New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-20

an increasingly strong feeling that German
victory will be inimical to American inter
ests and principles These were bad enough
from the German point of view But to them
was then added the fact that German troops
were being killed in France and Poland by
American bullets and shrapnel and that Amer
lean food was feeding not only the civilian
population Of England but its army as well.
The opinion is daily Strengthening in Ger
many that the Allies would have been de-
feated already had not the United States
given them such prodigal material assistance.
PROFESSOR USHER STANDS BY HIS
WORDS.
Indeed my statements about the American
attitude toward Pan Germanism made in this
particular chapter in dspute-and which are,
by the way, the whole gist of this understand
ing" and "alliance"-have proved to be abso-
lutely accurate. The understanding consisted
in an admission by American statesmen that
American interests and principles were those
of England and France and not those Of Ger
many and Austria, and that the United States
probably would act in accordance with its in
terests and principles should international
United States naturally on the side of the Al
lies and not on that Of the Germans.
There arc not many people in this country
to-day who do rot regard German victory
as a misfortune for all that we stand for as
nation. What else do the Presidents notes
mean? What else echoes from the press in
East and West? We are as a nation for the
Allies, and few of us have much hesitation
about saying so There is the unnistakable
and undeniable fact which the Germans find
in that chapter Of PAM ermanism," and they
do not need my statements to prove to them
its truth. Indeed they find utterly plausible
earlier understandings or even an alliance.
Are we not now doing nearly everything we
can to help the Allies and to hurt the Germans?
Could we, if we had an offensive and de-
fensve alliance with England, be asked to do
more? The Germans do not hesitate to an
swer that we are, to their thinking, already
acting as allies of England would The rea-
sons we give for our actions they wave aside
as palpable subterfuges; our actions speak
language different from our words. Let us not
forget that what know to be true is OF lit
tie consequence when the other fellow re-
with what he believes to be true and not in
accordance with what we tell him we believe
to be true
Here, too is the key of that Submissive
ness to England" of which official German or
gans have much to say. Our trade and
economic interests are really much restricted
by England's measures in regard to inter
course with Europe; we make firm, vigorous
protest in the note of December rs; to Ger
man thinking, the English return sharp
fusal to comply with these demands, and we
"tamely" say little further about it. Then
comes the Lusitania, an incident easily justi-
fed to German minds and to them no matter
to be made crucial in the relations Of the two
countries; and we send very stern note, re-
fuse to accede to the very proper" German
request for more information and demand an
observance of the laws of humanity. Such an
attitude lends itself readily to such interpreta-