New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-06
Too Many Cooks
Suppress Forces Behind Line Which
Weaken Soldiers
To the Editor of The Tribune.

Sir: For weeks | have been fed I'D with
pacifsm, C. 0.-ism, "free speech" loan and
draft slackers, pro-Germans camouAaging AZ
anti Britishers, followed up by political
campaign reeking with the above and topped
off with Hearst, Hillquit and La Toilette
and all combined with Federal leniency and
timidity. But is this Federal federation a
square deal for US, the millions constituting
the United States military forces?
hate war, and, frankly, am anxious to get
back 10 work | am cheerfully willing 20
serve ten years if necessary to crush Ger
many. but do not want TO serve one dsy
longer than necessary, because ] am liable
TO get shot on that one day, and am Cd.
posed TO getting shot The above named fac
tions are undoubtedly tending TO prolong the
war, either by hindering our efforts or en-
couraging the Prussian Junkers. There is
also the possibility of forcing US TO accept
that horror-a made-in-Germany peace By
prolonging the war thousands Of lives will b.
sacrificed unnecessarily; by a made-in.Ger-
many peace the millions OF dead and billions
of resources will have been given in vain and
the world would sweat and groan under Prus-
sian tyranny.
We millions who are ready 10 give our
/ lives must be backed properly at home, and
that mainly by pursuing as ruthless policy
within our borders as the Kaiser practises
within the Central Powers. Everything and
/ everybody in this country hindering the pros
! ecution of the war must be crushed. Those
/ hndering can be readily determined; cher.
l should be no leeway for quibbling. All those
who do not help hinder.
There will undoubtedly be some injustice
! 1. -. Lac A
quit may be gagged, a New York Socialist
deprived Of his right Of "free speech"-but
American lives will be saved. Lives first,
and then we will look into this free speech"
and "free press" business.
Hillqut should never have been permitted
TO run for Office on his anti-war platform. He
has succeeded in bringing under one banner
paciAsts, pro-German and slackers. They
have all turned Socialist. They would have
Just as readily turned prohibitonst or
Joined the Mormon Church-providing either
of the latter had an snti-war policy.
Hillquit believes in the brotherhood OF man
he doesn't care boot who murders the
Belgans!
Hillquit is an ardent internationalist-hs
has from the beginning Of the war favored
the crushing Of England!
With Germany squatted over the faIrest
provinces Of Belgium, France, Russia, Italy,
Serbia and Rumania, Hillquit advises the
Allies TO lay down their arms and trust 10
Prussian magnanimity. What a mockery
Who is Hillquit, and where did he get his
knowledge of world politics that he dares
ask US to follow his advice as TO the proper
time for peace, against the opinion of Presi-
dent Wilson end Washington and the evil
dence before our own eyes
I would like to see The Tribune become the
Northcliffe press of this country; TO take up
the fight to eradicate the discordant factions
within our borders and fight for a supreme
general staff for all the Allies.
If after over three years Of blood letting
the Allies have been unable to get together
under one general staff, then it is our duty
to the millions of Americans we are ready 70
offer for sacrifice TO force the Allies to come
under the control Of one staff.
We have advanced already three billions 10
the Allies, and we are ready to advance more
ready to give millions of men and billions
Of resources. We should, if necessary, use
these men and resources as a club TO force
our allies to coordinate their efforts. One
general staff, even if inefficient, would be n
fnitely better thar the twenty different STATS
each pecking at the Prussian monster accord
ing to its respective nationalistic desires
After three years of warfare-and after
months Of sickening camoufage fed Us BE-
the press, describing ffteen-year-old starved,
eonsumptive German soldiers, naval and mill
tsry mutinies, hunger strikes and summaries
Of the shortages in all military resources OF
the Central Powers-we have to-day the
spectacle OF Italy, backed by the arsenals.
mines, fields and factories of seven-eighths Of
the world overrun by this so-called weak
ened Germany. And all due 10 too many
cooks. This must not happen again. Our
lives must not be sacrificed as the millions OF
Allied lives have been sacrificed on the altar
of inefficient leadership. Let US stop specu-
lsting on German weaknesses and attend to
our own. We must be saved from that hor-
ror-a msde-in-Germany peace.
ALBERT P. RIPPENBETN.
Battery E, I'd New Jersey Field ARTILLERY,
Perth Amboy, y. j., Nov. ., 1917.