Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-31
xv..r.,r would We CANT

WhREGln
OMAHA, July 1910 the Editor OF The
Bee: I cannot agree with Mayor Dani-
man IN his determination to send Dundee
Treasurer e. II. Westerfield over the
road Wherein would the city OF
omaha or even the general principles Of
honor profit by such proceodingsf I fall
TO see.
Grant everything For the sake Of the
question. grant that Mr.. westerfield's
original intention was criminal Grant
that he stole the money with criminal in
tent. and that he deliberately tried to
cover nm his tracks I am not inclined
10 believe that, but let us grant, and still
what satisfaction would there be to any
man or 20 this community in sending
him TO the penitentiary. were that even
possible7 I believe that would be making
a mighty poor use OF a man who. II
rightly treated, could prove a. good
citizen.
have a philosophy which makes me
feel that wheneveraa man treads his
weary way to prison. there is a sense In
which we all go with him. None shall
bear his punishment or his griefs alone.
All OF mankind Is involved. That is why
ALI the world, and every citizen OF the
world. Is a sufferer through the European
war.
No. when Mr.. westerfieid rays over
the money, let us wipe the slate clean.
Then forget It. L. j. Vo1NDH'
How Often WOuId We Buy Belgiumf
OMAHA, July 500 the Editor Of The
Bee: wouldn't you think man ois
enough to run q business like Wanna
makers would have a little common
aense7 or at least have friends who
would prevent his making an ass OF him.
self in public.
Now. Germany doesn't own Belgium
vet, and probably never will. But the idea
OF us paying Germany sloO,Ooo.OoO for Bel
sium and then turning the country back
10 Belgiuml Who would prevent the
Germans from taking 1t again1
THOMAS MATHEWSON.
wooster Talks out In Meeting.
SILVER CREEK, Neb., July a.-To
the Editor of The Bee: Instead OF at
tempting 10 reply In a general way to my
letters wherein undertook to show that
President Wilson was all wrong In his
controversy with Germany or to any essen
t,ai mart Of Il, Mr.. John Rutherford de-
MES that England had ''paralyred Amer
lean commerce" as stated In effect, and
INDUCES in invidious personal reflections,
which. in my opinion. have no business
whatever IN a newspaper discussion OF
public questions. This thing OF abusing an
opponent one feels himself unable to re-
fute Is a worry old trick and a very un-
worthy thing to do. am a private ciu-
zen not seeking public preferment and
whether I poasess the qualities OF states
manship IL none OF the publics concern
But we have a perfect right TO eriticise
the acts OF our public officials and 20
oonsiAer their personal qualifications for
the. offices they may hold. And 20 I
have been free in the expression OF my
opinion that Wilson In any proper sense
Il not a statesman. and think have
given very substantial reasons therefor.
He h not only not himself a first class
man but has not the good sense 70 sur
round himself with such. not now having
and never having had first class man
ia his cabinet. But that makes little diff
ference, since he Is his own prime min
ister-his own sole counsellor. replenish-
ing HE store OF wisdom and fortifying
his Judgment from games OF gOif. with
the result that IN our boosted free Amer
tea we now have a more despotic GOV
eminent than that Of any other civilized
country
whether OF not American commerce
has been actually paralyzed by the Brit
ish otders-ln-couneil. is not pertinent TO
this discussion. The fact is that those
orders-in-councn were directed against
commerce. either directly OF indirectly.
with Germany and Austria.
while IN this war my sympa thies are
wholly with England and her allies
believe in giving Germany and her allies
a stIictly square deal. This Wilson Is
not doing and while. perhaps. technically
correct in his controversy with Germany.
in all essential particulars, he il in reality
absolutely in the wrong. and I will not
UNFOLD him in the wrong even as against
a foreign people whom l wish to see
brought 70 defeat.
Take the case OF the Lusitania- II Is
not 80 much Germany as Wilson himself
that Is responsible for the death OF all
those Americans. for the reason that he
did not warn them. as he should have
done, 10 keep away from those parts
until his controversy with Germany was
ended. or until such time as he could
assure them OF safe passage. And how
does Il lie In Wilson's mouth TO talk
about the ''inhumanity" OF the killing OF
those Americans IN view Of the fact that
without any declaration Of VAR. without