New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-21
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: When Congress comes into session
again. in about a month, the great question
will be on our relations with Germany. They
may then be worse than they are, or better,
but. worse or better, the duty of Congress
will be one and the same, and that will be-
as you yourself advise, 10 throw aside violent
" the perverted indifference to Americas
ideals and Americas material interests in
which il has been trained since the Ger
manic storm broke over Belgium, and bury
all cowardly temporizing, together with the
evasive maxeshift of armed neutrality
beneath straight-out declaration OF war. b.
that, and by that alone, can the United
States get back into the high place in the
worlds esteem from which it has been dragged
by the emotional but heartless statesman
! ship Of the last four years, and in all rea-
sonabe probability by that only can we save
ourselves from Administration made Difficult
ties, which after the coming of peace may
grow into serious dangers. The case will be
clearer if we look the facts of these last four
years squarely in the face.
During the greater part of that time the
roar of war throughout the world has been
louder than mankind has ever heard, and has
been ominous of more farreaching changes
in international relations than perhaps have
ever happened in a single century. Yet the
Administration, announcing that we are mot
concerned" remained practically unmoved,
and in Congress what betrayed but now
liberated Russia has called the Ozark Forces"
have carried out their programme. Only on
Friday last, after his expected eulogy Of
President Wilson. Ambassador Gerard said:
when | came back to this country it was
a positive shock to me to find that in the
two years in which the world has been on
fire We have done nothing TO prepare for even
a reasonable means of national defence"
Secretary Of War Garrison resigned because
Of the Presidents attitude toward plans for
improving the army. The appointment of a
pacifst TO succeed him does not make Mr..
Gerard's gloomy picture less gloomy.
Peace at Any Price
Throughout his first term President Will
sons management of our affairs was based,
substantially, on the idea of peace at any
price And at what a price, For example,
Secretary Lansing's summary Of the price
Of peace with Mexico is found in his letter
10 lne secretary OF fOTelSU RelStlOns III
Mexico. dated June 90, 1916: For three
years the lives of Americans and other aliens
have been sacrificed; vast properties deyel-
oped by American capital and enterprise
have been destroyed or rendered non-pro-
ductive; bandits have been permitted TO
roam at will through the territory contigu-
Gus TO the United States and to seize, with
out punishment or without effective attempt
at punishment, the property of Americans,
while the lives of citizens of the United
States who ventured to remain in Mexican
territory or TO return there TO protect their
interests have been taken, in some cases
barbarously taken, and the murderers have
neither been apprehendcd nor brought to
Justice II would be tedious to recount in
stance after instance, outrage after outrage,
atrocity after atrocity TO illustrate the true
nature and extent of the widespread condi-
tions Of lawlessness and violence which have
prevailed"
Against our peace with Germany stands the
tragic list of lives lost from the Lusitania
to the Illinois. Can one suppose that with
those victims Of frightfulness there has not
gone also respect for US in whatever part
Of civilization has not been paralyZed in its
humanity and pride by German propaganda
or terrorism? There was also the purchase
of peace from the railroad brotherhoods.
by the Adamson law. Robin Hood is the
patron saint of legislation of that character.
IL simply took from the rich to give to
the poor Out of such astounding departures
from the traditions OF America, land Of the