South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-04
By Sir Gilbert Parker
Bart, NJ. p.

INCF the beginning OF the war have had
a very large correspondence with Amerf
~ can citizens and have watched closely inc
trend of opinion in the United States through
a great number of newspapers which come 70
me regularly. The United States being the
most important Of all the neutral nations, ana
with scheme OF government and with amor
tons for civilization differing only in color and
detail from own, it's opinion and Judgment
are Of deep Importance to all other nations en-
gagged in the During the last few months
some correspondents, friendly but critical and
a few others. unfrendly and censorious, and
also newspapers impatient with the slow prog
ress of the war, and impressed by Germany's
great military organization, have asked ques-
lions which may be condensed as follows:
CD Do not the strikes in South Waeo
show a lack Of patriotism and an indication
that the trades unions are not strong for
the war;
(2) Why are your abIe-bodied men GO
backward in answering their countrys call
70 the colors7
81 Why are the armies you have man.
aged 10 raise proving so inactive and in
effective on the Western front?
(4) Why have you not met the demands
Of your generals for munitions?
(5) Above all, why is your navy
Britain's pride boosted bulwark-doing so
little 10 Justify Its reputation? Why does It
not search the German navy out in the
Baltic and come to bows7
Labor Troubles Ended
with Astonishing Speed.
feel that these questions ought to be ans
wered thus publicly to several correspondents
and to newspapers. which. bearing ill
will. are almost nerVously anxious about our
progress
What of the coal strike in South Wales
which has shocked the United States2 Was
not that a deliberate and unPatriotie set7" is
the further query.
Yes, If ignorance be deliberate; and
everybody knows how peculiarly miners every
where are, by the very circumstances of their
calling, isolated from the general current OF
life and public feeling among their country
above ground Consider. War
with its huge industrial demands Ii initiates
the owners profits it increases the miners
grievances. Not only in South Wales has the
miner resorted to strikes in time OF war. He
gave way TO them in the North fifty years ago
at the height Of the American Civil War and
he has struck work in Hungary, Saxony and
Siesia since this war began-not to speak OF
a recent strike among the prosperous arma-
ment workers at Krupps
The late strikes in South Wales are unfor.
tunate. but they are not caused by an inherent
viciousness in the miner of South Wales 1t
is an almost automatic result of an abnormal
situation, OF a strained excitement, the more
powerful because the British man is not out.
waTdly demonstrative; but the really remark
able thing about the South Wales strikes is.
that disputes which might have opened up the
whole social problem have been settled so
speedily. few days negotiations and South
Wales at work again and before there
had been any sensible diminutiOn in output
Also, ii must be remembered that South
Wales is not the only mining district in the
British Isles, but is OF many. Yet the
strikes have been mainly confined to this par
ucular region, which is much isolated and
where there is an excitable population.
What about the lack Of nunitons7 Is X
not due to strikes and drink Germany has
munitions enough and TO spare-Why has not
Great Britain7"
No. there are deeper causes for the lack OF
munitions than th5se things These have
played no extensive part. especially the former
Germany laid up her stores in time of peace
and she organized in time OF peace her whole
engineering industry, that she could mobi-
lie II Immediately for Observation-Disclosures
during the war. 1t not her way to make
war IN Europe, or on the world without prep
arauon in keeping with her prodigious ambi-
lions She had no intention OF setting the
powder magazine alght till she could be sure
OF making a sufficiently large explosion
Great Britain, however, not planning an
Armageddon for Europe, was accordingly not
competing with Germany in this respect n
she had determined to be supreme in offensive
armament, her capacity for production would
have given her a national arsenal far exceed
Ing that OF Germany That however vouId
have meant policy Of aggression. while orrs
was a policy Of defense. Building nm a buga