By John Grier Hibben.
_To the Editor of The New York Times:_
Some time ago I received with many others an appeal "To the Civilized
World!" from certain distinguished representatives of German science and
art. I at once wrote to Prof. Eucken, whom I know, and who is one of the
signers of this document. I wished to draw his attention particularly to
the second statement of this appeal, which is as follows:
It is not true that we trespassed in neutral Belgium. It has
been proved that France and England had resolved on such a
trespass, and it has likewise been proved that Belgium had
agreed to their doing so,
and I stated to him that "It is naturally to be expected of a group of
scholars that where reference is made to proof, some citation should be
given both of the sources of the proof and of its nature. I am sure you
will agree with me that it is of the very essence of scholarly method in
the treatment of any subject whatsoever that one should cite his
authority as regards every important and significant statement that is
made. No one of the distinguished group of scholars signing their names
to this letter would think of writing an article in his own specialty
and not add in the text or in a footnote the complete list of
authorities for his several assertions.
"In your appeal, however, the most important statement by far which you
make, and the one bearing most intimately upon the honor and integrity
of your nation, is left without even the attempt to support it, save the
bare assertion by you and your colleagues. In the interests of a fair
understanding of Germany's position, I feel that it is incumbent upon
you to give us who are under such a deep debt of gratitude to German
scholarship in our own lives the opportunity of a full knowledge of all
the facts which definitely bear upon this present situation."
At the time of writing Prof. Eucken, I also wrote to a friend of mine,
Dr. A.E. Shipley, the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, England,
asking him if he could get for me some authoritative statement from the
British Foreign Office concerning the assertion that "it has been proved
that France and England had resolved on such a trespass, and it has
likewise been proved that Belgium had agreed to their doing so." I have
just received a letter from Mr. Shipley, stating that Lord Haldane had
prepared a statement in answer to this question. Thinking that your
readers would be interested in seeing this, I am sending it to you.
Faithfully yours,