Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-08-26
A SERIOUS SITUATION.


The dark clouds Of war are hover
ing over the United States and re-
sort to arms seems inevitable. The
Presidents tsecond note to Germany
was answered on Thursday of last
week through the sinking of another
large ocean liner without warning
which carried with it two Americans
to q watery grave. Although the last
note in the Lusitania case served
notice on Berlin that, such acts would
be regarded as deliberately unfriend-
ly" and that the United States intend
ed to defend neutral rights regardless
Of what eountrEs invaded them land at
whatever cost, the Arabic, mammoth
British ship bound for this country
from Liverpool was attacked and de:
stroyed without warning by a,German
submarine. 1t carried neither guns.
nor ammunition; nor was it bound for
the danger zone with contraband Of
war. Sailing towards peaceful Amer
lea and peaceful mission. and utterly
helpless to defend herself against
shot, or shell, she becomes a victim
of barbarlsm and many Of her passen-
gers prey to the fishes that inhabit
the seas. The attack appears to have,
been wholly unprovoked and this fact
is construed to mean that Germany
intends to continue her submarine
warfare, without regard to the atti-
tude of the government relative to
such dastardly methods of warfare.
It is little more than four weeks
since Secretary lansing despatched
the. second note which. declared that
the :. United tea Mould not fofeEa-
ate the German submarine attacks
upon unarmed vessels. and declared
that friendship itself prompted the
American government to advise the
Imperial Government that repetition,
by the commanders Of German naval
vessels, of acts in contravention Of
the neutral rights to which this coun-
try adheres, must be regarded by the
Government of the United States, when
they affect American citizens, as de
uDerately unfriendlE." Despite this
warning of President Wilson,-in the
sinking of the Arahic.-other AmerI-
cans have lost their lives by reason or
the "wanton act of German subma-
rine commander Elm absolute disre-
gard of the American position and this
is likely to be "the straw that broke
the camel's back" The destruction
of the Arabic is considered more SIS
rious than even the Lusitania incl
dent, since the latter. carried CONTRA
band Of war and was bound for .
foreign port. The Arabic was help
less and harmless, travelling, on a
peaceful efrand. laden only, with mer-..
chandise and inoffensive passenger
who were fleeing from the dAngeI
zone. "a
1t is evident that a crisis has been
reached and that the United States.
will. after exhaRsting every resource
to avert,seFious trouble with Germany,
be forced to defend her rights by a
resort to arms Germany would have
It so and Uncle Sam can accommodate
her, if fight she must.
1t is perfectly plain that Germany
will ask no favors of the United
States, nor does he intend to give any
She has intended from the beginning
to draw this country into the conflict
and the hour has struck. Her at
tempts through hired agents to create
sympathy for the German cause are
most convincing evidence of the pur-
pose to finally compel President Will
son to forcibly resent insults that no
self-respecting people can ignore.
They have succeeded at last and the
President must now enforce American
rights by the splitting of American
blood. 1t appears to be the only solu-
ton of an extremely situation.