Zimmerman Flays Pro-British Stand of McLaughlin, Praises Pacifists Bravery

The following is a letter written to the American independence League in support of their opposition to the interventionist policy of Professor McLaughlin policy of Professor McLaughlin, as expressed in the CRIMSON Mall Column--Ed.

I feel that it is very unfortunate to imply that young men who have the convictions of the American Independence League as expressed in CRIMSON editorials are short-sighted or cowardly. Such use of epithets puts us almost back to the days when even sauerkraut must be called" liberty cabbage." Their program is true Americanism. If this is cowardice our forefathers were double cowards, because they took advantage of the embarrassment of the Hanoverlan dynasty with the French to withdraw from the British Empire in the wars of 1775-1814.

The soldier in war is so surrounded with a blanket of discipline, fatigue, propaganda, and lack of knowledge of the events, that his great bravery becomes somewhat of a second nature. The person who stands out now against the call of bearing war drums for American involvement in this European war also deserves great credit for bravery. Just in the past year or so has America for given those who stood against entry into the last war. Here and there a professor who was flared as "yellow" or a "traitor" between 1916-1918 is now being rehired. In the last year or so a great university has sent a widow the check for the last salary of a professor fired because he did not support the American involvement in the last European war. Most objectors, however, were broken at the wheel of the war hysteria of that time.

Should Have the Illusions

If we do become involved in this war, and we seem to be drifting even more rapidly than before in the 1914-1917 path, I think we should have no illusions. This war will probably not be won by money, good wishes, or airplanes. The starvation of 1917-1918 and the following one due to the continuing blockade between the Armistice and the Versailles Treaty, claimed in itself by German agricultural economists of repute to have cost the lives of 800,000 Germans, taught Germany one lesson. For twenty years they have been preparing with their potatoes, sweet lupine, and other crops and measures to assure themselves a permanent endurable food supply over a many year sea blockade. Soldiers alone, either those of the enemy, or the revolutionary groups at home, win wars. Even if the German army were to suppress all Nazi leaders, the war would probably go on just the same.

From the American point of view I think we should ask ourselves three questions: should we fight someone else's war? Can we defend ourselves if we stay out? What will probably be the not results in the spread of nihilism here if we enter another devastating European war?

British Navy Fights for Britain

One thing the British navy does without fall--it always fights for English interests. I think the American navy, which on account of its guns and strategically location is now more powerful than any other navy, should do likewise for America. It seems clear to me that if we fear a war with a European power or a concert of European and Asiatic powers, the thing for us to do is to let their others extend their lines of supply and fight here. If France and England couldn't help Poland, how can France, England, Germany, Italy, and Russia together invade a prepared and well defended United States of America.

Until we demonstrate our ability to solve our own moral issues, others cannot learn from us.

Aftermath of War

Finally, there is the aftermath of war. What will happen when we add to the confusion and cynicism of 1918-1939 the increased bitterness of feeling arising out of another involvement? Those destructive and cynical elements found to a considerable extent in Fascism, Nazism, Communism, and full Machiavellian movements are the products of this confusion. Americans are psychologically even more susceptible to these than the European peoples from which we came. This statement may be demonstrated by any serious study.

The prevalence of this potential nihilistic state of mind is most clearly indicated by our surges of emotionalism since 1915. Also Americans are particularly bloodthirsty. Did we not set the world pace for blood letting in our own Civil War?

I am strongly convinced that the intellectual demoralization of post war America takes its origin to a considerable extent in the actions of those intellectual leaders who beat the war drums of that earlier period