The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1915. AMERICA’S NEUTRALITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 93, 22 April 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1915. AMERICA’S NEUTRALITY.

Without speaking sellishly, so President Wilson has told the wondering world, the duty of America is summed up in the motto• ‘'America first.” Many weird statements are attributed, to the President of the United States, and this is one of them. There is,j however, sometimes a tendency to place too much value on the “hot-, air” and cheap talk which comes Horn the great Continent. It- has to he remembered that there Is a vast Cei- ( man population in the I nited States, and that they are doing all they canj to hurt England under every guise possible. Mr W. U. Allen, the American visitor who, through the Press of. Xew Zealand, is trying to prove that rumours and allegations oi Ameii-| cans’ indifference to the fate of the Mother Country are not true, con-| eluded an appeal by stating; “The ties of friendship between the Eng-lish-speaking countries are strong. I earnestly appeal to all who read this ( to do all they can to spread correct information, ior the sake ol their be-| loved country and my own.” It is a fact, as Wellington’s Post remarks, that a large proportion of the Brit- 1 ish puhlie had hoped to see the United, States lighting with the Entente Powers. Unquestionably the feeling of millions of Americans was in tav-

oar of such intervention, hut the Government, beset hy grave difficulties, not sufficiently understood outside ;| K . States, continues with u policy ot neutrality. The American press Ins' not hesitated to disclose the nation s unreadiness tor war, and the tinlli of those words has been admitted hy Loudon critics. The Westminster Gazette has remarked that America is less prepared for war than Belgium was, and that declaration is reprinted, without comment, .hy a New Wirk review. In these circumstances, with the additional problem nt many thousands of Germ.ni-Ameriean citizens hostile to Britain, the apologists for President Wilson and his advisers claim that neutrality is the only practicable course for the country. While admitting all tins, one cannot hut feel it would lie a little more becoming if less talk were made about what uart America hopes to play in f'lnrope’s peace settlements. there will la- time enough to think about that when (Germany is conquered: tlie Allies do not want any maudlin peace movement nr d that time

comos, because such would be against the interests of true humanity. Touching further on the question of American neutrality so far as the American people, is concerned, the Post points out that food and munitions of war are going in gory large; quantities from the United States to Britain and France. As Britain has command of the seas the -Navy can seize any contraband consigned to Germany, and, therefore, Germans in the Fatherland and their kinsmen abroad have charged America with a breach of the honourable principles of neutrality. An answer given by Mr Bryan, Secretary of State, to those assertions lias this passage: —“Those in this country who sympathise with Germany and Austria-Hungary appear to assume that some obligation rests upon this Government in the performance of neutral dutv to prevent all trade in ‘ . I contraband, and thus to equalise the' difference due to the relative naval* strength of the belligerents. No such obligation exists;, it would be an nnneatral act an act of partiality, on the part of this Government, to adopt such a policy, if the Executive had the power to do so. If Germany andj Austria-Hungary cannot import con-j trabaml from this country it is not} because of that fact the duty of the Baited States to close its markets to the Allies. The markets of this coun-1 try are open upon equal terms to all the world, to every nation, belligerent or neutral,” Certainly Germany may buy all she can in America, hut the Allies having the control of the seas do not propose to let more goods into

Germany than they can possibly help. Hence the loud howling and hypocritical indignation of the Teutons against Britain of course, and in lesser measure now against America.