New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-05
r. Al. Editor o, The Tribune.

TIC the Editor OF The Tr1ounc'
Sir: You have been good enough at various
times 20 publish letters from me in regard
10 the war, and especially its relation to the
limited States, written by ma as an American
citizen living in Canada. have now signed
,he necessary papers for an application for
becoming a British subject, and tninK II
right TO let you and those to whom nave
spoken through your columns know the
reasons for this step. hope that they may
be Of value In impressing upon some VINO
live In the United States the urgent neces-
,ity OF reswskening there Of the old
American insistence on the necessity OF put
ting tina duty OF ideals ahead Of the comfort
Of prosperity and ease.
/ believe that nothing in the world to-day
counts as OF any value in comparison with
the need Of utterly defeating Germany and
all she stands for Neither money nor tne
lives Of individuals must be allowed to inter-
fere. much less should any sentimental re-
card for citizenship be permitted to hamper
the utmost that any one can do In aid OF
TIM, great cause. The old conception Of
safety from balance OF power is outworn
the unquestioned supremacy Of the forces to-
dry striving for the maintenance of ciyiliza-
rion. forces with which other civilized
nations. to-day neutral, can cooperate for
the protection OF human liberty and which
shall have enough breadth OF vision 70 admit
into their companonshp even the powers
now fighting against them when after the
war they in turn shall become civilized
Civilization hereafter must be guaranteed by
the civilized, and cannot longer be content
with only such equality Of strength as shall
make the will to power hesitate before 1t
attacks.
II Is true that my American citizenship has
meant a great deal to me and that | give 1t
up only with much regret and severe
wrench. Ny ancestors on both sides-my
mother was n Quincy from Massachusetts
have been closely associated with the birth
and development Of the nation, and three
years ago | should have ridiculed the sug-
eestion that anything could happen which
should make me willing to surrender my
birthright. "Civis Americans cram" seemed
10 ne the finest epitaph for any man.
Nor do | leave my native land in the belief
expressed by so many that the dilution OF
our blood by immigration and the sapping OF
the vitality OF our manhood by luxury and
material prosperity have killed the qualities
which in the past have made us great, and
that this is shown by the reelection OF Presl-
dent Wilson. II the issues in the election
rad been as clearly drawn as ! think they
ovPht TO have been and the people had none
the less accepted Wilson, there might have
been much said for this view; but to me the
question as presented to the voters seems
quite different. It was a contest between
political trickery on the one hand ana
political cowardice on the other Hughes
lacked the courage 70 repudiate the clacking
German organs which acclaimed him as the
German candidate. and behind him stood the
,inister figures OF Barnes, Penrose, Parsons
Crane and all that ignoble brood. The East,
which had had experience of Hughes as
man and which knew Wilson, was able to
Judge; the West, more progressive and more
intoler.nt Of outworn reactionaries and
"atsnd-pat" politicians, was frightened by the
hated background against which Hughes ap-