Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-10-19
EDMUNDS SAYSWE
ARE KA|SER'S ALLY
Former Vt. Senator Declares L.
S. Should Have Protested
Belgium's Invasion.
PRAISES CLEVELAND.
Fan American Plan a Republican idea
Wilson SUbdued by Unions who
stood over Him with Club"

New York, Oct 16.-1ho World to-day
publishes letter from ex-senator George
+. Edmunds Of Vermont. which is 2 reply
Ia the recently published letter from eX-
Secretary of State Richard Oncy. uphold
ing the Wilson administration.
Ex-senator Edmurds' letter follows:
Pasadena cal. oct. I. 1915
To the Editor Of The World:
Sir: In this far off place, whore the
health Of my family as well as my own
has kept me for more than q year. my at
tention has been called to an article in
your paper by my old friend, the Hon
Richard Olncy, who. during President
Cleveland's administration, as n highly
placed and priced member of the cab
met. assisted him to maintain the well
fare, honor and freedom of expression to
foreign nations. such as patriotism and
courage seemed to require at various
times.
The article of MIR. Olney seems to have
omitted reference to some of the very
important events occurring in the admin
istration of Mr.. Cleveland. one Of which
was mentioned by Mr.. 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 sui eSlStlnS IN EUROPE.
CLEVELAND NOT AFRAID.
The pacifsts and keep-us -out of war-at-
any-Dricc people were alarmed at the
course President Cleveland then adopted.
and which. | can have no doubt. had the
encouragement and support of Mr..
Oney. 1t was a message that bore the
distinct and unequivocal statement that
this country would not tolerate the
/ a ln6 inf nrf of
ers in the affairs of our small sister re-
public. ] say this without any immediate
means of referring to documents of the
time. but the substance is vivid in my
memory, for, although Mr.. Cleveland s
political opponent he did me the great
honor of comforting with me upon the
subject. when had the pleasure of tell
ing him that in my belief the political
party of which | was a member would
stand nearly solid in support of the posi-
ton which he assumed.
NATIONAL HONOR ABOVE ALL.
II was not with him a matter of the
danger OF warfare. but a matter of ma
tional honor and duty to speak plainly.
no matter what might be the risks of
military collision. In the face OF this
position the imminence of war faded and
vanished as sometimes does storm
|
fore a steady west wind.
| These historic facts compel contrast
between the administration of which Mr..
Olney was very eminent member and
the conduct Of the present administration,
which has chiefly distinguished itself by
absolute silence, miscalled neutrality.
When the innocent and peaceful! people
Of Belgium We're made the victims of
sudden war deliberately commenced by
! -
then hitherto unknown among nations
that even called themselves civilized,
there was never a remonstrancc by our
| government to its friend and associate
in the brotherhood of nations, but it
stood by, like Paul at the martyrdom of
Stephen, "consenting."
L. s. GERMANY'S ALLY.
We thus became in real effect an ely
lof Germany, whom she intended to re
tain. and has since retained by skill in
endless discussions Had this administra-
ton spoken, as | have no doubt every
member of 1t would have wished to
speak, Germany and her allies would lave
been told that We could have no inter-
course with nations that dsregarded the
settled principles OF international law
as we'll as of humanity and had they
continued in such course their repre-
lSeHtdllNeS WOULD nave Dteu sent nome
and our ministers recalled
Such action would have been in no
sense any cause for war In presl-
dent Cleveland's administration we COM
peeled the recall of the British minister
for having advised an "EnGlich-A meri-
can 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
10 become belligerent, which would
have pat Germany and ven likely all
her allies including the Turks in the
attitude of making voluntary and
deliberate aggressive war upon Us for
having felt and expressed horror at their
conduct with Belgium.
NOTHING But TALK
Mr.. Olney's observations upon the dan
ger to this country from the German
submarines need no comment in view
of the experience Germany herself has
had with them in attempted commercial
Intercourse with this country
When the deliberate murder of thu
: passengers of the Lusitania occurred
/. the present administration did complain
, while in Germany celebrations etc, tool
, place in honor of the awful crime, an,
, nothing whatever was done by our ad
ministration except 10 talk which mus
have been delightful To the Germans fo
nothing apparently could be done. II Wa'
thought until the discussions came to :
cose-as they have not yet done The
President was respectfully urged lbs
) some, probably many, citizens to suspend
intercourse with Germany, recall Oul
: diplomatic representatives, and civ" The
German ambassador here his passports
: Nothing was done hut continued and re