Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-13
GERMAN
DIPLOMACY.


The people of the United States
like those on the other side OF tn
world, are losing confidence in Ger
many. Her latest note to the sink
ing of the Arabic is disappointing an
the opposite of what had been ex
pected after her assurance" OF de
termination not to sink passenger
steamers in future without making
arrangements for saving the lives O.
the people aboard. There is string
to all this, however, which fact /
exasperating to the peaceful people
ON this side of the globe. There is al
apparent insincerity in all her rep
reservations. The Kaiser is attempt
ing to conduct relations with Amerl
ca as he has done with European ma
t1ons-that is to suit himself.
The Baltimore Sun sums up the slt'
uation this morning in lucid and 10
gical manner. 1t says:
We have become so accustomed u
fluctuations in our war temperature
to having dangerous crises III our IN
ternational relations followed by ap
'parent symptoms of substantial I'M
provement, and to having these IN turi
succeeded by alarming relapses, thai
we have lost the capacity Of becoming
greatly excited by the Alterations
of diplomatic gloom and reinsurance
Mere words of warning and protest
on the one hand, or Of reliance or eva
sion, on the other, fail to keep us ii
a state of tremor Oh to-. stu. us, 70 !;
condition of greater indignation. we
have reached the point where we are
Intellectually prepared for anything
that may occur, but where our over.
taxed emotions refused to be spurreu
by speculations as to what may nap
pen next. 1t is not Il condition OF
indifference, or apathy, Duc SIMPLY a
condition of familiarity with the
chances and changes in the war fevel
with which the world is suffering,
and realization Of the fact that
we can only wait on the development
of events.
Germany, makes it clear in her
Arabic note, that she has not sur
rendered anything, that she has simp-
w INDUCED in soothing diplomatic
nhrase, which means little or moth
inp. mainly the latter. When she said
liners would not be sunk without
warning and without provisions Tor
the safety Of passengers and crew,
she did not eman what people would
generally mean in such cases. She
attaches what may be called Ger
man meaning to it, the sort Of nnean-
ing she attached to the scrap OF
paper" guaranteeing Belglum's neu-
trality, in which whether nation
should be torpedoed or not depended
on theiudgement of the German COM
mander.
The Arabic answer is virtually OF
the same nature. That monster OF the
deep was about to ram the German
submarine and the innocent and
peaceful agent of civilized warfare
sank her in sheer terror and despra-
ton.
What makes this reply as hopeless
as it is impatient is that 1t asserts
the principle that Il submarine may
torpedo liner whenever her conf
mander thinks proper-wheneTer nc
imagines or pretends that he imagines
he is about to be attacked--and that
even if he makes mistake, he Is not
10 be held accountable for it. except,
perhaps, in respect to monetary dam
ages for neutral lives lost. that point
however. TO be left in doubt and to
be made the subject of arbitration,
AS we have not fought about the
Iusitania, we are not apt to fight
about the Arabic. We learn Il valu
able lesson from the latter, however
and that is the folly of trusting Ger
man assurances. Her diplomacy APP
pears to be essentially insincere. VIC
NAV keep up our diplomatic palaver
with her forever without getting for
ward single step.
The definite thing we have done n
DR.. Dumba counts for more than all
our submarine correspondence. We
cannot expect any satisfaction from
the latter. But we can make It un-
healthy for submarines IN oui
own waters, and wn viii not allo"
any quibblinc or "'nstakes' over here
We have given rct;ce TO Germany as
we'll as to Austria in the Dumba case
and that action will he likely to bring
things to head more n?;ickly thar
tons of diplomatic literature.