New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-05
NEUTRALITIS
Tracing Iusidious Effects of tho Disease
Upon President
Ia ,bs Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The Dean Of Westminster in MS SER
mon at the Abbey on Christmas Day spoke OF
President Wilson as follows: "It is true that
the President of the United States after two
years study Of the question, and innumeraole
notes seems to believe that the object OF
the two groups Of belligerents is the same
He knows that Germany refused arbitration
and rejected every overture TO prevent war;
he knows that his own countrymen have
poured money like water to assist the out
ragged remnants Of the little Belgian people,
whose treaty rights were violated and whose
frontiers were invaded before war was de-
clared; he knows all the details OF the or
ganized atrocities reported upon In Nrlct
inquiry; he knows OF tho sinking OF unarmed
Messenger ships, like tho Lusitania and the
Arabic, without notice or warning; he knows
OF the nocturnal deportation Of Belgians and
French into slavery, and yet he is OF the
opinion that tho nations who are leagued
together 10 disarm this evil demoniac OF ma
ltional miltarism have the same end IN view
as the perpetrators OF these historic crimes.
President Wilson has either in a Mt OF mental
abstraction sent the wrong note or ne mas
entirely inexperienced the European situa-
ton"
That President Wilson. "sont the wrong
note" is evident enough, but IL was not sent
"in a 1T OF mental abstraction" lt was the
note which from his mental temper and moral
antecedents he was compelled TO send. the
Nemesis of his qualities. No man can re-
main a neutral for long time upon vital
questions of right and wrong without tnally
betraying the effect of 1t upon his character
in some form or other. Neutralitis, as we
NAV call it, is insidious, but sure in ITS
DEVELOPMENTS from stage TO stage In ts
beginnings the sufferer from II displays an
invincible repugnancc TO coming TO decision
upon such questions, particularly II they don
happen TO affect his own personal INTERESTS
evading a decision upon them sometimes on
the plea OF Pontius PLATE (the classic ex-
emplar of the typo, that truth IS dlneuIt or
imnossible to attain; sometimes by involving
the central fact in web of side Issues which
holds the conscience captive until the sufferer
has a chance 10 escape without too great
sense Of moral shame. This last has been
the Presidents method. The first, or quies-
cent. stage OF neutralitis is generally innoc-
uous. however, except in its effect upon the
sufferers character, dulling the finer percep-
tions and killing the nobler unselhsh ahec-
tions. as has been the case among so many
Americans. But true neutralitis, even its
apathetic or quiescent stage, must not be
COMPOUNDED with pseudo or hyphen neutraltis'
which is apt to become violent and should be
put under restraint.
II is when the victim Of neutralitis by the
force Of circumstances is compelled TO some
form or other Of decision and OF action upon
great moral questions that his condition be-
comes serious He becomes a prey 20 de-
lusions Of moral grandeur. imagining himself
the messenger in some sense of superior and
more benefcent intelligence. Having through
long disuse lost the faculty OF adjudging be
tween right and wrong according TO the meth
DDS sanctioned by human experience. by the
weighing Of evidence and comparison with
recognized standards, the patient sets up ms
own intuitions. what he calls his ideals as
the norm, and attempts 10 impose ~ upon
others Of no less reputation than himself Tor
the love Of righteousness, justice and peace
betravinc at the same time an incredible ig-
norance as 10 the distinctive and irrecon-
cilable issues Of the controversy, which would
be ridiculous were it not so sad, and so pro-
vocative OF lust resentment toward the ma
tion which his unbalanced egotism has as
sumed 10 represent. One might with equal
proprietv have said 10 the Huns devastating
France 70 the Saracens Swarming over the
Pyronees, 10 the Turks battering at the gates
Of Vienna, 81 see that your aims and the
aims Of the defenders arc Identical; there
fore 7 advocate peace while you are IN pos
session Of your prey
This is what puzzles the Dean Of West
minister. This IS what has amazed, con-
founded and distressed hundreds Of thou
sands Of the Presidents fellow citizens But,
after all. it is only the malady neutralitis in
its final expression, the abnegation Of all that
makes men brave, strong and true in the de-
fence Of a civilization already gained and in
the struggle for higher civilization still to
come. G.. L. STOWELL.
Dorset, VI, Jan, !, 1917