New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-06
NEUTRALITY WRONG
United States Should Find Right
Side and Proclaim It.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Late, late, so late" but i may
enter still" please allow me to express my
very hearty appreciation of your editorial
Of the 18th. "lS13-19l5." You more than
completely answered my letter that you pub
lished on the same date. That letter con-
tanned the little that / have been able 20 find
to say on the German side since the rape Of
Belgium"
More and more as the months have gone
by and the awful possibilities of Prusslan
militarism have been revealed have ! come
70 feel that this is religious var, with IN
questionable right on one side and incarnate
devitry on the other, and with the peace,
prosperity and happiness o. the world de-
pending upon the issue This is not 10 put
haoes around the heads Of the Allies nor
cloven feet on the Germans, either from the
individual or from the national standpoint.
And as have come to feel this way, also
have | arrived at the only logical conclusion,
that for this nation TO remain neutral is 70
remain wrong. To argue with or 70 appeal
to Germany in her present mood is as likely
TO meet with success as for Billy Sunday
10 try 10 convert the devil Germany is
either entirely right and completely justified
in the course that she has pursued since this
war began or she is absolutely, unspeakably
wrong.
Even If one could possibly believe that
Germany's cause were Just, her methods
should drive all sympathy from her. | cannot
understand how any sane right thinking, well
informed American can find anything good 20
say about Germany's cause or her methods OF
warfare. This is a question that presents it.
self TO me: Would man be considered right
and justified if, for the sake of peace and on
account of obligations to his family, he were
&c turn his back and walk away from a brute
who was attacking a woman or child? Tn
less he were a cripple or an invalid such a
man would be called dcspicable coward.
Why is a nation not bound By obligations
of that kind, obligations that are not quail
fed by neutrality or discretion or peace or
safety? believe that the standard of the
nation should be high, morally, spiritually
and in every other way. as the standard TO
which the individual is expected to measure
up II the highest and noblest thing that a
man can do is 20 keep his mouth shut in order
to keep out Of trouble, then the same thing
applies to the nation; in which case we are
the "noblcst Roman Of them all" with the
possible exception of that other Roman
Pontius Plate
Neither individual nor nation have ever had
revealed to them as the highest law that they
must remain neutral and peaceful under all
circumstances, even 70 preserve their life.
They must do the right. the brave. the
honorable thing, even though they die for
it. HE that saveth his life shall lose It,"
This is war of right against wrong; there
is no middle ground. Where do We stand ?
II we don't know where the right is, it is time
we found out. To find out and to speak out
won't mean going TO war with anybody, but
We shall at least place ourselves on record ;
we shall be placed there anyhow; we might
better "place" ourselves. AMERICAN.
Hsledon. y J.. May 81, 1915