New-York tribune., 1916-06-18

Italy is on the side Of the Allies and
has an army in the field against Aus
tria. But few days ago | was at the
railroad station in town on the
Italian Swiss border was on the
Italian side Of the line and train of
'empties' came through. going 20
Switzerland. The Italian frontier
guards got tremendously excited.
They held up the train and examined
every car 70 be sure there was no
contraband in them. While they were
busy with the train of 'empties,' an
other train came through. also headed
for Switzerland. II consisted of
forty cars-I counted them-marked
for Germany, and every car loaded
with copper. The frontier guards
were so busy with the train of
'empties' that the trainload of copper
went through without stopping and
without a question being asked. One
might have felt justified in saying
that the train of 'empties' was stopped
for a blind
Smiles at Question.
Speaking of the copper" I said,
have you noticed that the civil popu-
lstions of Germany and Austria are
starving?"
My friend merely smiled broadly.
And finally" | asked, what Is the
feeling you find toward America and
where are we going to get off, when
il is all ,over?"
To-day" he said, America has not
a real friend anywhere. Germany and
Austria believe that we are their open
enemies. The Allies think that peo-
pie claiming, as we do, to be superhu-
manly righteous should have had the
courage TO make an open, audible pro-
test through our government at the
violations of human rights that began
this war-the violation of Belgian neu-
trality. We did not do it. We have not
done anything mans size since, and we
have, con nsequently, lost their respect.
We are a negligible quantity where
right and justice are concerned. Some
people have contempt for US, but most
merely overlook us; we are not worth
considering in their minds.
81 don't mean that this is the atti-
tude of the governments officially. But
il is the attitude of the people, and II
is the attitude of the government Off
cials when they get outside their Of
ces and become human beings instead
Of parts Of a huge machine. We don't
figure in the affairs of the world to-day
except for our money. We don't count
as men. we don't count as a nation; We
only count as a bankroll.
Making No Friends.
owe are the richest people in the
world to-day, and we are building our
bank accounts mighty well for to-day.
But we are building mighty poorly for
twenty years hence and fifty years
hence. We are building no friendships,
and some years from now we will re
alize how shortsighted we were when
we End ourselves standing alone in the
world without a friend among the ma
tions; when we are sneered at and
looked down upon among the peoples Of
the world; when we may be attacked
ourselves, and there will be no one to
raise a voice or hand for us, to give
us a friendly word of good will, as we
have not dared to-day TO raise voice
or hand or say a friendly word.
ave have pursued a selfish, provin-
cisl policy, following a selfish leader
with a single-track mind, and when the
war is over we will reap the harvest Of
our selfshness We will be the Rocke-
feller among the nations. Every one
will take our money. No one will say
a good word for US. No one will say
even a decent word about us. We will
try to buy our way back into the good
graces of the world We will 60 out
hat in hand, from capital TO capital,
offering money for friendship and kind
words, offering reciprocity in trade, of
fering arbitration treaties, offering
everything one nation can offer to an
other, and when our time comes to be
/ in trouble the whole world will shout
with joy, and there will be 100000, 900
witnesses to 60 before the grand jury
and testify against US"