New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-15

or all tne Sndmelul Gays OF IdSL SUMMER.
We had proclaimed our "strict accounta-
bility" policy, and it had been answered by
open undisguised, unvarnished assassina-
ton. But this did not move Mr.. Wilson.
All through the summer he sat supine
while one outrage followed another, hoping
that some way might open for him to es-
cape with seeming honor from the duty OF
putting his words into effect. Out of the
White House and from the ready press
agents there flowed one declaration after
another, intended to persuade the country
of the patient strength of an administra-
ton living in daily panic.
Only the collapse of the German subma-
rine campaign saved Mr.. Wilson two
months ago when the American people
were at last reused to the shame of their
course. Only the fact that the Germans
were seeking an excuse for abandoning a
campaign that they could not pursue. an
excuse that would satisfy their public,
which they had fed up on the stories Of
the havoc to British shipping Of the sub
marines, prevented the complete bank
ruptcy of the policy of "watchful waiting"
If the German campaign had been success
full there would have been no victory.
The proof of this is found in the fact that
until the Germans were sure they had
failed they utterly refused to pay atten-
ton to Mr.. Wilson's words. They needed
them only when it served their purpose.
Such was the character Of Mr.. Wilson's
great moral triumph of a few weeks ago.
But where does the Ancona leave this?
Just the moment that there is again profit
COR the German cause or imaginary profit
in new massacres, we have this massacre.
Let no man be deceived by the showing OF
the Austrian flag. Austria has become an
appendage of the German Empire; all Aus
TRAN military and naval campaigns are
made in Germany" Possibly the actual
killing was done by a German submarine,
but in any event the inspiration came from
Berlin. Once more women and children
are to be murdered, not alone plunged
into the sea, but shelled as they take
refuge in lifeboats, because there is need
that German "terribleness" should be felt
in Rome as well as in Paris and London.
Perhaps Athens needed timely illustra-
ton of the peril incident to opposing the
Kaiser,
And in the face of this latest crime is.
there left any American who fails to pene-
trate the sham and the snug hypocrisy of
American policy in recent months? The
sham revealed in the fact that whenever
there was the smallest profit for them in
murder the Germans murdered Americans
without hesitation, the hypocrisy in the
pretence that there had been victory
won when American protests were used
as the cover for the retreat Of German
naval power overwhelmed by British.
The Wilson administration has followed
the coward counsels which the politician
always supplies. 1t has endeavored to win
native approval without offending the
hyphen vote. 1t began by talking big TO
Germany in the belief that words of sufil-
GENTLY sonorous character would intiml-
date the German people, in arms against
the world. When these words failed, it
hesitated to take action lest action should
cost it the political support of millions who
were reported to put alien interests above
American, and to vote as Germany desired,
not as America required.
- nrpcIcplv
as We got into the Mexican. Our troops
were hurried to Vera Cruz in the mis-
taken notion that this moral demonstra-
ton would terrify the Mexican and crafty
the American. But when the Mexicans
met us with rifle fire the whole policy COL
lapsed, and we fingered in Vera Cruz until
the coming of the Great War fixed public
attention elsewhere, and then under cover
of the night we skunk out. We got into
the German mess because Mr.. Wilson be-
lieved strong words would terrify, and
after we got in we stayed there until the
German need Of a pretext for abandoning
the submarine campaign in British waters
supplied Mr.. Wilson with great moral
victory. But not even this great moral
victory extended to the disavgwal of the
murder of the Americans of the Lusitania.
Yet in a grim way Americans may well
rejoice that the tragedy Of the Ancona has
come, because its coming has served to
strip the last vestige of cover from the
naked shame of the Wilson foreign policy
and reveal the sham, the cowardice and the
hypocrisy which might otherwise have es-
capped the attention Of a careless and for
getful people, easily lulled into content
ment at the thought that all perils had
been escaped.
For some Americans the failure, the COL
lapse of the policy Itself, is only minor
thing. Other policies have failed; In the
great crisis in world history no diplomacy
- cbou,, itcalf oreat M statesmen Sill