a week, be-
fore making reply which seemed
to me necessary. Not having heard
from the doctor | herewith submit my
reply:
I'm the first place, 1t seems to me
that DR.. Wilcox is treating the mat
ter rather lightly, whereas not only
Germans but also many others take
it very seriously. Perhaps this is the
reason why he does not at all under
take to answer my questions, which
no doubt might have been quite a
difficult task, according to opinions
expressed in numerous letters ] re-
ceived lately. True, the doctor gives
reasons of his own, using my own
words as cautioning him against a
public discussion of the subject,
from which / am glad to infer that
he now sees the wisdom and binding
force of President Wilson's appeal
for neutrality
But when he says that in his ser
mon he was dealing with moral prin-
ciples, and on this ground refuses to
state proofs for the alleged facts i'm
his sermon, / fail to see the force
of his reasoning, since he cannot de
ny that he does raise a most formid-
able arraignment against the Ger
man nation / need only quote these
words: The underlying principles
behind it tthis war; look like the out
come of a delusion, and this is: That
the German people are obsessed with
the idea that they are the predes-
tined head of the human race to rule
the world for culture and civiliz8
. ton Saying this. Mr.. Wilcox was
not dealing with principles alone, but
also with the German people.
Now, this sermon was as such
public utterance, and by being re.
ported In newspapers became still
more a subject for public discussion.
Since. moreover, it does not appear
that the doctor has either corrected
or retracted any of his statements, it
is obvious that in singing out the
German nation for his criticism, he
then and thereby committed that
breach of neutrality, the danger Of
which he now admits. This applies
particularly to his stating, as facts.
certain German atrocities In ask
ing for proofs of those assertions.
thereby strictly adhering to the doc
tors own statements, l fail to see, al
together, how | should have been
dealing with other matters
''How the doctor can submit q book,
written considerable time before
the war by q German individual, but
practically disavowed by the German
people, as proof, e. g., for the cutting
off of the hand of little girl, etc
I defy anyone to explain. But even
letting alone the attitude of the
German people towards that book of
Bernhard. it would present none Of
the proofs asked for. When, e. g.,
the late Bob Ingerson made the
United States resound with the vio-
lent blasts of his infidel oratory;
what sane-minded person would have
made the American nation respon-
sible for 1t? 1t stands to reason that
d book is not nation, and theories
are not facts.
However, / believe that DIR. Will
cox agrees with me as to the wisdom
and expediency of maintaining neu
trallty in public speech and writing,
at this present day; and / trust that
the united prayers on Sunday, Oc-
tober 4, and at other times, may be
signally instrumental in promoting
this desirable and commendable
s..,t