Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-15
ATestfor the American People

Lusitania Emergency?
BY GEORGE w. KIRCHWEY
Kent Professor of Law, Columbia University

in Flanders. the allied armies NAV
also resort to the same hellish mode
of destroying the enemy. If the
French use dum-dum bullets against
the Germans, the latter may employ
them against the French. But for
Germany to assert that her right OF
reprisal against Great Britain. if il
exists at all, justifies her in taking the
lives of the citizens of neutral powers
In sheer madness-the madness of
desperation. That such a claim will
be allowed, that such practices will
De tolerated., is inconceivable.
But u own share in the tragedy
must not blind us to the fact that the
dow has fallen on the citizens of other
neutral powers as well and most heav-
lily and with equal injustice and in
humanity on English men, women and
children. This is not the first, nor is
1t likely to be h last of Germany's
reprisals in which innocent and neu-
trail lives will be offered up. Is not
our duty clear? Our government. on
the first proclamation of Germany's
plratlcal designs, notified her that we
should hold the imperial
TO strict accountability for the de-
struction of American lives and prop
erty. There is no reason to doubt
that the promise will be made good.
The President can be trusted to act
promptly and resolutely. But it is to
be hoped that he will not act alone
nor IN the interest of our country
solely. We are not only the greatest
OF neutral powers, but we are, by vir-
tue OF that fact, bound, in a common
cause and in the face of a common
danger, to act in behalf and in con-
cert with all other neutral powers.
1t has frequently been suggested
in the course of the war that our
government call a conference of neu-
trail nations to determine what steps
should be taken to safeguard Neutral
rights n interests and to concert
measures for restoring the sanctions
of international law and public right.
is not this the n clear and effective
method of dealing with the present
situation? Germany may deem her
natlonaI emergency great enough TO
warrant her in rejecting the warnings
of a single neutral power, however
great, she may even dare to defy a
world in arms. But a congress rep
resentfng the neutral nations of the
earth, convoked in no hostile spirit
but animated by a sincere purpose to
find a peaceful solution of an intoler-
able situation, to re-eXamine and, so
far as possible, to readjust to modern
conditions the rules of international
law, might well succeed in finding n
way out of the impasse into which the
war as now waged has brought the
world. And if the worst should come
to the worst, if Germany cannot by
n means of cancellations BIZ led to
abandon her Illegal and barbarous
methods of carrying on the war, the
neutral nations, acting in concert, will
n other means than that of war
means more effective than war-of
bringing her to terms. A sentence OF
outlawry, an international boycott, in
volving the cutting of all communica-
lions and the severance of all rela-
.tions, commercial and other. with the
OFFENDING nation might as a last resort
be employed. She would then learn
that the public opinion of the civilized
world is still a force to be rockoned
with.