fib THE Romeo as vs. “Srserosor..1 . Sit,—When I read
to-night the copy of your editorial on the danger of a collision between England and the United States I was moved to write to you the opinion of one American, reinforced by the expressed opinion of every one of his acquaintances, not a Teuton. I find it the universal idea among my friends, and hear it on every side from strangers, that England is in the right, that she could do nothing less than fight, that honour bound her to fight. The feeling here in California is strongly pro-British. We have millions of the Germans here, and they are good citizens. We do not slur them or their nation. Our attitude is precisely the attitude that I have had to take with my two sons when thea have been embroiled with other lads. I have had to listen to the evidence offered by the lade and that of their mates, and sometimes my judgment has been that my own boy was the aggressor, and should be sent to his room to think it over. I ever have tried to look at these encounters dispassionately, and give to the matter calm justice. We have looked over the evidence so far given, and our judgment here on this coast is overwhelmingly in the way of approval of the British action. You will never have to fight the United States over the affairs of this war. We will insist upon fair and decent treatment of our ships and men, but there is no bitter feeling, no desire to pick a quarrel with England. A war with Britain would have to have the backing of popular sentiment, and there is no sentiment in our land that approaches war. Per
I disapprove of the shipping of any article that is used in making war to any of the belligerents. However, if it is against British interests for us to ship copper to Germany, what is the bearing on German interests for our ships to carry contraband to England? Has not Germany as much right to protest if the neutral nation is selling submarine parts and material to Britain P Be fair. If one may buy of us, why not all? If one is refused, why not all ? We are trying to remain in the background as much as possible in order that our neutrality may be kept inviolate, but the British Empire has established a great credit here that she may buy our goods. Can we sell to her and refuse to sell to Germany without being accused of being allied with Britain P I would sell anything that went to the easing of misery. Anything to make life more endurable. Bat I would lay an embargo on the selling of anything that could he used in warfare for the taking of lives. We have to be neutral because we are a polyglot nation, and if we are for one and against another we are breeding strife and hatred among our own children; yet we can and do con- demn in forceful language the unwarranted action that has mode of Belgium a charnel-house, a ruin. That will stand for all time as a mark of damnation against the militarism 01 Prussia. My ancestor came from England in 1637, and his descendants fought against the Old Country in two ware, but bad 1 the choice at this moment one of his descendants would be wearing British uniform now.—/ am, Sir, &a,
E. E. HARRIMAN.
2,336 West 23rd St., gas Angeles, Cat, January 22nd.
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