New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-15
A PLEA FOR ENGLAND
M FORGET Our Ancient Preu and Support Her Shonsyss one
No, Really Been Our Best Among the Nations!

,ioor rr;.b-Ameriean. German American,
Italian-Americsn, or any other nyphenateu
variety. do not care whence ms parents
or grandparents came provided only ne mas
lived in an American atmosphere and not VA
Little Italy, or German rsthskellers, or o.
Georges. or st. Patrick's or st. Anyone Else
peculiar neighborhood.
If. then, | am right in asserting tnaV IN
spite of early mistaken prejudiees or AMI
mosities. such as usually follow family quar-
rels. and in spite of notifications due 10
differences of climate and encourage ana
age we are essentially part OF the Eng iiS"
race in language, customs, laws iteiS'ui
and general ways Of looking at things why
should we hesitate to give to England IN ne,
present struggle the fullest sympathy anu
support? Is she not hghtlng 10 n1,h'Nl"
The nrinciples of individual liberty and gov
eminent in which We also believe are we
anv more a democracy than she Is! she
cails her head King and we call ours Presi-
dent; he is born 70 the title, ours is elected !;
but ours. in fact, has more monarcnlcal
mower than hers Our commerce Is primer
nallv with her or her colonies. Her navy is
our great protection, as has been demon
strated many times. Barring little mis-
understanding on the part OF few Engisn-
men of mistaken sympathies during our
Civil War, has not England been our oes'
friend among the nations OF the earth DO
not forget the France that helped us IN our
struggle for independence just as she is now
helping England-or they are helping each
Iother-in this titanic struggle for freedom
from, military barbarism. But Samoa, Ma
Mia Bay and many other incidents rise TO
prove her steadfast friendship. The Vene-
zuela incident was certainly no more lrri-
tating or offensive to the Monroe Doctrine
than was the French effort to set haXimlllan
upon the throne OF Mexico, yet one seldom
hears of France accused OF being unfrendly
to us. 49,.
It is TO England that the Entente Allies
look to secure the victory that is to orlns
relief from German arrogance and brutallty
II is England that Germany looks upon as her
chief enemy. The English navy up to now
the English army from now on, and Eng
lands wealth all the time, are the mainstays
of the Entente's defence. Magnificent as the
French have been and are, brave as are the
Italians, effective as have been--even more
effective as will be-the Russians, without
the power of Englsnd's navy and storehouses
at their backs they could not have held out
as they have done. Whether, then, we believe
that blood il thicker than water, or we love
France, admire Italy, wish to encourage
progress in Russia, pity Belgium and Ser
bia or merely desire the defeat of the Cen
trail Powers lest their triumph should mean
trouble hereafter for US, is it not time that
we should come out strong and clear for Eng
land, cease carpng at her, cease ignorantly
asking what she has done and save our own
influence by supporting her and her allies?
England and our well-loved France-per-
haps Russia and Italy. too-are now firm
friends, their friendship being based on cor
rect understanding of each others aims and
desires. Shall we not join them, forgetting
our ancient prejudces, as they, too, have
done? NJ.
! New York, Feb. !, 1917.