Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-06
ONLY RESENTMENT
AMONG AMERICANS
England No Longer Disappointed
That This Country Did
Not Declare War.
GERMANY HAS NO FEAR
United States Has No Army, and
Could Not Use It's
Navy.
GERMANY HAS NO FEAR
(DY PHILLIP EyERETT)


Ing of disappointment or even resent
ment. which was manifested here at
the first moment when II became
known that the United States would
not declare war against Germany be-
cause Of the Lusitania affair, has now
entirely disappeared. Unbiased people
readily admit that England undoubted-
ly would have acted just as the United
states did In similar circumstances.
and very often you hear the remark
that. after all, II would have made no
difference whatever to Germany III
America had declared war.
Germany has no reason to fear a
nation which has practically no army.
and the splendid American navy would
be useless, first because the German
fleet has no intention of leaving it's
refuge behind the guns of Heligoland,
where the combined naves of the
world cannot get at IT,, and second. be-
cause the allied fleets are already
powerful enough to maintain an 'efrec-
tive blockade of Germany which is
able to get supplies only from the
Scandinavian countries.
The only resentment shown hero is
now found among American residents,
who cannot forget the supreme Insult
to America uttered by Germany, when
she asserted that the United States
would be only too glad to accept a
cash compensation for American lives
lost" and who consider that Germany
got on far too lightly after committing
an outrage that Is without parallel in
history.
INCREASE IN RECRUITING
PROVES But SHORT-LIVED
The only effect of the Lusitania at
fair here. followed as 1t was, almost
Immediately by the Zeppelin raid on
the seaside resort Of Southend. was a
temporary increase in the number Of
men who offered themselves at the re-
cruiting Offices. principally in London
and Liverpool. but even this has now
vanished. and the daily increasing
number Of posters appealing for volun-
teers is striking proof OF tho fact
that the people of England have not
been aroused from their usual lethargy.
London is. II anything. even more
gay than usual. tn eaters and music halls
are crowded. and the number of physi-
cally fit young men, who ought to be
in the trenches. is as great and as much
In evidence as ever in our streets.
Omcers returning from the front on
short leave after witnessing scenes of
horror. such have been seen in no
other war, are. in fact equally dis
gusted with the small talk of the clubs
and the behavior of the people in pub
lie places. and more than one of them
has gone away declaring that he would |
not put foot in London again until the
war is over. but spend his leaves of |
absence in Paris. where every one is In |
great war means
1t is quite strange to hear these |
men. many Of whom were looked upon
Derore the war merely pleasant |
idlers and jolly. good fellows. accuse
London OF disgusting levity, while |
praising France. and especially Paris. |
An anonymous writer in a London !
paper tries to explain this strange
contrast between French and German
earnestness, and spirit Of patriotism
and self-sacrifice on one side and Eng
lish levity and lethargy on the other. |
by saying that the people Of Germany
and Franco know what they are fight
Ing for. while the English do not.
The Germans, he says, were fighting
hrst because OF the promise of future
greatness, which the government held
out to them-the vision OF Germany
as the ruling nation of the world-and
later because they realize that their
very national existence is at stake. |
while the French are fighting to get
back their beloved provinces of Alsace
and Lorraine.
The masses OF the English people.
who ought to supply soldiers by the
million, do not know what they are
hghting for beyond n faint memory
OF scrap of paper" and "the honor
of Old England" and similar hollow
and empty catchwords.
In London music hall the other
day. in the heart of a very denselv
populated quarter of the city. a recruit
inS sergeant who made patriotic
appeal for recruits from the stage. was
oooed and booted. and woman of the |
people who got UP and said that none
or my men shall go out and be made
targets Of by blooming Germans" was
applauded by the audience.
That the Englishmen who do go to
the front have proved themselves the
equals of the French in bravery and
dogged persistence, nobody will proba
bly, be reader to admit than the Ger
mans.
Should the Germans ever invade Eng
land conscription would not be neces-
sary to make every Englishman rush
to the colors, and the same could han
pen, I feel sure. If the government
would give binding pledge that Ger
many would be made to pay the last
farthing of what the war costs Eng.
land and compensate every orphan
widow or disabled soldier for life II II
keep the German nation In poverty
for a century.
ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS
SING THEIR PRAISES |
English newspapers. which are quite
naturally very proud of singing the |
praises of the splendid soldiers Eng
land has sent across the channel to !
fight alongside the French and Bel
Sians, are little too apt to write |
as II the little English army. magni-
ncent though 1t Is, were doing all the |