New-York tribune., 1918-12-13
Publisher, in Letter to
Brisbane, Asserts That He
Has Nothing to Explain
Again Assails Britain
Declares. He Purposes to
Sneak Mind and No Euro
pean Nation Can Dictate

IN attempted explanation OF the
roorst telegrams recently admitted as
.v,idence by the Overman Senate Com
r,;ttee Investigating German propa-
randa "The New York Evening Jour
nslv will print to-day the following
IVAN letter headed "a letter from Mr..
usarst to the editor of The Evening
Iournal' from William Randolph
Hearst. its owner, to Arthur Brisbane,
December IL, 1918.
onear Mr.. Brisbane:
"You have noticed. of course, that
some kilograms of mine have been pub
l;shed by United States Senate Com
mittee.
a have no objection to my kilograms
of instruction to editors being printed;
in fact. am glad to have them printed.
"There is never a telegram of in
struction to any of my newspapers
or to any editor that cannot be given
the fullest publicity.
"They are all based on Single and
sincere desire to conduct my news
napers in the interest of the American
Il do not feel under obligation to
consider the interests of any other
people, especially when those interests
seem to me 10 conflict with the inter
est Of the American people.
Assails "Tory Element"
There is large Tory element in
this country which seems to think now
as it thought in the days of the Revo-
lutionary War-thal the only way to
to L,,r lYcl,
81 do not think so, and, in fact, the
American histories that l have read
in my school and college courses and
since that time clearly demonstrate
that the best way to be pro American
is sometimes to be pro-English.
"This is notably the case during the
Revolutionary War, during the War of
1912 and during the Civil War.
"lf our American histories are wrong
in giving the impression that the self
ish interests of England have at GER
tain crises IN our history very strong
" conflicted with the best interests of
histories should be burned and Eng
ish histories substituted in their place
in the schools of our country.
"The English history teaches that
England is always right, and the Eng
lishman has pride and patriotism
enough to believe it. I admire that
quality in the Englishman. I am sor-
ry that some of our American citizens
have not a similar loyalty to and a
similar confidence in their own coun-
try.
Before America entered into this
war was, as | have frequently said
in my instructions to the editors of
my papers, neither pro-English nor
pro-German. Ny attitude was that of
Mercutio-"A plague O. both your
houses"
~ could see nothing but an attempt
on the part of both England and Ger
many to involve the United States in
the war and to use the United States
as a catspaw to pull their chestnuts
out of the fire
"Under those circumstances, my
policy Of America FIRST and ONLY
and ALL THE TIME led me to strive
TO keep America out of the war on the
side of either belligerent, and to en-
deavor to bring about a league of neu-
tral nations to protect the interests of
neutrals against the aggressions of
both Of the belligerent groups.
IN the pursuance of this policy I
sions of England against American in
terests and sometimes against the
depredatons and outrages of Ger
many.
IF, therefore, only certain instruc-
TONS to editors are printed, might
seem to be pro- English. If only GER
tam other instructions are printed
might seem to be pro- German. But if
ALL instructions are printed it would
be clear, as | say, that / am not and
never was either pro-English or pro-
German, but merely pro-American.
Since the entrance of America into
tne war | have unquestioningly acqui-
esced in the wisdom of the decision of
our Government to make war on the
SIDE of the Allies, and I have given
the Allies almost as utter and unre-
served support as / have given our
own country.
This have done because that
course during wartime has seemed to
me the best course-and, IN fact, the
ohiy course to be pursued in the in
tereSts of our United States of
America
Assumes Rights to Opinion
Having once embarked on war, it
was absolutely necessary that the war
snouid be won and that all dissension
VI aversion of opinion should be sup
When peace is finally declared l
assume my rights to opinion and to ex-
preston of opinion, independent of the
wish or advantage of any foreign coun-
'ly' and subservient only to the inter
ests of my own people and my own
AS far as the opposition to the
espionage law is concerned, I would
IKE my papers to repeat and to re-
laerate our opposition to that law.
winch consider now, just as / con-
sacred 1T when it was first presented,
W De unwise, unnecessary, undemo-
cratlc and unconstitutional.
said at the time of it's first intro
uuction that it was as unrighteous and
,nh-American as the alien and sedtion
iaws passed by the Federalist party;
ana that the attempt to suppress free
speech and free press in this country
would be as disastrous to the Demo-
eratlc party as the similar attempt in
.he alien and sedtion laws had been
70 @ 1ne Federalist party.
That prophecy s coming true.
Inc National Democratic party was
overwhelmingly defeated in the late
congressional elections. 1t lost both
me . House and the Senate, and it sus-
ua.ned this astonishing defeat at the
very moment when the United States
nso concluded under this Democratic