New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-15

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Professor Gardener quotes The
Hague Conference, where at the last
time representatives of forty-three
powers signed treaty which guaran-
teed weaker nations inyiolable neu-
trality i'm case of war. As Mr.. Gar
dener holds Belgium neutrality has
been violated by Germany's invasion
of said country, the United States
should declare war on Germany be-
cause the United States has also been
a signatory of that conference.
But the fact is proven by French and
Belgian documents found by the Ger
mans after entering Antwerp that the
Belgian neutrality before the war was
only farce; that a secret military
plan had been worked out in common
between England, France and Belgium
before war was declared, containing
provisions for France and England to
invade Germany through Belgium.
Therefore Belgium ceased to be neu-
trail power. She was merely the cats
paw Of England and France, and had
TO be dealt with accordingly by Ger
many.
The German government had infor-
nation before the war to that effect,
and as a consequence had TO regard a
treaty with such a neighbOr as a scrap
of paper.
If the Germans conquer there Will
also be a conference, most likely par
ticipated in by The United States, where
we gladly could hear testimony and
decide between right and wrong, which
we cannot expect Uncle Sam TO do now,
. h. 10 of
the story, which comes by way of Lon
don or has first TO be looked over by
the English censor. If we are to be-
lieve in our strength and determine
tion as a nation we will tolerate no
abuse from any nation, out also respect
the right of our neighbor nations.
Why should we therefore go to war
with Germany? Germany never broke
a treaty she entered into with the
United States. Our German cousins
have always been on friendly standing
with this country. Only a few weeks
before the war began the Kaiser was
lauded by the American newspar rs as
the great preserver of peace.
Regarding the monuments which were
destroyed by the Germans after being
used By their foes as observation posts
to save their own lives: Because some
church in France from whose steeples
French artillery officers directed their
fire. was damaged by German shells
for such a reason does Professor Gar
dener want this country to wage wal
against Germany? And what about the
mines? Germany never entered a
treaty TO prohibit mine laying Why
should not she, iince her navy is out
numbered as one to four by the allied
feet, protect her coast by any means
from the allied battleships?
The issue in the prayer of Mr.. Gard
ener is for Russian victory for auto
cratic Russia with the darkest of pages
in history. Germany does not need 10
produce martyrs for freedom, because
her people possess all the freedom
they want and can get within the law
of authority, and not only freedom, but
humanity; to support the feeble and
old, to feed the destitute and TO house
the poor. What other country IN the
world has seen a triumph in lawmak-
ing like Germany? What other coun-
try in the world can show such 4
progress as Germany can? Germany is
more democratic than England, France
or Belgium German militarism In It's
present form is the new type of demo
cratic militarism. whose life depend
on the decision of the German people
and the existence of the German peo-
pie again depends on we'll trained
ever-ready army, as this war well ha,
proved.
Why does Mr.. Hale only complain
about the German army and not the
! Russian, which is bigger than the Ger