The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-09
UNCLE SAM VS.. JOHN BULL
Mr.. Hertwig Replies to His Three
Critics.

set forth In my letter OF n few days
ago. and I should like to say a word in
reply II o will indulge me.
II Is charged that my parable plays
false to the facts, that Germany really
occupies the role of assailant and Eng
land the role OF defender. The com
parlson. however, was not drawn with
reference to n specific act in the con-
test between the two, but with refer
ence to the general aspect OF the strug
gle on the sea. SO interpreted 1t Is en-
tirely sound. One has but TO run back
through his newspaper file to find abun-
dant evidence that England's unlawful
~abridgfnent of commercial intercourse
between Germany and neutral nations
antedated Germany's submarine warfare
by several months. | do not refer OF
course to the present blockade. which
was instituted after the German proc
lamation of a war zone about the
British Isles. That blockade. however.
was merely an extension, not the com
mencement. OF Britain's transgresslons
Her original operations against mer-
chant shipping, In disregard Of inter-
national law, furnished the provocation
for Germany's submarine operations.
and it is therefore in exact; conformity
to the facts to describe The submarine
operations as defensive.
In denying that a judicial character
attaches to President Wilson In the
actual controversy, your three CORE
spondents betray a rather und.gniiied
conception OF the function of the Gov
ernmen In such matters. lnasmuch as
"a 49, 80 - - A.--1E .-L-. ...1-
ment shall be binding on II In such af-
fairs. 1t would be ign0ble for 1t in maxi
ing up Its judgment to consider only
the damage to it's citizens and not, 10 in
uuire also into tho circums ances and de-
termine the truth OF any protest OF justi-
fication from the nation INJECTING the
damage. Nations are accustomed to do
both. because II BELTS their dignity to
be Just 10 their sister nations, as well
as TO be firm In safeguarding the lives
and property OF their citizens.
II a L boat torpedoes a British mer-
chairman and the Americans on board
are lost, and Germany asserts that the
ship was SUM because II tried TO ram
the L boat or to sink II by guniire,
our Government would not reject the
plea as irrelevant. but would take the
testimony from both German and Brit
ISL sOuTCts dUl pass JuAEHlfUt ou llit
plea. Manlfestly. then. the Government;
does act in a quasl-jud!cisl capacity in
such matters. And II this procedure Is
just and proper IN dealing with specific
cases, II Is Just and proper also In deal
ing with the general situation, and we
come back to the original quest on,
whether or lot IL is a Just judgment to
require that the nation defending Itself
through submarine operations against
the merchant shipping Of it's enemy shall
discontinue its defence at once. and. at
the same time. to permit the aggressive
nation to pursue its lawless suppression
OF merchant shipping In which the other
nation is interested. II is quite inn
possible TO reconcile such a Judgment
with the principles OF Justice.
But. say your correspondents. Ger
many has murdered" our ctizens, while
Great Britain has not. and. hence, IL IL
right that we hould deal more drasti-
that the submarine campaign has pro-
duced tragic consequences that have
been absent from the British operations.
But two considerations. quite important
from our point OF view. must not be
overlooked.
In the first place, the struggle IN the
sea has drifted into the stage of
"frightfulness," II YOU Will, largely be
cause our Government has been remiss
in enforcing the right of our COM
merce to the freedom of the seas from
whatever quarter violated. without com
promise and At any cost" II We had
firmly exacted respect for this right
from all helligerents from the cons
mencement OF the war. Great Britain
would never have taken the license
,,I.b ithaca rt,h,. ,b,, sha h.. a..,,11.
exercised almost from the outset, and
the re~taliatory submarine operations OF
Germany would never have been ushered
in. or. II they had been, they would
have lacked the justification OF self-de-
fence. We ourselves are not blameless.
therefore. and W. owe 4. to our often
proclaimed love Of justice to retrieve our
mistake az far as poe sIble by demand
ing now that both offenders. not one
alone. abandon forthwith their interfer-
ence with our rights.
In the second place this difference
In the consequences OF German sud Brit.
lsh operations is due very largely to the
fact that our citizens have chosen 10
respect the rules prescribed hy Britain
for the conduct ~ her operations. while
they have d!srcgarded the rules pre-
scribed by Germany for the conduct OF
Htl 'Ifl dllOlSs Equal lFSlfNl lNT not n
would keep both free from tragic con
sequences to us. Equal defiance ~
both would as surely hiring traG con
sequences TO us from both.
Britain tells us that although our
ships are laden with carcoes which are
not contrsband, and although they are
bound for neutral ports whore they have
a perfect right to go. nevertheless they
must not fultl their voyages but must
put into "A British port and subject their
cargoes to seizure. And our ships ODE
and citizens Of pro-Brltish sympa HES
even praise tho hand that Expresses us.
because the wronSdoer offers to make
payment for the cargoes. In short, the.,
true Americans" hold our right 10 the
freedom OF the seas so lightly that they
are willing to make II the subject OF
herGain and sale with Great Britain.
And. even then. they do not get com
pensation for our damacod trade rela-
,ions with out neutral customers. Now
let us assume that an American shin.
bound for Holland or NORWAY, with
American passengers and a proper cargo.
defies the order OF a British warship to
put into a British port and insists on
its right to proceed unmolcs,cd and does
proceed. What would happen" British
shells would speedily tell whether or not
there is any II! ghtfulness inherent in the
British programme.
On the other hand. lot us suppose tina,
our citizens were AZ d%efercntial to Ger
many as they are to Britain, and. heed
Ing tho German warning. ceased "a
travel on British ships and travelled only
under The Stars and Stripes. as all true
Americans should he glad to DIV In
that event, the German operations would
become as harmless to American lives
as the British operations have been. In