New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-08

send so fierce horror and Indignation
through the world as the sinking OF
the Lusitania. II raises for neutrals
in its sharpest form a question OF the
first importance. They, and in partlc-
ular the United States. are bound to
defend the lives of their own subjects,
though they are not bound to defend
the lives of subjects of other states.
Can they after this content themselves
with a preteXt? That is the question.
and il is a question in the deciding of
which they do not need the assistance
or eXhortation of the belllgcrents. II
is too insistent. too formal, for that.
"Our concern is different. II is first
TO register this latest and greatest out
rage. And when it is in our power TO
do Justice. we must not content our
selves with furnishing subordinates.
There must be no head too high to fall
for this.
But that lies in the future. For the
present we must take what measures
we can to avert a repetition of this
crime and disaster, and in every case
we must defeat the purpose which in
spired it. 1t is doubtless the hope OF
the enemy to convert the impotence OF
their blockade into reality by terror.
They have mistaken the temper of the
people of these islands and of all men,
whatever their nationality, for whom
civilization has a meaning.
"The traffic Of the seas will continue
as though no Germans lurked beneath
the waters to commit murder, and the
task of bringing the murGerers to JUS
tice and Of Kidding the world of this
horror of brutality will be carried on
with sterner and iiercer energy"
Sir Gilbert Parker's Views.
Sir Gilbert Parker, writing of the
disaster in "The Daily Chronicle"
says:
at is a most inhuman crime, com
mjtted by an inhuman nation which
has placed itself outside the bounds Of
civilization. Germany hopes TO ter
rorize England as she tried TO terror
iZc Belgium, but she is up against a
nation that never knew defeat, and she
can be assured that this infamous
crime will only nerve the British peo-
pie to sterner efforts than they have
ever yet used in the course of their
history.
"The sinking Of the Lusitania is an
international, not a national, matter,
and il will presently be seen that the
United States will view it as their
business as we'll as ours"
Question Put Up TO United States.
"The Times" says of the sinking Of
the Lusitania:
at is not for US to speculate upon
the course to be adopted by the United
States government, now that they are
confronted with this monstrous crime,
which concerns them as closely as II
does ourselves. The members of Pres
ident Wilson's ministry are guardians
of their nations honor and of the lives
Of their own people. Upon them rests
a heavy responsibility, which we shall
not seek TO accentuate.
an their note presented to the Ger
man government in February the
United States Government declared
that if the lives Of American citizens
were destroyed by German war YES
sells, il would be difficult for them TO
view the act in any other light than an
indefensible violation of neutral
rights Should such a 'deplorable sit
uation' arise the United States Gov
eminent would hold the German au-
thorities to strict accountability. and
would take any steps which might be
necessary 10 safeguard American lives
and property and to secure to American
citizens full enjoyment OF their ac-
knowledged rights on the high seas.
Palmer words could not be used. and
we quote them without comment, nor
shall we lay any stress upon the omis-
sion Of the United States government
TO offer any official observations upon
the many violations of The Hague con-
vention by Germany, or upon German
disregard Of the usages OF civilized ma
tons. The attitude OF the people Of
the United States toward all these re-
lapses into barbarism must be shaped
and settled by themselves alone"
THE sinking Of the Lusitania stands
| in the same category as other wanton