New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-26
NOT STRICTLY NEUTRAL

To N. Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: For generations back my forefsthers
have lived on American soil, and therefore
presume to a position Of Americanism sno
ctrict neutrality in as far as The present var
IN Furope is concerned. While have onl!
recently become a regular reader Of The Trlb-
une, owing 70 a liking for its national poiiti-
cal attitude, fail utterly TO concur IN It's
policy of snti-Germanism mot neutrality nor
lack Of neutrality, as indicated in your lead
ing editorial Of to-day.
While il may b. perfectly permissible for
an individual or publication 70 have its pref
erences with regard to the antagonists IL
Furope. YOUR editorial is misleading in nearly
every detail to such an extent that the ques-
ton arises in nv mind, and probably the
minds Of other fair-minded readers, as 70
what you hope 70 gain by such statement
and theories.
Your constant references 70 the Lusitanis
incident merely revive the question as 10
whether or not this ship was carrying smmu
milton. in which event It should not have been
permitt-d 70 carry passengers and was lesal
prev for the German submarine. The prlnci-
ME f0FOlNe0 mere IS one NiiNh iNoAo Ng'h ~
shoulders OF American officials. Furthermore
the sinking of the Lusitsnia Of regarded as
a German crime) is compensated for IN the
Bsrslonr incident, which you failed TO men
ton.
Tn. violation OF Belgium is inexcusable.
From legal standpoint however, the viola
ton is eoualized fully By the coercion OF
Greece on the part Of the Allies. viewed m
the light of atrocities, IL is doubtful If it can
even be compared with the atrocities commit
ted i'm Poland By the Cossscks, whose entry
into the conhict. you may admit, was pre-
saeed with wonderful pen pictures Of their
ruthlessness.
Personally I can see no reason why Ger
many should be prevented Automatically by
this country from using her strongest sea
weapon, the submarine, while we write futile
and Intellectual note, to Great Britain, with
no idea % enforcing our rights with regard
to her Illegal blockade" and interference
With our mails TO neutral countries.
II seems to me that no greater opportunity
was ever presented than the present for =
big newspaper to take the lead with impartial
views As 70 this war. The public really wants
the facts, not BIASED editorials.
" ny nOt az tdtc lot 1dlIUtS5. +ftdll - Vf'i y
incident enumerated in your editorial ~
against the Germans has its equivalent in
some action on the part Of the Allies. On the
ether hand, Great Britain Is constantly and
without consideration OF IS, violating every
law and agreement with impunity, and, whai
is even worse than the late lamented German
propaganda in this country, dictates TO our
manufacturers and merchants in this country
what they may do or may not do with their
own product in their own interstate COM
Iherce.
am certainly disappointed TO see this Pc
siton on the part Of The Tribune. ! believe
the average American to- day 10 learning TO
view the issues in this war IN much more
impartial way than at its beginning, and bic
PAPER like yours surely should have its own
frst-hand facilities for learning that policy
such a. shown in this editorial will result in
the loss of many friends who have no inter
est in the war from any angle except from a
standpoint Of fairness in viewing the issues
discussed. j. EARLY WOOD, JR.
New York. Sept. %, 1916.