New-York tribune., 1920-03-16
Hypocritical Propaganda
The Truth of Mr.. Wilson's "War
for Humanity"
To tho Editor of The Tribune.

To tho Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In order to uphold his cause as
the self-created apostle Of humanity
Mr.. Wilson in his letter to Senator
Hitchcock again refers to his oft-reit-
Grated assertion that we, the people of
the United States, entered the war to
make tho world safe for democracy-a
wonderfully righteous nation, so we'd
dcd to the uplifting of the world that
we had to take the lead for it's saliva
tion! Whereas the actual and solemn
truth is that we stayed out of the war
through Mr.. Wilson's personal>reluc-
tanco to acknowledge the iniquty
wrought against Belgium, through his
personal leanings toward Germany and
through his overwhelming ambition to
become the arbtcr for peace.
Only after two years had elapsed
from the sinking Of the Lusitana, and
nearly three years after the declaration
Of war against Germany by Great Brit
ain end Franco, and after the progress
of German arms was such as to menace
our own shores, did we enter the
war under Mr.. Wilson's administration
and then with the sole and unique pur-
pose of saving our own skins.
I Mr. Wilson withstood the continual
comments and the wrathful Indignation
of the press and people for many
months; his dictum, which has gone all
over the world further than the four
teen points ever went), that we were
''too proud to fight" is an apt and fit
ting qualification Of the man and the
workings Of his mind. He finally had
to be pushed into the war. We of
Revolutionary descent, together with all
right-minded citizens, have had to bear
the odium which his presence as Chief
Executive has hcapcd upon us--this to
the dctriment Of everything done by
our brave soldiers and sailors.
What pity it is that the nation must
be dcludcd by this kind of hypocritical
propaganda What an absurdty it is
to talk of fighting for humanity, when
his whole government sat with folded
arms in the face CT the Lusitania crime,
the invasion of Belgium and while the
British fleets cleared the seas of Ger
man raiders in the Western as we'll az
the Eastern Hemisphere!
In 1871 | saw the ruins Of the Tuil-
leries, the prcstratc column lying
athwart the Place Vendomc, the twisted
Z g IL.
all vivid reminders Of Prussian ag-
gression; then twenty trains filled with
geld, the price of French liberation,
were sent away to Gcrmany-Gcrmany
the everlasting enemy Of France, jeal-
Gus of her place in civilization, Of her
wealth, her art and Of the prosperity
of the French people
When France, torn and decmatcd.
with her provinces laid waste and her
people sent into bondage, demanded
the simple right to occupy the left
bank of the Rhine as the only guar
anty for her present and future safe
ty, Wilson, the self-constituted repre-
sentative Of our people-he, the last to
come into the war-sat as supreme
arblter OF French destinies and opposed
the occupation Of the territory justly
belonging to her by victory. He then in
terfered as much as he could in the
oaar Valley occupation and thrust into
Frances face his impossible conception
or future peace of nations; it was
without knowledge, plan or basis. and
undoubtedly its underlying object was
TO let Germany down easy at the ex-
pcnse of France.
FLEMING TUCKERMAN
New York, March 13, 1920.