THE ATTITUDE OF AMERICA.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2352, 7 January 1915, Page 3

THE ATTITUDE OF AMERICA.

Sir,—From my daily perusal of the newspapers I have come to the conclusion that it is time that the attitude of the United States of America in tho matter of the war should be commented upon by somo one capable of setting out the facts of the caso. It appears to me that the Republic of the United States is anything but friendly to Great Britain and her Allies, that President Wi'son is shirking his responsibilities, and that if that President represents tho feelings of the people, they must be either shirkers or lost to all that is decent and honourable in a mad pursuit of "the Almighty Dollar."

If she were friendly she would not be constantly nearing the verge of a break by shielding German ships arid preventing them being taken as prizes, and by winking at the assistance given to German warships by the South American Republics, knowing, as she does, that Great Britain abides by the "Monroe Doctrine." Further, she is now protesting at' Britain's action in preventing contraband being shipped to Germany by American traders.

President Wilson must be personally a moral coward or he would never pas 6 over in silence the breaking of the various clauses in "The Hague Convention" agreed to by all the, at present,' belligerent nations and the United States, and worse than all, 1 the savagery displayed by the cultured (?) Germans, savagery that should cause anyone worthy of being called a man to protest by words and deeds if he had any power to prevent its repetition or to punish the miscreants who have been guilty. .. . lam aware that there is a large population of German extraction in the United States, but I cannot believe that the descendants of the pioneers and of those who fought England for their independence, and later fought each other in the name of humanity to free the slaves, and moreover are of our Anglo- , Saxon and Celtic blood,, have sunk to J such a level that they are cowardly enough to fear that German population,. or so sunk in money grubbing 1 pursuits that it does, not matter'to them what atrocities are being committed in other parts of tho world, so long as they can Scrape up dollars. \ I think it should be put plainly to them that they must play the part of men or sink for ever in the estimation of honourable men as, chicken-hearted' and with no soul. I should like to see an article from your pen dedling 'vigorously with this matter, and should also like to know, if you will write such an article, that copies of the paper are,sent to President Wilson, other public men, and the Press of the U.S.A.—I am, etc., - W. WHITEHEAD. [Our correspondent rather overstates the case against the . United States. It is true. that the attitude of President Wilson has been both surprising and disappointing, but the great body of opinion in America is unquestionably in favour" of the Allies.] . FARCE, BETTING, CHINESE, ETC. Sir, —Recently the police authorities have been;again raiding a few _ harmless Chinese for gambling in their oWn way. We often hear the cry: Keep our oolony white. Why hunt a few Chinese who are a small portion of our population? Why' are totalisator odds white bookmakers allowed io go free, day by day, 1 openly laying totalisator odds on every _ race meeting? Hunting the Chinese is . a farce. Why do not the police prosecute tho white totalisator _ odda man, the double man, the swindling guessers who haunt our streets touting to lay the odds? On Lamhton Quay there is a nest of totalisator odds men who haunt certain hotels and openly ply their calling defiantly in face of the Gaming Act. Police'methods are queer, and the authorities are letting these betting totalisator men have a clear run, in defiance of the law. ' One hotel in this City, on race days,'ia thronged like a booth on a racecourse'with people betting at totalisator odds. Time the farce ended.—l am, etc., ANTI-FARCE.