The Washington times., 1915-09-09
GERMANY MAKING A FOOL OF
AMERICA

laborating in playing horse with
Washington. Month after month
they laugh in their sleeves as they
turn new tricks and hoodwink
America. Whenever a square issue
seems in sight they dodge, or gouge,
or hit below the belt, and then pro-
test that the rules have been made
over to permit that sort of thing;
and in the discussion of the rules
they gain time enough to perpetrate
a new foul that opens a new discus
sion; and so it goes ad nauseam.
No issue raised by the barbarous
German methods of sea warfare has
yet been brought to agreement or
determination. Any excuse is good
enough excuse for the Won Tirpitz
butchers, and their supply is mex
haustible. The only commodity that
seems more plentiful Is the credu-
lous willingness of the American
Administration to accept them and
let the issue be STAYED of.
Go back to the beginnings, re-
count a few chief outrages against
American rights at sea, and consider
the status Of diplomatic considera-
tion Of these. The American ship
Nebraskan was torpedoed and in
jured. Germany considerably ex-
planned that the submarine mistook
her for an enemy, and offered COM
pensation, which is yet to be ad-
justed.
The Gulf1ight case was particular
ly inexcusable, except on the theory,
seemingly entertained by the Ger
man admiralty, that anything is all
right so long as the insult or the
outrage is directed against America.
The Gulflight was an American ves-
sci, attacked by an undersea boat.
The Germans admitted it all; but
there were other boats in the vicin-
ity; the submarine commander
didn't notice that the vessel was
American; in fact, he thought she
seemed to be under convoy; there
fore she was attacked on suspicion.
Germany regretted" and would give
compensation. This case likewise is
still pending.
In the incident of the Cushing,
an American vessel damaged by
bombs dropped from an aeroplane,
the German Government asked full
proofs from the United States. 1t
has never been claimed that Ger
many did not know all the facts.
There has been no allegation that
the offending aeroplane got lost. The
facts about this affair are mani
festly perfectly known to Berlin. If
friendly, and desirous to remain
friendly, Berlin should acknowledge
them, and not ask the United States
to prove something already proved
to Berlin, and perhaps not to be
proved in all detail by the United
States. The German attitude in this
case, indeed, is one Of the most of.
fensive that has been taken toward
the United States, though it has
received little popular attention and
seemingly has not been recognized
at Washington as of the nature o1
an insult.
It nears four months since the
Lusitania was torpedoed, after de.
liberate announcement and adver
tisement that she would be sunk
What has happened? The exchange
of notes brought discussion down te
July 81, when the United States sem
what was near an ultimatum-woulc
have been an ultimatum if the pur
pose of deeds had been back of tn,
words in which it was couched. Ye
what has happened? The note il
unanswered, save as it has been an
swered by the torpedoing of tn,
Arabic and now the Hesperian.
For the Arabic crime there ha,
been urged as an excuse for ignor
ing the incident the fact that tn
submarine had not reported. Nov
comes the news, at this late date
that Berlin holds the submarin
acted in self-defense. But Coun
Won Bernstorff did take the troubl
to inform Washington that his gov
ernment had ordered that sort of at
tacks to stop-only Berlin had bee
too busy, or too thoughtless, or to
contemptuous of the United State
to inform US about it! Still, he sale
and said in writing, that the order
had been issued; and he couldn't be
lieve the Arabic was torpedoed by
German submarine; and the Unite
States was expected to feel cheerfr
in the expectation that there woul
be no more like attacks-when tn
Hesperian case came along.
Perhaps that belated excuse i
the case of the Arabic will get az
ceptance at the hands of the Wash
ington Government. Very likely
will. The Administration seems will
ing always to wriggle out of the ne