The Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1915. AMERICA AND THE WAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 18 March 1915, Page 4

The Star.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1915. AMERICA AND THE WAR.

Jelivered every evening by 5 oolock in Hawera, Hanaia. Normanby, Okaiawa, THtham, Mangatoki. Kaponpa, Awatnna. Onanake." Otafeeho. Maimtahi. Alton, Hurleyville. Patea. Waverley.

Some ill-considered things have been written concerning the attitude of the United States with respect to the war in Europe. Americans, and especially President' "Wilson and his advisers, have been blunjsly blamed for not expressly denouncing Germany's violation of the treaty which, provided guarantees for Belgium's neutrality, and also for not denouncing even more emphatically the German Army's unparalleled atrocities in Belgium. Yet

for this blame there has been justification, for, <-as one writer who is without prejudice has said, "it would-have been better and nobler had President Wilson protested, as ho had a right to do, against the violation of Belgium's neutrality, and the subsequent atrocities." The writer adds, too, that, personally, 'he thinks that Mr Wilson has gone too far in his desire not to offend Germany, but he admits that the President's conduct is at least intelligible, even though we may not agree with it. The writer we have quoted is Mr Frederick Stubbs, who has recently returned from a- sojourn in the States, where he made it his business to become acquainted with public opinion, not only through the newspapers or personal talk with influential men in public or private life, but by mingling freely with the people in the streets and at public meetings. Mr Stubbs has no doubt that President Wilson's personal sympathies are with the Allies; but "he (the President) believes that when the terms of peace come to be discussed and a' final settlement made, the United States, as the most powerful neutral State, will have a very influential voice; hence his almost too obvious anxiety to keep on good tei*ms with Germany as well as with Great Britain. It is not because tt he thinks them both equally right; but he thinks that s his position as a future mediator will he strengthened if he can keep the United States from taking sides." Then, says Mr Stu.hbs, "there is another fact that goes to explain the Government's attitude. The United States has a population of close on 100,000,000, of whom 18,000,000 are of German descent. Many of these are men of great wealth and influence. With nearly one-fifth of the people pro-German, it would require a good deal of courage for the Government to show any pronounced sympathies jwith the Allies." In addition to this, "the great majority of Americans put what they consider American interests first. They wish well to the Allies, and hope they will wi.n > but they have been, above all, anxious that American commercial interests should not suffer." But public sympathy underwent a distinct change when, time after time, news concerning German atrocities reached the States. Mr Stubbs says that "at first the majority were sceptical: it seemed impossible that a great, progressive nation like Germany .should do such things. But by-and-by the Belgian Commission came and gave their evidence; the New York papers especially took up a strong position; Mr Beck (the former Attorney-General) wrote' some powerful articles which were syndicated; and so the great American public became convinced." On the whole, apart from other considerations, Mr Stubbs says that the Americans, are in favor of the British cause, because "their political, social and moral ideas are similar to ours and opposed to those of Germany. They believe, as we do, in democratic institutions and government;' in the equalisation, as far as possible, of knowledge, wealth and happiness; in carrying certain great moral principles, ridiculed by German writers, into the sphere of conduct. The fact that they share our language, literature and religion has also immense influence. Then there is a passionate hatred of war, and of those that make war; a great liking for arbitration, and a belief in the sacredness of treaties. The consequence is that to-day 80 per cent of the American people are on the side of the Allies, including the exPresident, nearly all the newspapers, university professors (875 out of 900), and ministers of the Gospel." Mr Stubbs, therefore, has no doubt whatever that, generally, "the American's convictions and sympathies are strongly with us, and if only the Government, gave permission, hundreds of thousands of young Americans would volunteer to serve under the British flag." Many a time, he declares, he has heard prominent Americans say: "We know that you are fighting our battle as well as your own; if you fail, the burden of defending the rights of democracies will one day fall upon us." This being so, it is for Britons in all (arts of the Empire not to judge America's official attitude too impulsively,, but to make allowance for the complexity of the position, and dwell chiefly on the preponderance of goodwill and sympathy which the people of the Republic bear towards us. Apractical man like Mr Tredwen, chairman of the Australasian section of the London Chamber of Commerce, and of the Exporters' Association, is strongly in favor of this attitude on the part of all British people. In referring to the Americans and the war, he says that "their generous gifts of money, food, and clothing, their splendidly-equipped, hospitals, have been an inestimable boon not only to the distressed Belgians, but also to the French and English wounded soldiers. Never has any nation more generously contributed to suffering humanity." Nor is this all. "We must not (says Mr Tredwen) forget the splendid work done by the American Ambassadors and their staffs, and the American Consular offices on the Continent in assisting our fellow subjects. We owe the United States a deep debt of gratitude. I was in the United States when the war began, -and I have been there since, and my experience was that nine-tenths of the Americans are heart and soul with us. They recognise that we are fighting for them as well as for ourselves." Thus Mr Tredwen^ and, Mr Stubbs are of the same opinion, and we shall probably be well-advised in being guided by them in the matter.