New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
The Book Burners
A Warm Defence Of the Misguided
Zeal' Of the Xigilantes
the Editor of The Tribun.

TO the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Your CORES spondent of day j. Al
fred Faulkner, of Madison, \. J., expends
upon the Nigilaptes and the American De-
fence Society for their objection to pro-Ger-
man books much of the hearty indignation
which ought rghtfully to go to "our friend
the enemy treaty breakers. ravagers,
child murderers. etc. We run across great
deal OF this eccentric diversion of perfectly
good emotional force. If expended in the
right direction it would help to win the war
Mr.. Faulkner-who is. oddly enough, the
possessor of a good Scottish name-is rery
much excited over the IN sguded zeal" of Tie
Nigilantes in wishing to remove from the
open shelves Of the Libraries certain books
which are "harmess at the worst, and valua-
bic at the best giving another point or
view" He compares US TO the book burners
OF the Middle Ages; in fact, he finds US worse
than they, because mediaval readers really
might have become infected with heresy
while we have nothing more dangerous to be
infected with than another point of view"
Also, there is no chance whatever that any
one's patriotism viii be affected by the books
which arouse" the said misguided zeal His
own brand Of patriotism is sufficiently re-
veaed by his reference to "the German side
and to "our shibboleth" {. y. He speaks gen
tly of what all believe to be German
atrocities' This ''beief" he seems to regard
as debatablc question
We, the new prosecutors" are told that
there IS no treason iii pointing out the "od
wrongs committed by England and by cur
selves, as is done b. Max Eastman. Perhaps
not; all nations and all persons can be con-
vlcted Of some sort Of old wrongs But what
shall be said of the logic--to say the least
u AT uses those cid wrongs to palia.e and
condone new wrongs of such unspeaka6le
atroclousness that the average man Of our
times could not even have imagined them,
much less practised them against humanity.
II Mr.. Faulkner sees no difference between
.bese wrongs we cannot envy him his moral
Judgments And as to treason, If apologies
tor Germany by Americans to-dav are not
reasonable We should like to have, as moral
curiosity Mr. Faulkner's definition Of treason
lnsldious propaganda does not seem to come
Under II; but any form of vigorous American
speech or action is liable al any time to bring
about these storms of righteous wrath. The
only Aystella know o. IN this country to-
day is the pro-German hysteria. The only
shibboieth know is the word America
which may be added humanity and liberty.
Pretty good shibboleths all,
To exclude the books in question from pub
lc shelves, preserving their extraordinary
falsltles for the curious inspection of stu
dents, seems to Mr. Faulkner and others
form OF persecution. Well, 1t might hurt
somebody's feelings. But the mere sugges-
ton seems to furnish (; useful outlet for the
honest indignation Of people who are incapa-
bic of indignation behalf of Belgium and
the other outraged nations not TO speak OF
our own children Of the Lusitania Probably
lhey need sometime 10 stir then un: and so
many foolish persons are all stirred up over
tha idea that we are justly at war anu that
our men are ready to die for something worth
while. Too bad they refuse to sec both
sides! These naughty Viglantes ought to
give them chance. NJ. c. SMITH.
OF the Nigilantcs
East Orange, y. j.. Jan. 70, 1918