New Britain herald., 1915-09-07
AN EXPLANATION WANTED.

AN AFFIRMATION WAN1ED' Dr. Constantin T. Dumba, the Aus tro-Hungarian ambassador, is OH HIS way to Washington to meet secre'arS
 of State Lansing and explain to 'ila'
 official just why MT. James H. '.
 Archibald. an accredited war corre- spondent, happened to pc carrying secret dispatches to the Imperial Aus trian Government. The Am bassador will also explain why he made such a huge attempt to disrupt labor con-
 ditions in this country. Until the
 full report of the Ambassadors visit
 and conference with Secretary Lans-
 ing is made public, there will be no
 one to judge his acts, for the Arn-
 bassador is an honorable man; but
 there will be much speculation over
 the outcome of the whole affair.
 While Americans are ultra fair in all
 their dealings, they have been inn
 posed upon to such great extent within the past year or so that their
 nature is undergoing complete change. Instead of the wonderful openheart
 edness and frank generosity that al- ways characterized the American, in- stead of that implicit trust he,always placed in brothers who came to his land from foreign nations, there IS springing up a weariness that par takes of the canny. And all because he is beginning to distrust anybody and everybody who is dividing alleg1- ance with some power far removed from the home government. 1t IS not the Americans fault if he ostra- cizes those who pat him on the oack with one hand and pick his pocket with the other. The whole blame can be laid at the door of those who should have known better, who have transgressed all the rules of clv1llza- ton, who have gone a little too far in their loyalty to the things upper most in their minds, No one will condemn a man for being loyal to any cause he thinks is right But when man goes into another's home and practices his doctrines in dia- metricaI opposition to the welfare of his host he is at best doing some this is not in anyway casting any re- f1ection upon .Dr. Dumba, or any other man who is now on the gridiron of public disapproval. Time will tell whether the Doctor. and his cohorts are right. If they are right, every thing will come out as it should. If they are wrong; it will take many years to break down the feeling that is being built up by some diplomats in this country.
 Seemingly, this was not the most propitious time for an expose. of this man Archibald, who, if what he is alleged to. have done is true, is a disgrace to American journalism. It he was the confidential messenger of two Ambassadors, travelling through an enemy country with American passports, he is a. spy. - Worse than that he is a traitor, because by his alleged acts he has enabled foreign political influences to hazard the peace and tranquility of American indus trial affairs. If Dr. Dumba can wash his hands of the whole affair and place American confidence back on the pedestal from which it is toppling
 he will be doing a great service to
 all foreign diplomats within these
 borders as well as to the American
 public. From his statement issued at
 his Summer home in Lenox the Doc
 tor seems willing to make full ex-
 planation. This should be done
 promptly, and the people should be
 allowed to know just what part the
 Doctor played in . the performance.
 If he was right, he should be vindi- cated; if he was wrong, he should ask for his passports in justice to himself, his government and his countrymen who must remain in this country long after the Doctor has departed.