New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-19
"A NOTE TO BRITAIN"
America Is Pro-Ally, Despite the Blockade,
Reader Believes.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Your editorial this morning "A Note
to Britain" seems fully justified in its chief
contention. which I understand to be that the
British government or people should set
plainly before the American people the justi
fcation Of the blockade and of their interior
ence with commerce arising from it, 1t is
true that they have not explained their posi-
ton as clearly as they should have done. par
ticularly in view OF the strong pressure being
constantly brought to bear on our nation by
those who are hostile to England.
| think however. you exaggerate the feel
ing Of cnmity toward England in this country.
and you appear to take no notice Of the senti-
ment Of large, probably the larger, proper
tion of the people OF this country. which con
dennis England's enemies as responsible in
the main for the outbreak of the war Rightly
or wrongly, large part of the American peo-
pie who have given any thought to the subject
believe that this greatest Of all wars started
through Austria sending TO Serbia list Of
demands. some Of which were so harsh that
the smaller country could hardly accept them
in toto and preserve actual independence
Nor do many of us overlook the fact that
England was brought into the war through
Germany's invasion of Belgium a state whose
neutrality She as we'll as England, had sworn
not only to respect, but 70 defend 1t is true
that in some respects England's interests lay
in the direction of maintaining Belgium as an
independent state, but it should be recalled
that one Of the arrangements which Germany
tried to make with England, as the price of
her keeping out of the war; was that she
would annex no Belgian territory f she might
only be allowed to violate the neutrality of the
little kingdom by marching her army through
it in order to attack France where she was
unprepared. Most of us honor the stand
taken By England that she did not accept such
terms and prove false to the oath she had
taken. Il is these considerations of the start
ing of the war and the invasion Of the peace
full state OF Belgium. with all the suffering it
entailed. as well as the ruthlessness shown
by the Kaiser's government in the method Of
conducting hostilites, and particularly illus
trated in the torpedoing of the Lusitania and
sending TO death more than a thousand nom
combatants, which have swsyed public opin-
ion in this country to the side of the Allies.
say to the side of the Allies. not merely to
that of Great Britain. for see no reason why
We should oOediently follow the lead of the
pro-German propagandsts who increasingly
proclaim that this war is directed mainly
against England. 1t did not start as such.
and it is against France and Belgium and
Italy and Serbia and Russia as we'll as Eng
land.
| believe you eXaggerate the hostility to
England of the three racial sections Of our
people of which you speak-the old American,
the Irish and the German strains. With re-
gard 20 the frst-named | believe the prevail
ing opinion is overwhelmingly on the side Of
the Allies; and that in regard 10 England u
is that we fought our fights with her IN l716|
and 1912. and those scores are settled; that
we have lived at peace with her for over one
hundred years. and side by side with one Of
her greatest colonies, with 5000 miles Of in
ternational boundary between US, and have
found her a good neighbor; that when she is
in the right in a tremendous war, the issue
Of which no man can foresee we have no right
10 embarrass her unless she gives us grave
cause.
With regard 10 the Irish -Americans. | know
that the larger portion OF those whom have
met have been on the side Of the Allies. Re
gret there doubtless is. not only among them
but among other Americans. that the extreme
penalty was inflicted on some Of the Dublin
rebels, but Is there any reason TO suppose that
Germany IN such case would have been less
drastic? Suppose such an attempt at revolu-
ton had hared out in Posen. on the part Of
the Poles, or at Zabern. on that OF the Asa
tians; suppose immense damage had been
done 70 property result and that hun
dreds, including many German soldiers had
been killed. In such case is there any rea-
son 10 believe that the kaiser's government,
would have been any more merciful with the
leaders of the Instruction? Howey r, it woul 4
seem at this distance as if it would have been
the best as we'll as by far the most polite !