New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-06
DR.. Won MACH, PATRIOT
A Further Illustration of His Oily and
Incratiating Unparteiligkelt

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: By the merest chancellor ! am no
longer among the fayorcd-the latest pro-
nouncemcnt Of DR.. Edmund Won Mach has
fallen into my hands. am surprised that
have as yet seen no mention of 1T IN your
esteemed paper, though the copy that have
under my eye purports to be a second
printing" The writing is couched in the
STYLE usual in German propaganda literature
put out in this country; the attempt is made
to appear more American in patriotic feeling
and expression than could be the truest
American b. blood and by birth. This per
fervid Americanism that has come IN with
sweep Just as Herr Won Bernstorf went out
with sigh is war suspect; just as Mr..
viereck's change OF title from "The Father
land" to "The New World" or Dr. !. Strauss
rush to first papers raises no comment fur
Their than a smile.
In the statement to which refer Dr. Won
Mach writes for the purpose of opening the
eyes Of his fellow citizens" to the deception
that is being practised upon them by those
who characterize Germanys recent order OF
January 81 as ruthless and as an afront TO
the honor of the United States, while calmly
submitting 70 the English Admiralty's order
OF November 2, 1914. He claims that both
orders have "been made in wanton disre-
gard of our rights" the apparent blame that
he casts upon his own Fatherland being
used as blind TO cover his attack upon the
English action and to excuse that of Ger
many He suggests that as 1--WE have avoided
the necessity of war with Great Britain by
respecting her warning and keeping away
from the military area designated by her.
so I'VE can avoid war with Germany by keep
ing away from the war zone designated by
her"
To the transporting reader who has not
tho texts of the two orders in mind or before
him this parallelug of the two orders does
not appear in its true Machiavellian light.
DR.. Won Mach is kind enough himself TO print
certain passages of the British Admiralty
order which show at once, and to the most
casual reader the difference between 1t and
that of the Teutons. And the difference is
fundamental. The latter declared ruthless
destruction upon any and every craft that
ventured within the prescribed area whether
that craft belonged 10 an enemy country or
neutral one. The English order, on the
ether hand. carefully designated path that
could be followed by neutral vessels, warn
ing "all merchant and fishing vessels of every
entering this area, except in strict accord
ance with Admiralty directions In other
words the German order was of the Schreck-
lichket kind; it was meant TO destroy without
any thought Of saving; while the English
one was intended to save life and to make
intercourse over the high seas possible e
though surrounded by difficulties
Not Dr. Won Machs appeal to American
patriotism is too truly tinged with German
subtlety to find its echo in many American
hearts His talk in this very circular about
"the sovereignty of the people" and about
"squanderng the money of the people and
his question, "Do we want an autocracy?"
sound false in the mouth Of one who is
UNFOLDING the Prussian methods of rule in
Germany and Prussian methods of making
war upon the world. His collection of docu-
ments dealing with the beginning of hostli-
ties ~ equally tinged and even more liable
TO misead By it's real Gelehrsamkeit and its
apparent Unparteiigkeit.
Happily, he has been disowned by his own
publishers. just his cry "to send milk for
the babies" in Germany (and TO which refer
ence is again made in the present circular
was disavowed by his own German govern
ment. which at tho very moment when the
cry was going forth insisted that Germany
had all il needed in the way of foodstuds
for all it's inhabitants. H. indeed, would he
invidious for an outsider to decide with which
side the truth rested with DR.. Won Mach or
with the German government
RICHARD GOTTHEIL.
New York, March }, 1917.