The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-03-12
GERMANS BORN IN
AMERICA LOYAL To u. 5.
British viscount Pays High Tri-
butte TO American Red Cross
and Relief Work.

London. Eng..-Viscount James
Bryce, in an article published in the
Daily Chronicle on THE Position OF
the United States in the War;" says
II Is "a complete error to assume
that those who bear a German name
or who own TO German blood, belong
20 the pro-German party"
"The children of Europeans who
are born in America" Viscount Bryce
continues. grow up normal Ameri-
can citizens forall practical purposes.
Their loyalty is to the Stars and
Stripes and their feeling for the land
of their parents is comparatively
weak. What is called the German
vote is in some few cities a force to
be reckoned with. But when those
who lead try to use it as means
for applying political pressure in
such cases as this the native Ameri-
cans resent such an attempt. for
with them ii is a fundamental prin-
ciple that citizens must have no 10y
atty save TO the United States, and
the great bulk of even hyphenated
German Americans would refuse to
respond"
As 10 the neutrality of the Ameri-
can Government, Bryce adds both
sides have blamed it, and the gov
eminent points to this as the best
proof of it's impartiality. One party,
he says. moved by the tragic fate of
Belgium, censured the government
for having failed to protest against
the violation of Belgium territory
and the fragrant breaches of the
rules of warfare prescribed by The
Hague convention.
But" says Viscount Bryce, lit is
right that neither side of the case
should be put to the United States,
the greatest of neutral powers. The
administration might conceive that
the war in which the rights of all
IuS hSuIIdis Will ue iHNoiNcu, anu
II might think that the authority
with which the United States can
speak would be weakened if at the
outset its government takes up po-
si,ion adverse to one or the other
party TO the struggle. However high
the motive. Its impartiality would
thereafter be questioned"
y United States Strictly Neutral.
Arguing that the attack on Bel
gjum was a clear breach not only
Of the convention of 1907, but OF
the fundamental principles of inter-
national law, viscount Bryce says,
the breaches which followed rested
ut first on statements which needed
confirmation and that ANY govern
ment might feel that before protest
Tag against the treatment of non
conbatants it needed further evil
5ence which would carry certainty
to every fair mind.
add to this ground for caution
the fact that the United States has
always followed the advice of Wash
ington, endeavored to keep them
selves clear of European entangle-
nents in Old World diplomacy"
Regarding the question of inter-
national law and usage which have
arisen between the United States
and the belligerents, Viscount Bryce
says:
when a neutral is urged by its
citizens 10 demonstrate with bellig-
erents upon the exercise of any
rights which the beligerents claim,
II cannot, unless convinced that
there is no substance in the griev-
ance, decline to present the case OF
its subjects
Continuing Viscount Bryce said:
"If il is suggested, as ! think it has
been somewhere, that in the matter
Of contraband and the right of search
powerful pecuniary interests have
tried 10 influence the administration
those who have watched the recent
developments in America will agree
that nothing is so unpopular there
ms what is called big business and
that any administration supposed
yielding 10 its pressure would do
30 at its peril. So far as ! can
ip6 pc there is no foundation for any
such notion.