New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-08
THE, UNMANLY WEST
Sodden Materm Feeling Only Desire to Protect Own ' "
Sons Have Heroic Spirit and Clesr-Vhoned Patriotism

ism isn't going TO save the country when war
comes looming up like thunder on the hofi
zon.-real warl And 10 Is bound TO come J
have talked with dozens Of German omcers
over In Europe who never made any secre'
about the matter. "Tirst get John Bun down
on his back, and then lot US SKATER the MOI
low sham OF the Monroe Doctrine win one OIL
our German slcdge- hammer blows and pu.
Uncle Sam where he belongs'-@l have hearu
that from men holding German officers com
missions; and, when you come 20 think OF ~
this programme pretty well follows OUT ths
teachings Of Bernhardi and the Pan-German'c
school (which Is the German nstionl
No. sir, patriotism is apt 20 show Itself III
bleeding wounds and manned limbs, IN nun
ger and starvation and death. Your thor
ough Westerner' contemplate5 tho ghastly
proceedings in Europe with a shudder and
like the Pharisee in the Bible, passes by with
averted gaze. "Oh, too horrible for words.
Give nv son for my country? No, sir Let
I the other fellow go ahead il he likes that
sort Of thing. None for mine!" How often
have heard that sentiment expressed in Just
those wordsl 1t makes one almost despair OF
the country's future TO witness such dull
spatby. such narrow minded self-absorpton,
such contemplate Sinking OF the proudest
duty Of citizenship In large and poPuiouS
community. The vision OF Carthage rises DC
fore ones minds eye-decrepit Rome, lux
,,rv sodden Byzantium. Heaven forbid that
the deadly leayen work right through the
body polite and poison the whole!
Is your modern "Westerner" unmanly /:
Alasl yes It seems as if nothing can or Will
arouse these people unless it be the imminent
threat of getting physically hurt or OF having
their business interfered with. Talk to them
about American families being drowned IN
, the Lustania, and you meet with snrug'
Tell them that a Mexican bandit treats Amer
leans like Chinese coolies and Kills them IKE
flies, and you get the rejoinder: well, what
would you have?" ! hope and believe that
Drawer and more virile spirit lives back in the
Eastern States, and that it embodies what Is
most admirable, most lovable in American
character; but as for the West, the way
things are shaping, it looks as if the last re-
naming bit OF backbone would surely vanish
in the course of time. In the country of the
typical "four-husher" and "windbag' the
real thing when it is unpleasant is never
welcome; it is easier to turn ones back upon
it and vote the subject taboo.
It goes without saying that out here the
militant hyphenate stalks about open and I'M
abashed, often saying things that ought TO
arouse a true American to fury. But here
again the "Westerner," whatever his private
leanings, prefers 20 take the line of least re-
sistance, and if it so happens that some Wig
orous Teuton sympathizer buttonhoes and
vociferousy enlightens him, you may be sure
that our listener willis very promptly. For
the aforesaid hyphenate is vehement and
Insstent-and Belgium, Serbia and Armenia
arc far away SO it comes that after nearly
three years of war you find vast number Of
otherwise decent and intelligent people who
at first resented Germany's methods in Bel
GUM. etc, but arc now quite reconciled 70
her strong handed way of doing things, and
would not even dream of uttering an audible
protest against the slave raids now being car
ride out in Belgium and Northern France.
You may easily imagine the loud and utterly
undiscriminating delight wherewith the West
hailed the Presidents peace gesture (Which
to some Of us looks merely like servie fawn-
ing on the sabre -csnking victor of Rumania)
Anything to stop the war-anything! One
hears the parrot cry sd nauseum, even from
people who should know better.
If national effeminacy, in addition to a
sclf-centred, self-satisfed scheme Of exist
ence. means a cowardly shrinking from every
thing and anything in the nature of a sacri-
fee, no matter how great the national
urgency, then | fear your correspondent has
every justification for raising the issue, "ls
the West unmanly?" For those among us
who love America and who know both the old
type of Westerner and the new there can be
only one answer And that answer is not en-
couraging.
AN AMERICAN BY ADOPTION.
Medford, Ore, Dec. 80, 1916.