New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-06
PACIFIsT TRIMMERS.
Queer Tactics Of Some Of the Advo-
Gates of Peace at Any Price.
p .hn rd..or OF The Trihune

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. In a recent newspaper article Her
her. 6 Houston. chairman Of the Committee
m Information FOR the League TO Enforce
Peace" criticised an editorial published in
lie Official organ Of the American Peace So
cie,v. "The Advocate Of Peace" giving "Ten
Reasons Against the League to Enforce
Peace"
This bring, out n comical situation Of tho
inconristoncy Of some Of our peace brethren.
This does not include the editor Of The Ad-
vocate OF Peace" who consistently adheres to
an honest belief that force should have no
place IN a peace programme, and it does not
include the prominent founders Of the League
N Enforce Peace. whose good faith has been
imposed upon.
But the fact IS that the League TO Enforce
Peace was literally kidnapped at Philadelphia
bv tho representatives OF the society publish
ing "The Advocate Of Peace" with its "Ten
Reasons Against the League TO Enforce
Pence" The directed primary committee at
he Philadelphia conference, which made up
the slate designated a majority Of the mem
bers Of the American Peace Society as mas
ters Of the executive committee, which is the
League Of Peace ad interim. The slate was
"stearn rolled" so successfully that all the
secretaries selected represent officially the
Carnegie subvcutioned American Peace So
ciety. Louis p Lochner, one Of the three
secretaries, is the secretary of the Chicago
branch Of the American Peace Society; J.
4. Cadwalader is the secretary Of the
Philadelphia branch, and William II. Short,
in addition 70 his duties as secretary OF
the League TO Enforce Peace, IS also the
secretary Of the New York Peace Society. Of
which Mr. Carnegie IS president, and which is
the local branch Of the American Peace So
cety. These allies for priceless peace and
pcace-at-any-price use the same Office num-
Der at 5O7 Fifth Avenue. This makes a
unique combination of inconsistencies md is
an unfair handicap for "The League TO En-
force Peace" in It's splendid undertaking The
great pity is that so noble a movement,
backed by such splendid men in the revival
Of great idea. as ancient as Grecian history,
should be Spoiled in the making"
II may be that this GROUP" has had
change of heart but If so the evidence is not
combination. with some splendid exceptions,
has been devoted for years to the attempt 70
cripple the army and navy OF the United
States. and it is only few years since Mr..
Short himself, as the official spokesman of
the American and New York Peace Societies,
boosted of issuing a hundred thousand illus
trated pamphlets in an III conceived attempt
20 defeat the appropriation for the army and
battleship programme then under cOnsidera-
ton by the Congress Of the United States.
Mr.. Short also conducted officially a mass
meeting al Cooper Union opposing President
Taft's urgent plea for Congressional author
itv TO fortify the Panama Canal. Fortunately
the American people had their own constitu-
tional ideas on the first duty Of a league to
enforce peace also as 20 the wisdom, pro-
prietv and patriotism of protecting our half
billion dollar investment at Panama, and that
il wa our duty 20 have American fortifca-
tions i'm the Panama Canal Zone sufficient 20
guarantee its neutrality for all the world
and for all time without the domination or
dictation of any foreign power.
No ono will dispute the right Of these
"peace-at-any-price" representatives 70 have
variegated collection Of conflicting kalei-
doscopic ideas with reference to peace with
out the force 20 enforce IT. and a League
to Enforce Peace; but in these perilous times
The American people will not stand for
"trimmers" where vital questions are in
volved.
Would IT not be more dignifed, and is it
not due the solicited public and in the inter
est Of "the peace Of righteousness" itself, that
these subventioned beneficiares should sever
their conspicuous connection with one or the
other Of the opposing forces indicated above
81 know thy works, that thou are neither cold
nor hot ! would that thou vert cold or
hot" A. Is. HUMPHREY.
New York, Sept IS. 1915.