The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-08

are drawn towards tho land from
which you derive your national Ian
guage and with whose literature, seen
cry and political history you are most
familiar myself have spent much
time in England, and have had. and
/ trust, still have many friends IN
England.
I'VE feel the attitude OF the United
States toward Britain and toward
Germany Is unexplained. even when
every consideration Is given to the
direction Of your natural sympathies
Neutral governments have RESPONSE
bilities and duties which transcend the
personal instincts OF the gentlemen
who happen at the moment TO be ad-
mtnistering them.
Mere Matters OF Form.
! what we feel Is that your neutral
duties are not discharged in the spirit
of the high responsibilities resulting
upon you.
1T is true you file protests against
British Interference with your com
merce. British rifling OF your mails
and intrusions in your domestic af-
| fairs. But these seem to be mere mat
ters of form. They mean nothing
ourselves forced by tho extgsnc1es o.
this moral combat to take IN easures
of self-proteotion which arc not agree
able, you denounce US as Barbarians
Grown Prince Talks.
You excuse anything on tho part
| of England. but seem incapable OF
making any allowance whatever for
the conditions which fmpel us to exert
to the utmost our resources for de-
Tense.
You tell me your impression. gath
cred in close views OF our whole front
from lille to Verdun during the pc
Rod Of the greatest pressure which
we have yet experienced, is that only
superficial impression can be made
upon It. We rest absolute confidence
In this conviction. this certainty. What
are our enemies trying to do? sup
| pose they are trying to Kill US off or
tire sout VIII they succeed? No.
They probably also want to keep
us busy here so they can spare men
for the Eastern front AS a matter
OF fact the West front and the East
front are clearly distinct military OPP
erauons. They need no help from
us; we need none from them, II
necessity presses ua II Ia q matter Of
comparatively few hours to pass
the needed reinforcements across.
Our enemies, on the other hand
East and West except through slow
la borious methods of transportation
This Ia q magnificent advantage OF
our central position, our invulnerable
position against tho aeroplane attack
you witnessed last night was only one
Of the continuous raids In all of this
| region. 1t Is in the trenches one
really hazards his life. 60 there
every other day, not because 7 like
| 1t, but because one cannot find out
things unless one sees them.
A Swimming War Loan
The war loan? Certainly It will
go off swimmingly. Why not? The
German people are united in Their
determination to carry on the war to
any extremity necessary in defense
OF their hearths and homes But It is
not a sacrifice to take money out OF
one pocket and put 1t in another.
We are spending little or no money
abroad. The war is not draining our
resources as It is draining those OF
/ our enemies With us everythins
stays at home.
/ we are all tired Of bloodshed. we
all want peace. England Is the power
resp for the continuation of the
hopeless effort to crush us. In the
twentieth century Of tho Christian era
mankind might have been expected
to have arrived At some maturity OF
thought and behavior. No one car
witness. as you during the fortnight
have witnessed, the spectacle present.
ed by this appalling sacrifice, this in.
conceivable suffering preposterously
out Of proportion to any result OBJ.
tanned, without wondering whethe,
reason has fled from tho earth
i This afternoon the prince sent me
a package of English, French and
American books on the war. which
he had been reading. and asked: "Dc
| you think tho other side In readins
our books"
/ His books included Bevertdee'.
What To Back OF the War;; Pal.
mer's MY Year in the Great War
and Davis Somewhere in France. =
! Later the prince discussed severa.
books with mo critically, being es.
pecially entertaining on the subject o,
Tho Legend OF tho Vision Of An.
ger1s," by French soldiers at Mon.
and Bellocs account Of the battle Of
the Marine.
The prince watches the French and
/ English illustrated weeklies, and
speaks especially of the strength O,
Cation Woodville's drawings His i'm.
pertal highness used to enjoy the
American week. Life, bat he cannot
endure to read II now.
|