New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-29
THE GERMAN "JACCUSE'
A Oompatriot's Commentary on The
Book and the War.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Having read your editorial on the BOOK
"J'accuse" in to-day's Tribune, would like TO
make the following remarks on points IN said
book not touched by you.
The author says that he wrote this book in
order to awaken the German people and to
open their eyes TO the great wrong com
mitted by their leaders But how can he sue
coed if he publishes his book in Switzerland?
A stray copy here or there might be SNUG
gled into Germany at grave personal RISK, out
the mass OF the German people will never
know that such a book was ever written
In speaking of the credit of the nations at
war he mentions the big discount at which
German marks sell in Paris, but omits to say
anything of the still bigger discount of francs
in Berlin. Would it not have been fairer TO
give the price of pound sterling, francs ana
marks here in New York, where they are at
about an equal discount?
lie compares the 5 per cent German loan
sold at 971A with the English 312 per cent loan
sold at %, and claims that if both countries
enoyed the same credit Germany should have
sold her bonds at 1876. Does he not know that
these are short time loans, redeemable at par
so that while Germany at redemption pays
premium of only 2ls per cent, England pays
per cent? Can he not figure out that
short time loan issued at 1856, redeemable at
par, will bring the investor not only no In
come, but a loss of about 20 per cent on the
investment? Patriotism does not go that far,
not even in Germany.
He derdes the acquisition Of colonies by
Germany, and considers as wasted the COM
parativey small amount of money spent on
same. But did we not have the same outcry
here in this country when we bought Alaska
from Russia? Since then Alaska has paid for
itself a hundred times over, and with proper
development will increase in value another
bundredfold. German colonies were not ac-
ouired as an investment for the present but
as reserve for the future. World history is
not made in twenty years, and even under the
most favorable circumstances 1t would nave
taken another hundred years to decide as to
their value As long as Spain and Portugal
retained their colonies they were world pow
ers. What are they to-day?
The author makes much Of the refusal OF
Germany to acquiesce in the naval holiday
proposed by England, by which each country
should agree not to build any ships for three
wears. But what would have been the result?
German shipyards would have been idle for
three years, while thrifty John Bull would
have turned a nice penny in building ships
for "his Allies At the end of three years
Germany would have been hope in the
rear, while England would have laughed in
her sleeve in contemplating her fine new bat
tleships, built for her Allies" Nothing but
hypocrisy.
The author quotes at great length Bern
hardin fact, almost exclusively. But does
single individual represent the thought of a
whole nation? Have we not our own jingoes
here in this country? Does anybody doubt
that il the Presidential election three years
ago had turned out differently our troops
would have entered Mexico long ago, or that
we should have declared war on Germany not
later than the middle of last August? 1t is
absolutely false and unfair TO ascribe TO the
German nation a desire for conquest and
domination of Europe. There may be indi-
viduals who have such dreams, but neither
the people nor their ruler is in sympathy
with any such movement.
Why does the author not quote "The Lon
don Saturday Review" which for years has
preached war against Germany as the only
means of preserving England's naval and
commercial supremacy? Why does he not
quote the Petrograd papers which openly
stated that by 1916 the Russian armies would
be fully prepared to attack Germany?
II is not necessary to contradict the chap
ter entitled dramatically THE Crime" 1t is
conceded that the Servian incident and every
thing connected with it was not the reason
for this war, but only the pretext. The rea-
son in two words was "Alsace-Lorraine."
| quote from the book "The War and De-
mocracy," in which J. Dover Wilson, NJ. A.
Cambridge, says: "The annexation Of two
small provinces has thus made permanent
breach between two great nations, breach
which has poisoned the whole OF European
rolicy during the last half century, which has
uidened until IL has split Europe into two