The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-07
A Mean Advantage
BY FILLS PARKER BUTLER,
Member American Defense Socict v
-opyright. 1915. American Defense

Copyright, 1918. American Defense
Society.
An evening or two ago I was walk
ing through the great Pennsylvania
railway station at New York when it
was crowded with men. women and
children. 1t is a magnificent building.
1t covers two entire city blocks. /
looked up at the great roof that shell
tered the vast structure. and 1t came
into my mind that. seen from high in
the air. the spread of the roof must
be enormous 1t would be a remark
able target for bombs dropped from
high above It.
1t suddenly occurred TO me that the
United States is taking a mean adj
vantage of Germany. We have
, plunged into war against Germany
and are sending fighting men and
| fighting ships to fight her fighting
men and fighting ships. but we are
taking mean advantage Of the three
| thousand miles of ocean that stretch
| between us. We are so far away that
! Germany cannot use against us her
| splendid system Of numbering women
and children,
Are we, | ask quite fair to Ger
many? She is so far from our shores
| that she cannot send Zepplins sneak
| ing through the night TO drop death
/ on our babies sleeping in their cribs
| Are we not taking an unfair advan-
! tage OF her? When Germany goes to
war she expects to fight with neigh
I bors close at hand, so she can bonn
bard the homes of non-com hatants
| and MAIN and murder helpless old
men and gentle women and sleeping
| children. Is 1t fair TO go to war with
| her when she viii only have the
| chance TO fight our fighting men
| Why 1t is possible that Germany. In
! fighting us. may have to fight fair and
as civilized nations fight Except for
| poison gas. murder of sailors on the
| nigh seas and other dirty harbarisms)
I 4hat Is not giving Germany the
! chance she feels she ought to have
1t is not giving her an opportunity to
| murder our wives and fathers and
| daughters.
| think something ought to be done
about this. Germany is liable to dis
like us II we let this thing go on.
| What will she think of us if we do not
| arrange things so she can kill our
babies in the night, as she is killing
the English and French babies in their
cribs?
Shall we send, say, eight thousand
ola men. ten thousand women and
seven thousand babies to Europe and
place them in some convenient place
so that Germany can bomb them to
death. and thus give Germany a
chance to war against us as she is
warning against other nations? Or
shail we say that, come what will and
happen what may, this nation will not
make peace with the dastardly Hun
until he is thrashed and crushed and
taught once for all that the murder
OF Just one helpless baby of Paris or
London has been sufficient to sentence
the Hohenzollern beasts to everlast-
ing determination?
Good friend. how do you stand +?
Will you be one Of those who are
willing to send their babies to Lon
don to die by the hand of the Hun?
Or VIII YOU stand with all Christian
humanity, steadfast and Arm. until
the great criminal is given his just
deserts?
What name shall we give the baby
Killer of Berlin? What name shall
we give ourselves II we allow him to
triumph after such acts as these?