The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-12-18
By Sir Gilbert Parker
Bart, NJ. p.


0INCE the beginning OF the war have had
a very large correspondence with Amerf
- can citizens. and have watched closely the
trend OF opinion in the United States through
a great number of newspapers which come to
me regularly. The United States being the
most important of all the neutral nations and
with a scheme OF government and with ambi-
tions for civilization differing only in color and
detail from our own. its opinion and Judgment
. are OF deep importance to all other nations en-
gagged In the war. During the last few months
some correspondents friendly but critical and
a few others. unfriendly and eensorious. and
also newspapers. impatient with the slow prog
ress OF the war. and impressed by Germany's
great military organization. have asked ques
tions which may be condensed as follows:
% Do not the strikes In South Wales
show a lack Of patriotism and an indication
that the trades unions are not strong for
the war;
(2) Why are your able bodied men
backward in answering their eountry's call
to the eolors7
(3) Why are the armies you have man.
aged to raise proving so inactive and In
effective on the Western rront7
(4) Why have you not met the demands
Of your generals for munitions?
(5) Above all, why 10 your navy
Britains pride boosted EMBARRASSING 90
not search the German navy out In the
Battle and come TO biows7
Labor Troubles Ended
with Astonishing Speed.
| feel that these questions ought TO be ans
wered thus publicly to several correspondents
and TO newspapers which. bearing US no Ill
will. are almost nervously anxious about our
progress.
aWhat Of the coal strike In South Wales
which has shocked the United states7 Was
not that deliberate and unpatriotie aet?' Is
the further query.
Yes, n Ignorance can be deliberate; and
everybody knows how peculiarly miners every
where are. by the very circumstances OF their
calling isolated from the genera cuTreht OF
life and public feeling among their country
men above ground. Consider. War comes
with its huge industrial demands II initiates
grievances. Not only in south Wales has the
miner resorted to strikes in time OF war He
gave way 70 them in the North fifty years ago
at the height OF the American Civil War, and
he has struck work in Hungary, Saxony and
Sesia since this war began-not TO speak OF
a recent strike among the prosperous arma-
ment workers at krupp's.
The late strikes in South Wales are unfor-
tunate. but they are not caused by an inherent
viciousness in the miner OF South Wales. II
Is an almost automatic result OF an abnormal
situation. OF a strained excitement, the more
powerful because the British man Is not out
= wardy demonstratiye; but the really remark
able thing about the South Wales strikes Is.
that disputes which might have opened up the
whole social problem have been settled so
Fueedily A few days negotiations and South
J.. Wales was at work again. and before there
had been any sensible diminution in output.
Also, II must be remembered that South
wales Is not the only mining district in the
British Isles. but Is one OF many. Yet the
strikes have been mainly confined 10 this par
tlcular region. which is much isolated and
where there is an excitable population.
what about the lack Of nnunitons7 Is II
not due to strikes and drink Germany has
munitions enough and to spare-'~hy has not
Great Britan7"
No. there are deeper causes Tor the lack OF
munitions than these things. These have
played no extensive part. especially the former
Germany laid up her stores I'm time OF peace
and she organized In time OF peace her whole
engineering industry. that she could mobi
lie Il Immediately for neutrality-suspicious.
during the war II not her way 70 make
In Europe or on the world, without prep
aration in keeping with her prodigiOus ambi
lions. She had Intention OF setting the
powder magazine alight til she could be sure
OF making q sufficiently large explosion.
Great Britain, however, not planning an
ArmageddOn for Europe, was accordingly moi
competing with Germany IN this respect II
she had determined 20 be supreme IN offensive
armament. her capacity for production would
have given her a national arsenal far exceed
ing that Of Germany. That however would
have meant q policy Of aggression. while our,
was policy o. defense Building up a huge