New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-21
TIRED OF JELLYFTSHING
The United States Must Act or Lose
Self Respect.

To the Editor Of the Tribune.
Sir: | find myself, for once, in agreement
with Mr.. Roosevelt, who, commenting upon
the perfectly proper appeal that American
citizens should stand by the President at a
time Of national crisis, dryly observed that
we must stand by the President provided ne
is right There are many Of US who have
a personal admiration and respect for Mr..
Wilson, but that does not commit US to a
support Of the administration policy OF
"watchful waiting"
There are rights committed to the United
States in addition to those involved in these
questions arising out of submarine warfare
and the rights Of neutral ships and com
merce Some of these rights which the
United States has voluntarily assumed arise
from the trustee duty TO protect the interest
of non-combatant nationals of belligerent
powers through the United States consuates
in the countries which are engaged in war.
One such case arose in the Turkish Empire
where the protection OF rights of French and
English residents of the particular province,
the persons being French and English ma
tionals, non-combatants, and belonging to
was assumed by the United States. Some OF
these persons, whose lives have been given
UP to disinterested service to the people
among whom they were laboring, were sud
denly seized by the Turkish Governor Of the
province and imprisoned, which imprison-
ment was coupled with the threat that for
any Turkish life lost in any operations on
the coast he would execute three of these
prisoners.
They promptly appealed to the American
Consulate to demand their release on the
ground that such proceedings were in viola
ton of all international law and decency.
The American Consulate stated that it re-
GREETED exceedingly its inability to act, that
the consul's instructions were mot 10 en-
/ broil the United States" But, il was repre-
sented "if the case were reversed and
Americans had been imprisoned and they APP
pealed to the English Consul he would send
his kawass and secure your release in twenty
four hours" Nevertheless, the consul was
unable, under his instructions TO act.
| I was instrumental in communicating these
facts to the then Secretary of State, and in
reply to my communication, urging that
prompt and peremptory instructions be
issued TO the consul to protect the rights Of
these persons thus intrusted TO the United
States flag, the extraordinary statement was
made that the Department of State was not
yet informed that any Of these persons had
been actually executed No public announce
ment has yet been made from which we can
gather whether or not the release of these
persons has been actually demanded by the
United States and its dignity and self-re-
spect preserved and reparation demanded
/ for this insult to our flag, far more direct
and outrageous than that which took place
in Mexico.
In the second place, and in view of the
! fact that the policy of the administration is
already being used as argument for the
reelection of Mr.. Wilson, it is perfectly
proper to emphasize anew land in this |
again find myself in unexpected agreement
with Mr. Roosevelt) the fact that the United
States never protested against the violation
of the neutrality Of Belgium. But and II
this be deemed q dead issue, and certainly it
would be rather late now to enter a series of
FINAL" notes in this respect, what is the
United States going 10 do Of it be the
guardian OF humanity, Of civilization, from
an international standpoint) with regard TO
the wholesale massacres Of Christians in
Asia Minor and Persia? They exceed in
atrocity and in thoroughness anything that
took place when the whole civilized world
was outraged by what are now known as the
Armenian massacres.
Mr.. Morgenthau, one of our most efficient,
hardworkng and kindhearted ambassadors,
1t is reported In the papers, has protested to
the Turkish government, and If the news &C
counts are true, the answer to his protest
was the hanging OF number OF Armenans
in the streets of Constantinople! 1t may be
that from the international law standpoint
Two would be going out of our way to in