The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-25
PERCY MAINTAINS NO JUSTIFICATION
 IN GOING TO WAR
Continued from Page Five,

either country has overridden our rights with the intention of wronging or insult ing us, or that we have suffered such injury or such affront to our national honor as to justify us in going to war.
 ACTS OF BOTH BELLIGERENTS
 The sinking of English freight vessels On which Americans are working may be an infringement of our rights under in- ternational law where the sinking is done by submarines without warning. This conduct, however, does not appear to me to justify our country's going to war The sinking of the Sussex without warn ing is indefensible, but this does not JUS tify our country's going to war. That England should have taken number of Austrian and German passengers from an American steamship was gross vio- lation of our rights, but this does not ap- pear to justify our going to war. That England should in effect tell us how much goods we can ship to Holland, and tell Holland how much goods she can re- ceive from the United States is a viola ton of our rights under International law of very great importance, but under the circumstances I do not think we should fight about 1t.
 '"The great countries of Europe, Strug- gling for their existence, cannot be ex- pected to be scrupulous in their observ- ance of the rules of international law but up to this time it appears to me that none of them have intended to in- suit the United States or to wrong or oppress it's citizens. It does not appear to me that either the honor the ma terial interests of this country have been attacked in such manner as to justify a declaration of war on our part.
 T have been amazed over the appar- ent desire of eastern newspapers that this country should line up in the pres ent conflict with England and her allies. It is not surprising that the sympathies of large proportion of our populati ton should be with England and France. It is to me, however, astounding that, con fronted as we have been for months with all the horror and frightfulness of the European war, so many of the east err newspapers and eastern people should be influenced by their sympathy for either side to such an extent as to be willing to plunge this country into the appalling conflict.
 "I think President Wilson is making 1 a grave mistake in preparing to break l diplomatic relations with Germany I l think Congress will make a frightful blunder should it declare war without | far graver reason than now exists. It l is said that we should back up the | President The doctrine of backing up | the President may be the only doctrine l 1T we are once engaged Tn war, but It should not be so applied as to allow the ! President to plunge us into war if that | course does not appeal to our Judgment l and patriotism. Congress backed up the administration in the expedition to Vera l Cruz. Was there sufficient reason for | our army and navy going to Vera Cruz And if the reason for going there was sufficient. did the President act wisely | in bringing the army and navy back l from Vera Cruz? Has President Will
 sons foreign policy been such as to com
 mand for him the minimizing and un- qualified support of Congress and of the
 people of this country?
 | "You and Underwood are on the ground. If you exercYse your own judg- ment and your own wisdom the mat ! ters coming before you, I, for one shall be entirely satisfied. earnestly urge upon you, however, that you do not give up your own judgment. shirk your high | responsibilities and blindly follow the President in a course that may brins | upon the people of this country such mis- cry and disaster as have befallen the countries now engaged in the European struggle If we are to declare war upor l Germany, it should be for sufficient cause. and we should be willing to fol low the declaration of war by lavish ] expenditure of blood and treasure We should never declare war upon German, for insufficient reason, relying upon tho English navy to preserve ns from req warfare. With your kindest regards
 am cordially yours.
 WALKER PERCY