The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-03-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE REWARDS OF SACRIFICE.

L
Washington, Feb. 1.-"Apparently
one of the results of the Supreme
sacrifice policy of the Wilson admin
istration has been that other nations
take us at President Wilson's word"
declares the Republican Publicity
Association, through it's president,
Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr. "They
are not only willing but eager to ac-
cept the sacrifices-all of them they
can induce us to make. For instance,
finding the United States in a mood to
surrender almost anything any other
nation might desire, Great Britain
has established censorship of Am
erican cablegrams, the censor not
only reading the messages of Ameri-
can exporters but, it is charged, COM
municating the information con-
tanned therein to British concerns en-
gagged in similar business, thus en-
abling them to gain an unfair ad-
vantage in competition for trade.
According to press reports, when a
subordinate official of the State De-
partment disclosed the fact that
some three thousand complaints had
been made against this practice,
there was an effort to suppress the
information on the ground that if the
American people knew of the British
practice it would only add to the re-
sentiment against the British govern
ment.
ITO some extent the lines of
reasoning of the State Department
is sound, but perhaps it did not fully
express its real fears. Undoubtedly
there will be increased resentment
against Great Britain, but there will
be even greater resentment against
the Wilson administration, and this is
what, very likely, the State Depart
ment most dislikes. 1t is difficult to
blame Great Britain for taking ad-
vantage of such weak and pusillani-
nous administration as the present
regime has proven to be. While the
United States would not act in the
same manner if conditions were re-
versed, yet we can understand the
ease with which an ambitious govern
ment would drop into practices which
are scarcely defensible on ethical
grounds, however clever they may be
commercially. When some easy
mark goes about seeking an oppor-
tunity to buy a gold brick, we, cannot
feel very great resentment against
the man who takes him in. When Mr..
Wilson proclaimed, after the sinking
of the Lusitania that the United
States was too proud to fight, later
demanded a peace without victory,
and finally pledged the United States
to make the supreme sacrifice who
can find it in his heart to blame Great
Britain for taking verything within
reach and then asking the United
States to cancel few billions Of dol |
lars of credits?
eff the United States, under the
leadership of outstanding men, had
displayed the spirit befitting a nation
entitled to maintain an equal sta
ton among the nations Of the earth,
we would now enjoy the respect of
Great Britain instead of being the sub
ject of very evident contempt. There
has been no need to nag Great Britain
or quibble over trif1es. There is
every reason why the closest friend
ship should prevail. But true friend
ship must be between equals and
must be founded upon mutual re-
spect. The United States will get fair
treatment from Great Britain when
it's international policies command
respect, and not before"