The Sauk Centre herald., 1915-05-20
THE PRESIDENTS NOTE

Herald. While this official communi-
cation to the German government re-
garding the sinking of the British
steamer Fabla, in which an American
citizen was drowned; the attack Of the
American vessel Cushing by Ger
man aeroplane; the torpedoing of the
American vessel, Gulfight in which
two Americans lost their lives, and
lastly, the destruction Of the British
steamer, the Lusitania, in which
more than a hundred American citi-
zens found watery graves, is signed
Bryan" it is not in Bryan's Ian
guage, in Bryan's words or Bryan's
style, but is so Enthusiastically Will
sonesque as to proclaim it as the
Presidents own individual work.
It is couched in diplomatic, exceed
ingly diplomatic language, and it is
not "shirt sleeve" diplomacy either,
but the most polished, courteous and
almost apologetic style.
The President might have said
much more; he could hardly have said
less without justifying acts of which
complaint is made. He might have
put the case much stronger; he could
not have put it milder without con-
doning the performance and officially
countenancing future actions of SIM
liar character.
Its statement that "The govern
ment of the United States is loath to
believe that these acts so absolutely
contrary to the rules, the practices
and the spirit of modern warfare,
could receive the countenance or sane
tion of that great government"
leaves a loop-hole as wide as a barn
door through which the German gov
ernment can escape the difficulty if
it should avail itself of the opportun-
ity. All the Imperial government
would have to do would be to official
ly disavow the acts complained of and
place the blame of the same on the
subordinates. We have not the
slightest idea that Germany will ac-
cept this horn of the dialema. What
ever the German faults may be, the
shirking of responsibility is not one
of them. There is not the slightest
doubt but the Imperial government
ofasGermany, in reply to the Presi-
dents note will assume full response
bility for the acts of it's submarine
and aeroplane commandments, will
state that she is battling for her ma
tional existence, that she has declared
her course, has given due notice to
the world and that she will not change
her policy come what may or will.
Germany is no piker. The very in
timation that German officers on sea
or land would do or perform any ac-
tlon without orders or not countenanc-
ed by the Imperial government is a
ridiculous absurdity. 1t is diplomat
ic fiction so transparent that even the
dullest intellect can penetrate it The
assumption should have been left out
of the communication as it only weak
ems it.
Like hornet the only sting in the
note is in its tail: "The Imperial Ger
man government will not expect the
government of the United States to
omit any WORD or ACT in the per-
formance of its sacred duty of main
tanning the rights of the United
States and it's citizens and of safe
guarding their free exercise and en-
joyment."
This is explicit enough, but in spite
of ourselves we cannot help reading
into the note strain of vacillation
and vein of rather uncertain timid-
ity. The picture of an indulgent
mother threatening to whip her chill
dren if they do certain things, know
ing full well that they will do them
and that she will not chastise them
for their action and they know she
will not, obtrudes on our mental Wis
ion as we read the note.
The gravity of the situation is en-
tirely beyond the comprehension of
the average citizen. No President of
the United States has ever been cal
led upon to face so great a response
bility save Lincoln. It is impossible to
conceive how utterly intolerable is the
idea of armed conflict to our gentle
hearted, Christian President. We
heard the noble Mckinley declare,
while tears filled his eyes, that he
would cheerfully yield up his life to
avert a conflict with Spain, yet that
war was mere bagtelle, little war
for cent, compared to a plunge by
this government in to the present
world conflict, but there are lengths
to which great nation cannot go.
There are conditions worse than war
and there are better things than
peace.
A nation that will not spend the
last dollar in its treasury and the last
drop of its fighting blood to protect
the property rights, the political
rights and the life rights of the low
lest and poorest of it's citizens, en-
gagged in lawful and peaceful pursuits
in any part of the world, is unworthy
of the allegiance of any patriotic per-
son.
We have every confidence in Presi-