New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-21
ARE WE NEUTRAL?
Query from One Who Sees Pro-
British Bias.
To tho Editor of The Tribune.

To tho Editor of The Tribune.
| Sir: In this mornings issue OF your pa
per, on Page 3, there appears an article
hended Powder Laden Baltic Sails" Do
YOU in all seriousness maintain that Ger
many is not absolutely within her rights II
she endeavors to sink the Baltic, in spite of
the fact that she is carrying n number Of
American citizens?
! am an American and will shoulder n
musket when necessary, be my country right
or wrong but it makes my blood boil to see
the one-sided, unjust attitude of our news
PAPERS. Here you chronicle the shipment of
vast stores OF ammunition in one breath and
in the other you deny Germany the right to
interfere with such shipments. England
seizes our ships, laden with grain, cotton
and beef, although consigned to neutral ma
tions yet we dare not open our mouths TO
the mistress of the seas" Germany en-
beavers to prevent explosives consigned TO
the British War Department from reaching
their destination and she is wrong. To send
shot and shell to England we permit our
citizens to sail upon the floating arsenals
carrying these shipments. This, Of course
in order to insure safe delivery to ureat
Britain.
What right has an American citizen on
steamer such as the Baltic!
By the way, is there not law forbidding
the embarkation of passengers upon vessels
CARRYING a cargo such as the Baltics!
there is such law, why are our port olnciaIs
ignoring it? Do you not honestly THINK that
this violation should be brought to the at
tention Of the proper authorities and that
passengers should be prevented from sailing
upon ships carrying vast quantities OF ex-
plosives?
It is peculiar, to say the least, how you and
the other newspapers overlook anything that
favors England while it is more than pc
cular how grandly you and the others stand
up and howl for American rights when 1t
comes to taking stand against Germany.
You and the rest are pushing the nation
into an unfortunate situation; you are try
ing your level best to force the administra-
ton to step that will mean war, with all
its resultant misery And remember, II there
is war with Germany it will be you and the
other newspaper editors who will be the sole
instigators thereof. | do not believe in de-
basing our national honor, nor in meekly tax
ING insults from any nation, but by what
manner of reasoning or logic dove take it upon
ourselves a neutral nation) to demand from
Germany that she discard the only weapon
she has against the overwhelming odds pit
ted against her? The utter unreasonable
ness Of the entire situation is appalling.
Germany has always been friendly TO us,
while one had only TO step into theatre IN
Toronto or Montreal a couple of years ago
to hear the American flag roundly Kissed;
one had only to go to London year ago to
find the "Yank" ridiculed and sneered at.
Yet somehow to-day we are Englands dear
cousins" and "dear blood relations" What
miracle has worked this change?
| cannot believe that our press is blind to
reason, nor can | believe that it is mere
hypocrisy that is back of the anti-German
and pro-Englsh sentiment constantly ex-
pressed. To millions of others, well as
to myself, it looks as if you were all well
and thoroughly subsidized. Else why would
you, day after day, continue to publish mat
ter which is enough to make horse laugh !?
Do you think that the unreasonable and
illogical editorials you publish make any i'm
,
are rabid partisans and can only see the one
side of the argument? Neutrality as you
PROFOUND it is huge and miserable joke.
We have the right to ship ammunition; no
one disputes it. But let England guard its
SHIPMENTS Why let them use our citizens
for the purpose? When it comes to search
ing German vessels we are light on the job,
aren't We? Why the favoritsm toward Eng
Hand? Is il because our large banking houses
are interested?
| am one who is always anxious to learn
and always open TO conviction by reasonable
argument; therefore | would ask that you
kindly answer the following questions:
l. Do you honestly believe that this coun-
try is really neutral?
2. Is the attitude of The New York Trib-
une either fair or logical?
3. Has a passenger steamer the right to
carry passengers when carrying large stores
Of ammunition?
4. If not, why do our port officials permit
such steamers to sail from our ports?
5. If in violation of the law, why are such
officials permitted TO keep on violating the
law?
6. Why are such officials not removed
and properly punished?
7. In view of the fact that every one now
knows that Germany will endeavor to sink
such ships as the Baltic, how are American
citizens persuaded to embark on such ships
and run the terrible risks?
g. Does it not look as if some one is DELHI
erately trying to embroil this country with
Germany?
Please bear in mind am open to convc-
ton, and concise and logical answers to my
questions will be appreciated.
f GEORGE SCHFFR
New York July l6 1915