New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-14
Futility Of War.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The Tribune to-day seems TO the un-
learned reader to be plainly advising, in
not remote contingency, that we make war on
Germany. In such a war have great deai
10 lose. and many another woman 10 IN the
same position: many, indeed have FAR more
than TO lose. We have no vote, we have no
mower but the unlimited power to suHer II
war should come to pass. am sure express
partlv the dismay and trouble many another
woman feels as she reads your sharp criticism
of the President-the President on whom
many of US have our anxious hopes that he
will not bring the anguish of war upon US.
Atrocities" "barbarities," rape, filth, blood
lust, frenzy of hate, insanity, typhoid-tnese
are all integral parts Of that supreme atroc-
itv. War. No war is free from them, no in
vading army is ever free from grave charges
of brutal and boodthirsty excesses. In
school our minds were fed upon tales of the
atrocities of the British in the Revolution,
and a missionary among the Indians has told
me of the fendsh cruelties perpetrated upon
Indian children. even very little children, by
our soldiers. These things are an old story,
as old as war itself. | have been told by
Northerners of atrocities by Southern SOL
diers and | have been told By Southerners
Of atrocities by Northern soldiers, IN the civil
War Let US remember the Ludlow massacre,
the women and children killed in April, 1914,
by Americans on American soil; and let us
remember, too, that our religion does not
counsel war.
A year ago I took a suburban train one
April afternoon, and all around me were men
NTH headlines about
Insult" injury" "killing Of American cti-
zens," hatred Of the American flag" ETC.,
war propaganda in which The Trbune-al
honor to ibid not join. Now, who remem-
bers that ebullition % regret that we did not
invade Mexico? A few, perhaps, who thought
that we could march through Mexico as the
British expected to march to Pictorial in
few weeks, and pile up a heritage Of hate
between the countries at the expense OF
few thousand lives dear, very dear, to GER
tain women!
There is in force nothing but force" and
even granting that force applied to the Ger
man leaders responsible for the murderous
and devilsh sinking of the Lusitania might
be more effectual than that old imbecile, war,
has generally been in the world even grant
ing this, how could reach those magnates
to punish them? Their precious skins are
safe. We cannot sacrifice the lives of the
men OF our families with any probability OF
reaching the real culprits. No; all we can do
to avenge by war the innocent lives assassi-
mated on the Lusitana is to sacrifice great
many more innocent lives, provide a multi
tude of tears and funerals, in order to kill
multitude of honest, helpless, poor men with
whom we have no quarrel, who fight because
they must, and who had nothing whatever to
DO with sinking the Lusitania.
Let US look for moment at these common
place, everyday facts, and when we talk Of
Furnishing Germany" let us look straight at
the truth--that we can never punish the
same Germany" that caused the deed, but
only a set of plain human folks like our
selves--"cannon fodder"
1t would be like revenging ones self on a
vicious neighbor by poisoning his hired man
and the hired mans wife and baby (and
being shot in return).
SARAH y. CLEGHORN.
Manchester, Vt, May 9, 1915.