Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-10

Point to the British armies?" Doctor Nc.
Fabre asked.
Il believe he did say something about
reconciliation between the colonies and
the King" said I. but nobody took him
seriously in this natter He forfeited the
respect of Americans and he was unable
TO win the confidence OF the English. And
doubt IL he had his own respect. al
though he tried TO argue himself into
believing that he was broad.minded
patriot"
That is fine quality in human nature
that revolts at traitors and treason" re.
marked Doctor McFabrc. I'VE always
respect the man who keeps faith even to
his own hurt. | confess that with all my
efforts to be tolerant find II difficult to
forgive those persons who, from an ex.
cessive sensitiveness of conscience which
makes them hate force will do all In their
power. short OF absolute treason, to ham.
per the Government in its conduct of
war Intellectually ! can follow their
logic; but somehow there Is an instinct
IN me that says, Let logic go hang; We
are fighting brutes and must use the
weapons which will be most effective II
I am wrong I hope the Prince of Peace
will forgive me"
You are not wrong" said Miss Ames.
II am only a woman, but I am not so
lenient as Mr. Owen The proGerman
paciflsts are traitors even IL they have
not been guilty Of an overt acts that
the right way to say it," And she smiled
at the young man.
You are doing very WELL" he replied.
II think | could make a lawyer of you"
II dare you to try" she challenged
Let's not start a law school here" I
objected. I'VE were talking of treason
and traitors. I hope that there will be
no occasion for the world TO consider
the case of another Benedict Arnold One
is enough. I have been reading about
Arnold lately. +. ]. Stimson. a Boston
lawyer, who Is or was a lecturer in the
Harvard Law School. has written a
mighty interesting book about the traitor.
IL Is In the form of an autobiography.
It's publishers call 1t historical novel.
Didn't somebody once say that historical
novels were unsatisfa ctory. for the reason
that they were neither history nor ic-
tiono"
"1 don't know who 1t was" said Doctor
McFabre. but l think he was about
right"
"rhere are some notable exceptions"
said Owen.
"Mr Stimson's novel would never be
mistaken for fiction" said l. "It reads
as IL it We're actually the work of Arnold
himself. There are errors of fact in it
which Arnold might have fallen into, and
there is an unconscious revelation of the
defects OF the mans character which
he would have disclosed IL he had done
the writing himself. But there is an an.
achrontsm here and there for which Mr..
Stimsor himself is to blame. For exam.
pie, he makes Arnold speak OF himself.
after his treason, as a pacifist. So far as
/ can discover-and have consulted sew.
eral unabridged dictionaries-this word
did not come into use until within the
last five or ten years. It appears in only
one dictionary, and there 1t is In a sup.
plement published in 1914. Perhaps Mr..
Stlmson uses the word so as to suggest
that some of the moderns are in danger
of becoming traitors through their pacif-
ism. He has Arnold say in another place
that the Hessian troops fought like Ger
mans and not like Englishmen. and he de-
scribes the atrocities of which they were
guilty In New Jersey. This is Mr.. Slim
sons comment provoked by the Boche
atrocities in the present war, for Arnold
would not have made It,"
"Were the Hessians really guilty of
atrocties?" Miss Ames wanted to know.
Undoubtedly" said l. You will be