The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-02-03
THE MIDDLE WEST
AND THE EAST
DIFFERENCES soF OPINION AS
SEEN BY Mr.. PASSENGER.
THE HYPHEnATFD AMERICANS
While Their SymPathles May Be
With the Fatherland Their Loyal
ty Is to Ameriea--Keep Out
Of Harms Way.

Washington, d. c., Jan. Gloon.
gressman c. w. Ramseyer OF the 9Th
district delivered an address on the
nDiferences Between the Middle
West and the East" before the Iowa
Society of Washington, Saturday ev.
ening, Concerning the differences
of opinions which have arisen since
the outbreak of the European war, he
spoke in part as follows:
international Law.
ION Monday, following the sinking
Of the Lusitania, | left for Cleveland,
Ohio, as delegate to attend the first
session of the World Court Congress.
On that day and on the day before
talked to between 90 and 80 citizens
in my district, only one of whom was
foreign born, about that great disas
ter. and without expressing any opln
ion myself, each one of them except
one expressed himself that those
Americans who lost their lives had no
business on that ship That was at
time when the public mind was
greatly excited and before the ex-
change OF any diplomatic notes. Now
i
national law, we have a right to tray-
el on belligerent ships. But ]
thought at the time and still think so.
that il would have been better for
this country, both for he present and
the future, to have warned our citi-
Gems to stay off of belligerent ships
the same as England did her citizens
at the outbreak of the Russo-Japan-
vsfrn Sc
and unusual machine of ocean war
fare and 1t has come 10 stay. We
have them and are going to build |
more for defensive purposes. The |
rules we insist upon now we are ex-
pected to live up to II we should get |
into war To illustrate, suppose we I
should get into war with Japan, which !
God forbid. and suppose one of our |
submarines should sight a Japanese |
ship known to be laden with muni- /
tinns which would kill, If landed, TO- |
080. 10000 or 10000 of our boys, |
should the captain of our submarine !
be required TO take the risk of let |
ting that ship escape for fear that
there might be Chinese, English or
German neutral on board, or should
he ping that ship with q torpedo and 1
sink the death-laden cargo, intended
for Cur boys. to the bottom of the
sea?
Laws change with changing con-
ditions A few years ago the auto
mobile was an outlaw on the public
highway. Today we have laws suit
ca to tina tmOdern invention. Inter
national laws change also We have
nothing TO lose in a law prohibiting
neutrals travelling on belligerent
Ships carrying munitions of war. and
such law would greatly inure to our
benefit if in the future we should be-
come involved in war with any for
eign power. No belligerent should |
have the right TO insure the safety of II
it's munitions cargo with neutral
lives.
What Of the Hyphenates?
When | arrived here last fall,
found your metropolitan papers filed
daily with charges against a certain h
class Of our American citizens; and
our president, misguided b ythe evil
dence gathered from the headlines of
the daily press, denounced the disloy- Il
atty of certain naturalized citizens
! did not then and do not now fear
any peril from any class of native /:
born or naturalized citizens. Presi-
dent Wilson, in his autobiography in |;
the Congressional Directory, states
that his ancestry on both sides is
ScotchIrish and that his mother was
native Of Scotland The truth is
we are all emigrants or the descend. Il
ants OF emigrants from European h
countries except the Indians and
of II sCi 1
European conflict, it is not strange
that the sympathies of a citizen of |;
British birth or ancestry should be
for England or that the heart of
citizen OF German birth or ancentry i
should throb for the Fatherland. AS
true patriotic American citizens, how
ever, neither has right to extend aid
TO either belligerent. 1t is impossi-
bic to be neutral in thought, but we
can and should be neutral in word
and act.
The hyphen before the present
war indicated nothing but the land
Of the citizens birth or ancestry.
joining Anglo, Irish, German, Russo.
Scandinavian, etc, to America in one
loyal, prosperous proAmerican popu.
lation. II viii take more than the
SAditHEutb Oh EASTERN newspapers
and speakers to convince me that it
has now become the badge of disloy-
atty ami anarchy.
Why are We Unprepared?
Are you surprised that in view of
the large profits made by these NUM-
tons men, both in their sales abroad
and to this government, and further
IN view OF the charge that they are
the chief contributors to the organ
izations which are so wildly agitat-
ing preparedness, that the people of
the Middle West are suspicious OF
their whole program? The Middle
West Is not opposed to reasonable
preparedness. We do not want to
SEQ this country uHdefended. We
must be so well prepared that no foe
can lay waste our coast cities. We
need strong navy and adequate
coast dHfenses Congress Is the jury
that must determine what that reas-
onabIe and adequate preparedness
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