New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-12
AMERICAN OR GERMAN MASTERS?
United States Might Work Out Economic
Salvation Better in Its Own Way

To the Editor of The Tribune
SIR Like thousands of other Americans.
accept the sociaist-that is, the eco.
nomic-interpretation of history, without
always being in sympathy with the prscti-
cal policies of the Socialist party. think
understand the socialist position on the
war question. | acknowledge that, for the
vast mass of the American people, including
myself, conquest of this country by the
Germans would mean simply a change in
masters.
But | would like to ask my socialist
friends if, in the memory of Belgium,
they would not prefer American masters
to German. l would. l would like
to ask the socialists, also, if they do
not think that the hundred million
people inhabting the United States can
work out their economic salvation bet
ter if left 10 do it in their own way than
if a foreign government should take charge.
OF course, the idea of foreign domination
even yet seems absurd, but if we absolutely
refuse to put our country in state of de-
fence | cannot what there is to prevent
our becoming the China of the West.
the membership of the Socialist party in
this country is probably at least one-third
German, and that all principles go down
before racial prejudice with the Germans
was amply shown by the acquescence of the
Socialist party of Germany with the war
policy Of the German government.
| desire to ask my pacifist friends if they
do not lock their doors at night. If they
do, what right have they to refuse the same
privilege to the government? And how is
government to lock its doors?
think | understand the position of the
West on the war question. l lived there
many years. The West has been opened
and developed by poor men. To do it they
had TO get capital. That capital came from
the East, and it came at the cost of many
sacrifices on the part of those who secured
it. To masses Of Western people the word
Capitalism" is synonymous with menace"
and it is also synonymous with East"
The Granger movement, the Populist move
ment and the lnsurgent movement were or
ganzed expressions of this feeling.
Masses of Western people are convinced
that the great capitalists desire war, that
they desire to see this country transferred
to a military basis, with a huge standing
army, both because they would control that
army and because this would mean huge
bond issues, and interest on bonds is al
ways paid in the toll and sweat of the peo-
pie. / will admit that this view of the
held me in the pacfst ranks for a
long time. But with the DEVELOPMENT of
events it seems to me that that question
is one which We must settle at another
time, in another way, and among ourselves
The imminent question Is, Can this country
command the respect of other nations? Can
it defend the lives and property of its oitil
zens against foreign aggression? Ii it
can't, it is not a country TO be proud OF or
one that is worth fighting for or caring for
very much.
There are certain calamities which en-
bitter life, even in the midst Of prosperity.
Such a calamity would be the disgrace Of
ones family, and such a calamity would be
the disgrace of ones country. Little Bel
GUM did her best. She was beaten, but she
commands the respect of the world. Are we
inferior TO Belgium?
For those women who have sons Of fight
ing age we must all feel a sympathy so
deep that it is painful. | believe the iniu-
ence OF women, il nothing else, will always
prevent this country from going to an sg-
gressve military basis But when il is u
question of the defence OF ones country
why. the fact that death waits for all Of
some day is the one immutable thing in
the universe
"And how could n man die better than fac
ing fearful odds
For the country Of his fathers, for the altar
of his gods?"
MINNIE j. REYNOLDS.
Newark, n. j.. March s, 1917.