Evening star., 1915-09-19

cult. if not impossible. to secure Otner
enlplo!-m -ment and who had not the means
of subsistence for themselves or their
families.
Must First Advise Them.
"2. That it would be harsh to declare
them criminals and outlaws without
first providing the necessary machinery
for acquaintng them with the fact
that they were violating the laws of
their country and that as there is no
official record OF these citizens eXtant,
this would require time and an educa-
iional campaign by personal contact
and explanation and through the news
papers published in this country in the
foreign languages with which they are
ia miliar.
"3. That it would be necessary also,
before enforcing such provisions, to
arrange for employment agencies,
through which other employment might
promptly be secured for those who Wee
thus bereft of the means of livelihood
and to provide for them meantime.
Il urged that in the absence of such
measures these people would become
public charges upon the communities
here or find themselves compelled to re-
join the industrial army of their coUn-
try's enemies in order to avoid Starva-
ton for themselves and their families.
My government, however. concluded
that the same measure of loyalty might
justly be eXacted from it's citizens in
this country as from those at home, and
that circumstances had prevented
the former returning to their country
to defend it against the enemy on the
field of battle, which would have been
their sworn duty if it had been pos
Sib!e, the least that could be expected
from them was that they should re-
fra in from actively contributing to the
success of the enemy by manufacturing
the weapons for the slaughter of their
brethren, who were shedding their blood
upon the sacred altar of their country
Told to Dissuade Austrians.
II was accordingly instructed to use
every proper means of dissuading our
citizens from committing this crime of
high treason against the country to
which they owed their allegiance in
its hour of greatest need. At the time
of the publication of your message l
had as yet been able to take no step
toward the carrying out of these in
structions. and had. of course, no in
tention of doing so in any way that
would violate the laws or offend against
the customs of the country whose hos
pitality L have enjoyed and whose
friendship my country deeply appre
ciates and is anxious to retain.
Il respectfully insist that there is
not hing in the letter in question that
is capable of being construed when
read in the light of the facts.
My absolute right and duty to call
my countrymen in the United States
out of their respective employments to
the ranks as soon Austria Hungary
was in n state of war has not been and
cannot be questioned. The French and
Italian ambassadors did and are doing
this without question from official
quarters. What / proposed to ask from
the citizens of my country is only an
other form of compliance with our mill
tary law. The demand that they shall
not work for the enemy is less of an
exaction from them than that they re-
turn home to fight the enemy. Why.
then. is the former characterized as
conspiracy in my case while the latter
is recognized as legitimate as applied
to the action of the allies?
Immoral Foundations of Industry.
THE tragic conflict between duty and
necessity to which my countrymen are
exposed throws a lurid light upon the
immoral foundations of this war in
dustry which in its need for the cheap
labor of these unskilled workmen re-
fused to give the slightest heed to their
sacred feelings of patriotism and duty.
Il am advised that there is no sub
stantial difference between the law of
my country, which l have been asked
to call to the attention of my coun-
trymen here, and to which their obe-
dience is exacted, and your own law
on the same subject My information
is that in the unfortunate event of Il
war between your country and a for
eign power (Which I venture to hope
will never come to pass. your citizens
in foreign lands who are engaged in
lending support to the enemy by aid
ing in its supply of ammunition would
be equally guilty as if they took UP
arms against your government: and l
make bold to suggest that your ambas-
sador in a neutral country who failed
to exert himself by all proper means 10
avert such a catastrophe to them and
to his country would be remiss in his
highest duty.
DR.. Dumba's Obligations.
Il take it that my obligation as rep
resenting my government to protect
the rights and interests of its citizens
here in their relations with your gov
ernment under the accepted rules of in
ternational law carries with it corre-
spending obligations on the part of
citizens of my government resident
here to refrain from lending aid to our
enemies. If by argument or persuasion
through the limited channels open to
US under the present exceptional con-