New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-03
GERMANY NOT A SAINT
Some Of Her Crimes Against Humanity in
the Present War.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Your edition Of yesterday contained
letter signed Charles A. Gehrie. | am going
10 answer it in order that this young man
may know some Of the facts OF the case.
/ He says that every Briton who condemns
and accuses others should at least come into
court with clean hands. He says that many
shameful pages have been written into the
history Of this world war by English deeds
and hands. He then cites the Baralong case.
He states that Britain did not fight clean IN
ireland when Skeffington was shot without
hearing or trial. He says that Britain bru-
tally throttles the rights of American trade
with neutral countries. He asks rather fool
! ish questions, which all can be answered IN
the negative, regarding England's supposed
sins against this country. He wants to know
why England has throttled the commerce OF
Norway, Sweden. Denmark and Holland, ana
no refers to Engands arrogant and brutal
treatment of Greece and Ireland. He wants
20 know what was England's motive for tho
crushing of Boer self-government and liberty.
lie states that when John Bull becomes acc
cuser every fair-minded American knows -
is case Of "the pot calling the kettle black
The world at large has declined to accep,
the Baralong case seriously. But even sup
posing that Germany's charge against the
British were true, it will be more than onset
by the action of a German destroyer 10
British submarine stranded on the Danish
coast This submarine was in neutral waters.
She was incapable either of offence or de-
fence. The destroyer opened fire upon her,
and when her crew attempted to swim ashore
they opened fire again. So much for tho
Baralong case.
Is this the sum Of Great Brtain's sins
against humanity in the present warfare
Mr.. Gehrie says Germany is no saint; her
warfare is no paror game. No, indeed. mere
is a partial list of Germany's sins'
The violation of Luxembourg, the invasion
Of neutral Belgium. an invasion marked by
the murder Of hundreds of non-combatant
men. women and children, by scenes OF indc-
scribable lust and ferocity, mutilaton, des-
ecration of churches, burning Of towns and
villages Germany without warning sank the
Lusitania, sending TO their graves over a
thou,and souls. In like fashion she sank the
Arabic, the Sussex and many other steamers
filed with non -combatants. Her atrocities
toward the natives in Africa have been made
the subject for Parliamentary investigation.
She instigated and approved Of the most
shocking crime in all history, the destruction
of the.Armenian nation by her ally, Turkey
Two days before the letter which | am
answering was written they visited England
with Zeppelins, destroying women and chill
dren and non-combatants in crusade OF
frghtfulness. The dropping of bombs upon
undefcnded places is especially forbidden by
the rules of civilized warfare. She has in
vented poisonous gases to be used on the bat
tleheld She has destroyed ambulances in the
act of moving the wounded out Of the danger
zone, and this most deliberately time ana
tine again. She has trampled upon the laws
of God and man in a thousand instances.
As to the rest of his letter, England is quito
within her rights when she opens our mails.
The proof Of il is that in those mails she has
discovered tons Of rubber and OF copper ina.
were being sent 10 Germany. she mas NOT
throttled the commerce of Norway, Sweden
Denmark and Holland. She has simply dc-
handed that they shall receive no more from
his country in this war time IMAM they re-
ceived before, whereas they were importing
from three 10 seven times as much materiai
rs they did in the year i9ls-of course, Tor
the purpose Of selling il to Germany.
She has not treated Greece brutally. The
Allies occupied Greece with the consent aha
conniyance Of the Greek people, IN when
category do not include the contemplate
a.
What was her motive for the so-eslled
crushing of Boer self-government and lib
crty? II was that she might wipe out ancient
abuses and rcestablish law and order. When
this was done she restored TO the Beers thsw
autonomy.
The comparison of parallel columns is
deadly game and apt to hit hard the man
starting il. SlLAS MERRYWEATHER.
New York, Sept "a. 1919