The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-03-31
Anti-Entente
EDITOR THE TIMES:

You claim that this nation in
case of war must act with the
allies. Why, l pray you, should
this fair land align itself with
such a nation as England?
You say that If we enter this
war we will be arrayed on the side
of humanity. Has England ever
waged war in that cause? Review
your history. When has England
ever thought of anyone but her.
self-to further her powers on the
sea and to add to her domains ION
which the sun never sets?
You condemn German militar-
ism. Are you blind to England's
navalism and her boast Of ruling
the waves?
England now cries in horror at
the so-called Belgian atrocities. "
Evidently she has a good forget
tory" and needs to be reminded
of the Indian and Boer atrocities.
The people of India suffered be-
cause their lands were rich and
valuable to the English, the Beers
because they discovered rich gold
and diamond mines which Sir Ce-
ell Rhodes coveted, while Belgian
suffered because she stood in the
way of Germany's desired end.
Pray tell me which nation is gull
ty of the greater crime?
Belgium claimed neutrality, but
II you will read between the lines
in history you will see that since
the treaty of Westpalia Belgium
has been virtually under Eng
land.
Furthermore, would you kind
ly explain to me why England s
violation of Greece's neutrality is
so vastly different from that of
Belgium? II you have read cur
rent articles in magazines and pa
pers from the Associated Press,
you will remember King Constan-
tine telling of the awful suffer
ing of the Greeks, said: mot even
the Belgians have suffered more
at the hands of the Germans than
we at the hands of the English.
You must remember that all other
reports from Europe are censored
and "doctored" by the English,
and dull is the day when England
does not find a new excuse to try
to drag the U. s. into the war.
Moreover, has not England also
grossly violated our rights as a
neutral nation? Has she not
searched our ships and rifled our
mails? Is 1t logical then that we
should align ourselves with a ma
ton who has wronged us? Never!
II I were a man q am girl of
20) I would be shot before l
would join forces with England.
Further, has not England also
broken international law? Presi-
dent Wilson himself in several
notes to England called her block
ade illegal" and her methods in
defensible. At best, it is mockery
to speak of law" in war. 1t is
all murder, Just plain murder. The
Bible says Thou shalt not kill
and not Thou shalt not kill, ex-
cept in case of war;"
A man is hanged IL he uses a
knife or a revolver and kills one
man, but II he uses a big machine
gun and kills dozen or more he
is lauded as a great and wonder
full hero. The Inconsistency of II
all!
Innocent women and children
have suffered through Germany's
ruthless submarine warfare. So
also have innocent women and
children suffered through Eng
lands illegal blockade. Both are
guilty. 1t would be a great blot
on the U. s. to join with either
nation.
If ! remember correctly, when
the war began, your paper and
many others were unanimous In
condemning all the belligerents,
saying none knew just why they
were fighting. Gam I not right?
Has not your sentiment toward the
allies changed?) How is the war
so different now that the allies
should now be fighting in a noble
cause instead of only a senseless
one?
A News editorial sized It up
thus:
"The greater the war bond, the
greater are our bonds to the al
lies" Had the thirteen billion
dollars which the u. s. capitalists
loaned to England been instead
loaned to Germany, might not per-
chance the situation today be re-
versed? For truly we have gone
step by step from dollar diplom-
acy to dollar neutrality. and now
find ourselves on the verge of dol
lar belligerency.
Is not your opinion and that Of
others like you--pro-ally--tle re-
suit of a systematic campaign to
change public sentiment? would
call your attention to your arti-
cles two years ago, tearing the
brass buttons Off from war; today
It would seem that you are Just
as busy sewing them on again.
Then The Times pitied the COM
mon people of Germany who in
their ignorance were willing tools
OF the military caste; today you
laud the same methods by bond
holders OF the U. 8.
Let us keep our hands clean by
out of this war-this
bloodshed. Let us rather
tend to affairs at home. Let us