New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-07
Chastising the War Makers
A Project for Fitting the Punishment
to the Crime

To the Editor OF Inc Tribune
Sir: Many punishments have lately been
recommended for the Kaiser, the Crown
Prince and others prominent among the
barbarians Some are advocating six feet
Of rope, the guilotine or the facing Of a
wall chastsements which consist after all
in only bad quarter of an hour and make
many an ordinary criminal eXclaim: as that
all?' Others favor st. Helena, Devils ISL
and or some spot in the Sahara with plenty Of
room under the sun. In the humble opinion
of the writer none of those punishments
will do.
The death penalty should exist no more
after the war; with the triumph of democracy.
Centuries and centuries of experiments have
established the uselessness Of such chastise-
ment Statistics also prove that the number
of criminals is increasing instead of abating
in countries where the death penalty is in
force.
Besides there are maryland | am not
ashamed to say that I belong to them-who
arc firmly convinced that whatever the enor
nifty of the crime we have not the right to
apply capital punishment to lives created by
God and which consequently belong to Him.
In regard to vileggiatura for the chiefs Of
the barbarans, as st. Helena for example,
they are-out of an insult to the memory
Of Napoleon, who was a soldier, but not a
monster too expansive for the common
wealth, whose pocketbook after the war will
need recuperating tonics rather than new
phlebotomic operations. We must in the
future make up our minds that every crime
should be punished but with the idea of
public profit instead of public charge. We
should make of every destroyer a builder and
permit even the most frightful among the
barbsrians to redeem themselves by becoming
useful and remunerative. Hence allow few
suggestions.
To begin with the Kaiser, we have only TO
consider the dispatches from Berlin mention
ing his periodical lachrymal fits over poor
France to admit that he can be- at times a
most sensible barbarian. Then after the war
there is no reason why he should not be
made into valuable living fountain. Where?
In Paris, Of course, and in such good loca-
ton as the Place de la Concorde. The Strass-
burg Statue, which stands there-and | be-
lieve none of your numerous Alsatan read.
ers will object to it--could be moved under
the Arc de Triomphe and on its present site
tain. which soon may prove a gold mine in
drops for the benefit of the blind, the wound
cd and other victims of the war
Long live LA Fontaine Vivantel"
The Crown Prince, on the testimony Of
many chatelaine of the North of France. is
above all afflicted with bad hobby-the coll
lection of precious stones. To be rid of it
the only genial thing is 10 let the hobbyist
break stones of all sorts, and this for the
rest of his life, on the Verdun high road
1t would be safer to have him busy there in
stead Of loose in Maiden Lane Ask the lew
ellers' advice.
Among other barbarians such an authority
on printing matters Kissing would have
been invaluable for the st. Giles Jail. Brus-
sells, famous for its publishing department.
but it is to be hoped that Bethmann- Hollwep
may have a job there, if only to pick up the
scraps Of paper. Who knows he may become
"trusty"?
The officers and crews of submarines guilty
Of the sinking of ships without warning
would be handy for their lifetime as scaven.
gers or divers for the recovery of valuables
lost in their wreckages. Is not that more
humane than an allowance of few feet of
rope?
Zeppelin "chevaliers," am positive. would
learn quickly in the Tower of London or some
other suitable resort how to make toy bal
looms for the children they spared.
To finish, last suggestion: There should
be show. and let US call il the international
Lifetime Fair Circuit with Ferdinand. the
frog who wished to be as big as an OK: Tir
pitt, or the Horror of Horrors Reventlow
the Rabd; Fleck, the fruit tree cutter.
Enver Bey, or the Armenians' butcher.
Papen, of "those idiotic Yankees" fame and
a few other performers OF the sort That
show, we'll managed, will be undoubtedly Of
as much profit as the Living Fountain.
HENRI DE LAFITOLE.
New York. April 30, 1917.