The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-20
IF WE MUST BREAK OUR
NEUTRALITY.
Professor Garfield Asks whether We
Shall Break 1t as Against Ger
many or as Against the Allies.

ba.1y VI 90 h3th's ~ htN
To THE EDITOR or THE SuS-Sir. I
am entirely willing hat Major Bige-
low should have the last word, but in
his last letter he addresses several
questions to me and ne seems entitled
to an answer.
He wishes to know where he raj
find the rule of Jaw approved at the
Hague Conference OF 1907 which would
make it u%nneutral for us now to re-
verse u policy with respect to the
export Of war supplies. I respectfully
refer him 10 the admirable letter OF
our Secretary Of State in reply to
Austria's impudent demand for an em-
barge. That letter covers the whole
question Of right with which Major
Bigelow Is troubled.
He asks me to quote or cite a few OF
the official assurances" in reliance
upon which friendly nations have
placed and our manufacturers have
accepted large orders fer Wal sup
plies. He will find them in our on
clal proclamations Of neutrality. issued
successfully on August 4, 8. I, 10. IL.
is. %, %. September is and Novem-
Der s and in the formal notice to our
ana on tne
suoJeet Oh Neu'raity ana 'oh,raoano'
Hsueu os our STATE department. on
oNtooei TO- All oi whIVn ae SCI iof'h
in my letter published in THE SUN on
JANUARY 10
He asks whether I i~nsinuate that
our Government would go back on q
,on'iaV,' hV' ohiS uo 10. i"sihua'e
~ out lhuIshahtlS roper tne sueees
.foh' anu LOT ina reason ! AN Cohh-
oeh' 'hat 'ne "IuespFeao herman con-
spiracy III tnis having TOT l's
ooJect interference with 'ne Ia"tuI
contracts OF our cl'!Zehs ana tne CON
hsea'loh OF the properly OF rienuiy
nations IL uoonheo 10 miserable ran
ure' IL ~ hot 10 DE assumed tnat
OhcIe sam Is SO uhscrupulous as 10
eNpeet 10 escape conuen'na'Ioh ior
such a oreach OK taith n hotor az
an emoarso wouIu InNolVe' on 'he eN-
.~laoiu1harS pea Susses'eu d! MAYOR
bise'o"' namely nat an emoargo
would not prevent tne war
irofh the Aihes AFTER the war
Is over
among the INJURIES whlcn ne says
we nave a'reaoy suHereu from the
war ne mentioheu the decrease OF
our commerce ana IMPORTS
pointed out that there mad oeen' IN
s'edu vi d ueCFease III our eNPorts' an
HhPosIhs increase 1" the q OF
~s4oV'ooV'ooo' ana characterIzed MS
statement as EXTRAORDINARILY lnaccu-
rate he no" says mat ne meant not
exports taken separately out e
ports ana nports taken together.
but TINS does not heIp MIN out OF MS
tor' taxing p ana I'M
ports together there mas oeen a very
suostant!al increase IN the nou of
sEVV'ooV'VVV' Is ho' an error OF s-Vo'-
VVoVVo characterized as
someIhinS EXTRAORDINARILY inaccu-
rate
MAJOR biseio" c~on'enoeu IN ms nrst
letter that we nave a right 70 place
an upon war suppIles and
ne INSISTED that war supplies snould
lhcIude "toodstuhs' ciothing anc
horsenesh lie now says that NJ
ala not ihtehu 10 Insist OF even sue-
eest mar II an embargo IL lad upon
the exports OF munitions OF war IL
must ne eNtehueu L" cover ioous'uHs
cIothing n h~orsenesh' l suoml'
that II m!sihterpre'ed MS meanin
u was the result MOI OF my oo'uSe-
ness out OF MS careless use OF IAN
guage.
hut the most hnp9rtant r OF
MAJOR blgeIow letter' II may ne al
lowed an hIoerhlcism Is what is not
IN H. referring 10 my
perorati"n IN "hich expressed WIFE
GONE warmth my sentiments in favol
OF American ideals. he says he was
tempted % comment II criticism
u he exercised a noble selt-reStraint
II would nave oeen interesting 10
Know whether any genuine American
i not IN faNor OF American Ideals and
OF u free institutions and liberty for
which we are Indebted TO old Eng
land.
Al the eutoreak OF the war in def
erence 10 PRESIDENT wilson, appeaI
Tor neutrality OF n action
ana out ot consideration Tor ~ Ger