The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-10-19
YDMt'N SAYS WE
ARE hAisER'S ALLY
Farmer Vermont senator Declares T..
4. should Have Protested Belgiums 5
Invasion. Praises Cleveland.


day publishes a letter from ex-senator
George r. Edmunds Of Vermont,
which is a reply 10 the recently pub
llshrd letter from cx- Secretary Of State
Richard olncy. upholding the Wilson
administration
Ex Senator Edmunds letter fol-
lows
Pasadena, Cal, Oct Z, 1916.
To the Editor Of The World
Sir. In this far of place where the
health Of my family as we'll as my own
has kept me for more than a year, my
attention has been called TO an article
in your paper by my old friend the
Hon. Richard 0lney, who, during
pr,sident CIeyeland's administration
as highly placed and priced member
of the cabined, assisted him to nam
tain the walfare, honor and freedom
of expression to foreign nations, such
as patriotism and courage seemed to
,eouire at various times.
The article Of Mr. olney seems to
have omitted reference to some OF the
very important events occurring IN
the administration Of Mr.. Cleveland,
one of which was mentioned by MT
Wickersham in his letter to the Public
Ledger. when our country was as little
or less prepared to resist an invasion
Of a small and weak sister republic as
we have been during all the period OF
the great and almost universal war
still existing in Europe.
Cleveland Not Afraid
The pacifsts and keep-us-out-of-
war-at -anyprice people were alarmed
at the course President Cleveland then
adopted. and which, ! can have no
doubt, had the encouragement and
support Of Mr.. 0lney 1t was a mes
sage that bore the distinct and unequ-
iyocal statement that this country
would not tolerate the armed inter
ference Of any power or powers IN the
affairs of our small sister republic
saw this without any immediate
means Of referring to documents OF
the time. but the substance is vivid IN
my memory, for, although Mr. Cleve-
lands political opponent, he did me
the great honor of conferring with me
upon the subject, when had the
Measure of telling him that in my be-
lief the political party of which ! was
a member would stand nearly solid IN
support of the position which nc
assumed
National Honor Above All
II was not with him matter OF
the danger Of warfare, but matter
of national honor and duty to SPEAK
Mainly. no matter what might be the
risks Of military collision. In the face
of this position the imminence OF wal
faded and vanished as sometimes does
n storm cloud in our north countr!
disappear before a steady west wind
These historic facts compel con-
trast between the administration OF
which Mr.. 0ney was very eminent
member and the conduct of the pres
ent administration, which has chiefly
distinguished itself by absolute sill
euce, miscalled neutrality.
When the innocent and peaceful
people Of Belgium were made the vic-
Tins Of sudden war deliberately COM
menced by Germany and carried on
with atrocities then hitherto unknown
among nations that even called them
selves civilized, there was never re-
monstrance by our government to Its
friend and associate in the brotherhood
Of nations but it stood by, like Paul a,
the martyrdom Of Stephen, consent
ing"
L. s. Germany's Ally
We thus became in real effect an
ally Of Germany, whom she intended
n retain. and has since retained by
skill in endless dicussions. Had this
administration spoken, as have no
doubt every member of it would have
wished to speak, Germany and her
allies would have been told that we
could have no intercourse with ma
tions that disregarded the settled
principles Of international law as well
AZ cf humanity, and had they contin-
ued in such course their representa-
tiyes would have been sent home and
our ministers recalled.
Such action would have been in no
sense any cause for war. In Presi-
dent Cleveland's administration we
compelled the recall Of the British
minister for having advised an Eng
Iish- American" to vote the democratic
ticket at an election. II would have
been ridiculous folly for Germany TO
declare war against the United States,
but II she had done SO we should have
been compelled to become belliger-
ent, which would have put Germany
- ,..,,, l;l.ely all her allies including