New-York tribune., 1918-12-15

hungry and bankrupt Italy.
CAN the Allies arc begging us~for
cash.
"'The German Empire went into
this war with less than half the
wealth of England and France. Ger
many has managed to get along with
out help. France is now beguiling
us for millions. We do not under
stand why England with much more
wealth and income than either Ger
many or France. must be handed
scoop shovel and he told to help her
self to our money.
what would you say would be the
effect, if believed, of that article SO fan
as creating distrust or suspicion for
England is concerned?
Tried to Cause Break
Captain Lester: Well, the effect of
that article, il believed, would be an
absolute severance of any commercial
or financial relations with England
and refusal on the part Of every Amer
lean, through public taxes or other
wise, to contribute to the financial
needs of England or the Allies"
ENATOR STERLING-An this:
Our only correct strategy is to
spend all our money and all our labor
IN preparing our navy and our armies
here at their natural base and so
compelling Germany, if she wants to
fight, to come to us, and see how she
likes the taste of our granite.
10 throw away our strategic ad-
vantage by sending our navy and our
armies away from their home base to
be parts of an European offensive
which has practically broken down
is laundering proposal that would
I've CT Il
will cost us dear if we accede to it.
"Our money, like our armies and
our fleets, should be concentrated at
its home base and not dispersed
SENATOR NELSON'S that in "The
American?
SENATOR sTERL1NG-"The Amer
icanY of May II. 1917. I would
like to ask Captain Lester if the
natural effect of that, if believed
would not be to prevent any effective
participation in this war on the part
of America?
CAPTAIN LESTER-Yes, sir, with
out question that was the purpose
Of that
SENATOR sTERL1NG-1 call to
your attention an article in "The
American as late as July s, 1917:
we can imagine no craftsmanship
more futile than for us to exhaust
our wealth, to endanger our pros
perlty and to sacrifice our young
men, not to equalizc and stabilize
the personal relations of the world,
put to pull down one power on the
ground that it aims at dangerous
domination of the world and then to
place another power in the seat of
world empire and world dominion
j., 10 what other power is reference
there made, in your opinion, from the
previous EXCERPTS which l have read u"
CAPTAIN LESTER-It is an obvious
reference to England.
SENATOR STERLING-An what
would be the natural effect, if that is
belleved, on any one in America in re-
gard to our ally, England?
CAPTAIN LESTER-The obvious
effect would be TO create distrust and
lack OF support to the Allies.
SENATOR STERLlNG-And what
erect would that most likely have on
the war and the vigorous and success
1ul prosecution of the war if distrust
Oh our principal ally was created?
CAPTAIN LESTER-It would have
the effect of deterring any alliance or
ASSOCIATION with England or the Allies.
SENATOR STERLING-M attention
has been called, Captain Lester. to an
issue of "rhe American" of April 25-
1917, and l read from the editorial: ''
Some of the blunders in .eontem-
platlon and, we fear, in process of
commission are, first. the loan of
Dllllons to the unstable and unestab
11shed revolutionary government of
nuSsla' which may vanish any day in
the storms of counter reyo]ution
whose imminent approach are her
aided by so many signs; second. the
complete subordination of prenored-
ness Tor Americas defence to supply
ing England's frantic demands for
help, and, third, the steady entangle
ment OF the United States in tho Web
OF European intrigues and ambitions.
against which Washington so wisely
warned us when living and would
warn a.I, US If he were alive to-day
Inc painful truth is that we are
Delng practically used as mere re-
ln1orcement of England's warfare
ana England's future aggrandizement,
and to all intents and purposes are
SIMPLY assuming the role of another
Canada and another Australia-a
crown colony rushing to Law all it's
resources and risk all it's own safety
Tor the sake Of the Empire.
1T is not pleasant to have to saw
these things, but they are talked Of
everywhere among the people, and
are the fundamental reasons why the
war does not get along any faster
among the people.
"We say plainly in Washington
that the whole people are ready to
back up solidly, with all possible
enthusiasm and with all their re-
sources, to the last dollar and the
last mar, AN AMERICAN WAR FOR
THE RIGHTS AND BENEFIT OF
AMERICA, but that the majority,
and the vast majority, too, are not
disposed, to put it very mildly, to be
enthusiastic over fighting war for
England, to save England from de-
feat, to reestablish her insolent tyr
amy over the seas, that should be
free; to put our navy at her dis
posal, to strip our own people of
food for her, neglect our own de-