New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-29
THE SHAM"
Sweeping Conclusions Drawn from
Wholly Debatable Premises.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Your editorial The Shan" make, !,
awfully hard for a Brt.sher to keep quiet,
much as he wants 20 respect the hospitality
Of your country and the neutrality admoni.
ton OF your President, and gratihed as b.
is by your consistently brave insistence upOI
the German menace 20 America as well
to Europe. That editorial comes pretty
rearly within the classification o. things
distinctly mot cricket"
question whether you could poin. TO .
single utterance by any responsible person
in English public life during the past ten
years bclitding Germans military or eco
romic power or attempting TO dissaade the
British public from believing tha, Germany
meant business" I have been out Of Eng
land four years, but am quite positive that
prior to that time English statesmen ard
the press in the main were always sppre'
hensive OF the danger OF the military might
Of Germany and pretty sure Of her objective
in so feyerishly and unnecessarily building
a large navy.
Now as to preparedness. First Jet me ask
your pardon for emphasizing that the Brit
ish Isles are islands, and that since Eliza
beths time il has been fully recognized mat
their protection must fri 0hd MI me
italics, please reside in a navy. You VIII
forgive me for pointing out, after hi'eea
months Of war. that il still does.
Not Russia nor France nor England her'eh
expected England 20 engage in this war on
land, except in the event Of violation "
Belgium, when all the available British lana
forces, plus whatever volunteers might &C.
crue, would take part.
You must also remember that conserpuoh
In any form in England during peace times
would have been an utter impossibility ara
no ministry seriously proposing u while ias
navy was intact would have lasted Tor
week. Moreover, there is very little room
for doubt. in the light OF Germany'' be-
havior, that those who argued that con.
scription would frec.pitate the very war 'nA'
IL was designed 20 avert were right j,
To-day Britain has volunteer army :.
3 600 900 men (which is more than 10 per
cent of the total white male population OF ~
entire British Empire, Is supplying eoA'
iron. manufactured munitions ana money =, =,
Russia France and Italy, and Is nerss',
carrying on war in six different theatres o.
operation in various parts Of the gloDe' ''S
is not discouraged or dismayed by the 'i'as'
tion in those theatres to-day, ard -, lnaee''
more resolute and resourceful than ever, -,
The political dssensions and the "muoaf
that you speak OF so severely are, oei'e's
ne. much MORE apparent than real ana s''
mainly Of newspaper. as distinct from pa0hS'
participation. You have yet 20 adduee e"-
dence that there is a single important group
in England not in favor Of vigorous prose
cution Of the war, or that differences OF opih.
ION as 20 the methods by which the ~si
should be carried on are initiating agslh"
the efficiency Of the methods by which u I"
being carried on.
You know very we'll that democracy Is n0'
the form o. government best suited Tor VAL
and yet YOU seem 10 expect that bri'S'"
should have been long ago prepared 20 ram
form herself from condition OF aosolus'
political freedom 90 a condition OF GDsoiu''
military subseryience AZ Few days no''''
| would not be so impertinent as 70 e
press an opinion as 10 what America snou's
DO. but do think that in endeayoring 20 sees
r. lesson for America from Britan's conU-
ton to-day you have not only been p''-
mature. but have drawn sweeping conclusions
from wholly debatable premises. and nave
very unfairly charged gross deceit and con
scious irsincerity against number OF b'",
ish public men whose labors on behalf o.
the nation during the ten years prior 70 Vne
war yielded greater commercial prospetH
and a larger measure OF social justice thsn
any ministry before known to English MS
tory. Their policy 20 inculcate national en-
cheney in peace or war was ayowedly TO peS'n
with ameliora on OF conditions IN the lo"e'
stratum Of so..ety. Can you. as demoetS'
quarrel with that, j. X. CHARIEH' .
New York. Oct. %, 1918.