New-York tribune., 1916-02-26

To the Editor of the Tribune.
Sir: | have an idea that | am wasting my
time in writing to you, for our great Ameri-
can "free press" rarely publishes anything
with which it disagrees. One must hunt up
a Republican paper for Republican letter.
Democratic paper for Democratic letter. an
Anglomaniac paper for British propaganda
and another hyphenated organ for German
Propaganda. When a fellow is just PLAIN
American. and neutral besides, he stands
az much show az the proverbial dove with
wax wings trying to fly over hades.
| have read pleas for British civiliza-
ton" and German Kultur" until nave
arrived at the conclusion that the Engllsh
writer's who are raving should be on salary
from the Kaiser and the German professors
should be pensioned by the British. Every
time / hear British lunacy am pro-German'
and the rot from the Fatherland always makes
me pro-Ally. But read 1t all.
The great Tribune, whose motto is truth
--hvphenated according to the prevailing
style in which truth is exhibited nowadays
hate, Germany It screams against Lansing s
rote TO the powers asking for a square deal
for the submarines. II is afraid, since the
Administration promptly reversed itself
when ordered to do so by the British, pre-
sumably, that it will not be firm enough
/ in seeking war with Germany. | hate Ger
many. too--for its "Kultur," its egotism and
it, inhuman ideals of mechanical "effl-
cheney" But know, as The Tribune knows,
that Germany has never got square
deal in the press or from the politicians OF
this country.
| am plain American, with a family that
has fought in every war in this country
since 1863. have served my country and
did my little bit in the jungles of the Philip
pines and on the walls of Peking. am will
ing to go out and coach a regiment on the
firing line to uphold the ideals of American
democracy and to protect my country from
invasion of her territory or rights"
But, frankly am too proud Of my man.
hood and intelligence to prostitute them to
the services of a munitions trust and sub
sidized press bending every effort to urge
a weak Administration to wage on
Germany.
The latest proposal is for the United
States TO tear up her treaty of 1928 with
Germany and hand over the Appam to the
British. Yet how the people who will con-
slider this a beautiful evidence of neutrality
on our part raved when Germany dsre-
garded her treaty Of 1888 with Belgium,
Certainly it was crime on Germanys part
70 invade Belgium, after asking permission
to march troops across her territory and
being refused. But the Allies did the same
with Greece-only Greece saved herself by
weakly submitting TO the invasion instead OF
/ fighting for her neutrality as brave Belgium
did The British warships were cleared for
action against Greece and everything else
was in readiness to Belgumize her when
I h bar bOnor fa ha
The only difference between Greece and
/ Belgium was that poor Belgium was fooled
By the bark of the big British bull. lie prom
sed TO be right over to devour the invading
dachshund if the Begians would just hold
him awhile. The Belgians did, but the Brit
sh bulldog has not got there yet. With
his great empire on which the sun never
sets, he is holding a smaller part of the
line than Albert and his heroic Belgans
according to recen, reports.
Germany should be taught that machinery
cGrnot trampe on the ideals Of civilization
and England should be taught that her money
cannot buy her what she is unwilling TO
fight for.
The great trouble is that the most injured
countries, France, Belgium, Serbia and
Poland, are the most innocent. They have
been the sufferers from the rivalry and
jealousy between British navalism and
German miltarism, between imperial Brit
ish capitalism and imperial German social
ism.
But America has had the chance right
along to be free. She has the whip hand
or both the bulldog and the dachshund
The old bulldog is toothless without
America, and without her the dachshund can
hardly cat Instead of standing before the
world as a powerful neutral. commanding