Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-03-08
PEOPLES COLUMN
Won BossE ASKS QUESTIONS.

Won BossE ASKS QUESTIONS. :,
To the Editor OF THE EVENING
JOURNAL
sir:-Last week you stated iii an
editorial that it is the duty as we'll as
the sacred privilege of every Ameri-
can citizen at this time TO give ex-
preston to his views, be they what |
ever they may on the war-crisis, add /
ing, ! believe. that such expressions |
should evoke the respect OF all.
Now, please sir, compare your
scathing editorial of tonight with your
advice Of last weeSl Has II come
thus far that a man must be pilloried
for advocating peace? You know the
art, and ably execute II, OF hiding a
bee within a bouquet. You all but call
me a traitor In so many words. And
why? Because I am pro-German2 Was
there anything proGerman contained
! in my letter against war? Did you re-
flute single argument ] presented in
that letter? I believe that those who
read my letter and also read your
editorial and then compared them will
shake their heads and ask whence you
derive the right for attacking mo as
you did.
I oppose war against Germany. Is
that treason? II war should como 1t
will be too late to talk, as / stated be-
fore, and chances are, that some or
us. whom you accuse OF being frantic
Germans, would be found at the front
line of battle Though totally against
the war; long before you would think
Of where we might have disappeared
To-.
Has Il come to this point that a man
must submit to being looked upon as
a traitor. when he asks for peace2 II
so, am In good company The Della.
ware Peace Society shares my views,
/ am certain, perhaps not in detail, but
surely in their entirety as set forth in
my last letter. / am willing to go with
Albert Shaw, the editor of the Review
, Of Reviews, for he states even more
strongly than yours truly: "For us to
go to war with Germany because Of
grievances incidental to the larger
, combat. would not seem TO be practi-
I cal IL would be useless to try to make
= the American people believe that an
affront to us was intended inasmuch
as everyone knows that this is not the
, case. Both sides in this war have
created illegal zones in the high seas,
have planted mines, and have ordered
neutrals to keep out Of the way. This
is vastly more inconvenient for Hol-
land and the Scandinavian countries
than for us and is not meant as a
direct injury to any neutral.
war is such a terrible business that
IL should not be entered upon unless it
b seems to be the only means toward
right and necessary ends or solutions.
: If we should go to war against Ger
! many it would be said by some Of
those who have favored IT, that this
4 mere change OF status on our part
would somehow bring the war TO a
b speedy end. There is nothing TO
Justify such an assumption. 1t is much
easier to make war than to make
peace. If any Of the newspapers that
were so eagerly demanding war day
!, after day last month had done any
thinking as regards to our mode o
y exit from the war into which the.
wished TO plunge us, they had not re
vealed 1t to their readers"
Ia have Just finished reading the rC
Il marks OF Hon. J. Hampton Moore o.
! February 6. s, 10 and 10. Is he ais
q traitor for voicing the sentiments
r. voiced? II is absolutely unnecessar
for me TO defend myself against you
q charges All ] regret is, that yol
:. could not attack my letter rather thar
: views / held before this crisis. | d.
!, not defend the MeXico-Japan plot; /
does not enter into this discussion. !
may be that you will not care t
: answer the following questions, whicl
! put to you in all candor, but ! viii
nevertheless make an attempt:
|, lis a pacifst a traitor in you
eyes?
2.-Of what value would war be 4
adjusting trouble. that we have wit
: Germany or any other country at tn
: present time?
II 3.-On what grounds do you justif
The continued Indictment TO war o
Is the part Of individuals and the pres
N since 1914 and condemn the oppos
. ton to such Indictment?
ID Allow can you conscientiously e.
ID plain the rights OF the Allies in int
lg fering with our legal trade?
5.-What honor could We gain
u fighting Germany. when she is "alread
n defeated" as you say?
ne 6.-Do you really believe that II
lg people want war and are YOU oppose
le' to a referendum vote on the question
Must one be a pro-Ally to be
a. American?
se These are questions which intere
not me alone. but hundreds OF othe
In our city.
1T Your advice as 10 remaining quiet
II gratefully received. l regret. that
am no newspaper owner. as ! wou
rp not then be fighting at disadvanta
IN such as IS the case at present.
long as we are not at war / will prcte
against war with anyone. What W
the do when war comes has been stat
mt, long before this by me and others
and ---.- -.-----------.