Washington Journal., 1922-12-22
EplroR OF THE STAR

EDITOR OF THE STAR:
| thank you most sincerely for pub
fishing my appeal for the starving in
Germany. | have read DIR. Wiley's re-
ioinder and cannot deny that from the
viewpoint Of my good friend he is justi-
fed in assuming that the German people
do not need nor deserve aid. Whether
his estimate, however, of the German
people is correct, time and impartial
history alone will reveal. For the pres
emit | quote from Sir Philip Gibbs. book,
How 1t Can Be Told" page 521:
Greedy was the appetite of the mob
for atrocity tales. The more revolving
they were the quicker they were swal-
lowed. The foul absurdity of the corpse
factory was not rejected any more
than the tale of the 'crucifed Canadian
(disproved by our G. II. o. or the
cutting off of children's hands and
women's breasts, for which | could find
no evidence from the only. British ambu-
lances working in the districts where
such horrors were reported.
am informed by persons who resided
in Munich and Berlin during the war that
they never heard Of or saw a medal COM
memorating the sinking OF the Lusitania,
and if any such medals existed they must
have been produced outside of Germany
for propaganda purposes.
| am a man OF peace and consider it
lust as immoral for nations to settle their
difficulties with the %bayonette and bullet
as it is for individuals so to do. But J
believe it unfair to judge the moral fiber
of a nation by the methods of warfare
encouraged by its military leaders. Elk
amples of fobvious barbarity have been
recorded in every war, ven in our W
Civil War, and will so continue as long
as wal is tolerated.
My appeal for aid is based upon the
literature Of the Central Committee in
New York for the Relief of Distress in
Germany and Austria and the expert
opinion of DR.. Copeland, the Health
Officer Of New York, and Senator-elect,
all of which fully c~orroborate the sad
accounts given by relations and friends,
and the very recent statement OF Mr..
Joseph F. Tumulty and general press dis
patches.
If Dir. Wiley is able to quote from an
| American Commercial Journal that the
industrial and commercial activity is
greater in Germany than in any other
! European country, it simply substantiates
nv statement that the German people are
making an honest effort to convert their
labor into money, meet their treaty obi
cations, and buy sufficient food and raw
material to carry on
But when in spite Of their heoric efforts
we read in dispatches dated, Coblenz,
December 3rd, that an American Post
of Veterans of Foreign Wars started a
purse of 200, 600 marks, that relief work
already has begun among the German
o a number of soup kitchens are
operating, supported largely by officers,
etc, | hope DR.. Wiley will admit that
these poor people are regarded in need
and deserving of American charity.
The records of the United States De
partment OF Commerce show that Ger
many and Austria, in 1920 and 1921, i'm
ported from our country breadstuffs at
a cost of SITS 46, 1878 and meat and dairy
products to the amount of $1O9, 452, 752.
DR.. Wiley cites the fact that the gold
reserve in the German Treasury in Oc-
| tober 31st, 1929 was 1,004, 863 marks,
hence the question naturally arises, How
can the German government provide food
to prevent starvation and at the same
time continue to pay reparations in money
without at least a breathing spell?
Our Government has repeatedly de-
clared that we are not fighting the Ger
man people, but insisting on making the
world safe for democracy. The young
republic is now struggling for existence,
the life or death of a nation, possibly
anarchy and confusion is involved. |
deem it the solemn duty of the descend
ants of over six million of Germans who
have emigrated to this country, and of
whom 1886, 1902 during the census of
1920 we're born in Germany to show true
charity, and thus aid in preventing a
repetition of the Russian horror. We
all have occasion to harbor feelings Of
intense bitterness. against the origina-
tors of the world war, especially those
of us who had the misfortune to have
relatives engaged on both sides. For
t~unately there are individuals and nations
who can forgive and forget. The states
men of allied nations, including our own
while insisting upon PREPARATIONS from
Germany to the extent of her ability
show no desire, with the exception OF